First Call: Small luxuries stressed on Swiss Sapphire
ONBOARD THE SWISS SAPPHIRE -- It's true: River ships are all very similar. They have to be. They are limited in dimension and, consequently, in configuration.
So in river cruising it's all about the little things. Onboard the newest Tauck-branded river cruise ship, the Swiss Sapphire, it's indeed those little things that make the biggest difference.
First off, the entire upper Diamond Deck is devoted to 300-square-foot suites. One of the biggest challenges on river cruise ships is making the cabins comfortable enough, since the ships are inevitably limited in space. With a bathtub and separate shower, a walk-in closet and sitting room with two armchairs, the Sapphire's suites are spacious.
The remaining cabins range between a more standard (and cozy) 150 and 183 square feet.
The Sapphire also has an additional Lido Bar at the stern of the ship, a welcome dining option to the more formal restaurant at the bow.
As most new river ships now do, the Sapphire has WiFi access throughout, though connection during our two-day inaugural journey earlier this month was occasionally patchy.
And since we're on the subject of little things, there were a few little things missing from the ship. In the initial brochure information, the Sapphire was said to have two hot tubs, a steam room and a sauna, but in fact there is one hot tub on the roof deck and no steam room or sauna. Tauck said that customer feedback from passengers that had sailed on the Swiss Emerald, revealed that it was more important to passengers to have a fitness center and a massage treatment room than the additional hot tub and sauna facilities.
A disappointment to be sure, but somehow the verbena-scented L'Occitane toiletries made up for it. Because in river cruising, it's the little things that matter. -- M.B.
ANTWERP, Belgium -- The difference between a Tauck World Discovery river cruise and any other river cruise? The land experience, according to Dan Mahar, CEO of Tauck.
In terms of the actual river cruise ship, "you're pretty limited as to what you can offer," Mahar said during a meeting with reporters onboard the newly christened Swiss Sapphire, the second river cruise ship to carry the Tauck name.
The Swiss Sapphire, which was christened here on April 3, is similar in size and scope to most other European river ships: It measures 361 feet long and 37 feet wide -- it's long and low so it can pass under relatively low bridges -- and it carries up to 118 passengers in its 59 outside cabins. And, yes, while sparkling new, it is more or less similar in layout to any other European river ship, with a restaurant; a bar and lounge; and a fitness center.
"We've got to figure out a way to optimize the land experience," said Mahar, when asked how Tauck planned to differentiate its river cruise offering from the flooding number of alternatives plying Europe's waterways.
Tauck's river cruise division dates back to 2001, when the company created a business development group to look into new markets. By 2004, Tauck began offering chartered river cruises, and in 2006 it launched the Swiss Emerald, which, like the Swiss Sapphire, is owned by Basel, Switzerland-based Scylla Tours AG but carries the Tauck name and is exclusive to the tour operator.
When the Swiss Emerald set sail in 2006, there was no christening ceremony, just a quiet inaugural cruise. Tauck wanted to be certain its river cruise model was working, and now that it's clear to the company that it is, the Swiss Sapphire was unveiled to much fanfare.
Lee Tauck, chairman Arthur Tauck Jr.'s former wife and mother of five Tauck children, was named godmother of the Swiss Sapphire and christened the ship surrounded by members of the Tauck family, which has owned and operated the company for three generations.
Antwerp Vice Mayor Philip Heylen spoke at the ceremony, welcoming the Swiss Sapphire as well as the booming river cruise business to the Belgian city.
Also in attendance were Arno and Robert Reitsma, director of sales and director of technics, respectively, at Scylla Tours, which oversaw the construction and design of the Sapphire. Tauck has partnered with Scylla since 2004, when it began chartering the Swiss company's European river ships, including the Switzerland II.
As for why Tauck decided to start putting its name on river ships, Tom Armstrong, a spokesman at Tauck, said it was simply a matter of intensifying Tauck's relationship with Scylla.
Having Tauck-branded ships, as opposed to simply chartering existing ships, is no small investment for the Norwalk, Conn.-based operator. According to Mahar, the Swiss Sapphire cost roughly $20 million to build. And while Tauck is not the owner of the ships, the company has worked closely with Scylla to ensure certain specifications, such as a greater number of suites (the Sapphire has 14), and Tauck carries the entire burden of bookings as the exclusive operator.
But the return on investment is there, according to Tauck.
Mahar said that bookings for Tauck's river cruise business had grown 30% year over year. To keep pace with the growing demand, Tauck and Scylla plan on adding two new Tauck-branded ships on Europe's rivers over the next two years.
But Tauck's competency in the land business provides an undeniable foundation for its growing river business; in fact, between 50% and 55% of Tauck's river cruise business comes from previous land clients. The operator has put focused effort into enhancing the small town and countryside land experiences along Europe's rivers and canals, and it also plans to add some of its river itineraries to Bridges, its family-focused program.
While Europe is currently a challenging destination for operators as the dollar continues to weaken against the euro, Tauck is hoping to better market its river cruise itineraries as a cost-effective alternative to other forms of travel.
"We have to do a better job communicating that. The value is very strong for guests," Mahar said, adding that Tauck river cruises are all-inclusive, including accommodations, meals, walking tours, ground transportation and beer with lunch and wine with dinner.
The only time passengers might have additional expenses, according to Mahar, is during some of the built-in free time, depending on how they choose to spend it.
To contact reporter Michelle Baran, send e-mail to [email protected].