In the highly competitive world of river cruising, it can be hard not only for lines to distinguish themselves, but for agents and consumers to find the sailing that is just right for them.
Indeed, it seems that almost as soon as one line introduces a new product or amenity, its competitors fast follow suit, promoting themselves as the first, the only, the best.
But one line that stands out in the number, and high-level, of all-inclusive excursions that go way beyond the traditional city and museums tour is Tauck.
That's not surprising, of course, given the company's 94-year history of leading cultural tours. Still, I was pleasantly surprised to discover on one of Tauck's recent 10-day "Savoring France" itineraries that its claim to be the river leader in excursions is not hyperbole.
In fact, the only comment other than praise that I heard from fellow passengers on the trip that started with two nights at the luxury Intercontinental Paris le Grande (including a welcoming dinner at Paris' famed celebrity restaurant Le Fouquet's) and ended with a seven-day sailing through the Provence region was that there were too many choices.
Indeed, such comments are hardly what one would characterize as a complaint. But they are a reminder that passengers who choose Tauck and want some free time should do a little extra homework to find out what they truly are interested in before deciding among the more than average number of expert-led options offered, including several that are exclusive to Tauck.
For instance, my husband and I had signed up for the two guided bike rides offered in Arles and Avignon. The only problem, we discovered the night before arriving in Arles, was that if we did the Arles ride in the countryside about 30 minutes away, and also went on the Tauck exclusive afternoon excursion for lunch with the family that raises racing bulls on a ranch in La Camargue, there would be no time to see the walled Roman city of Arles, which inspired many of Vincent Van Gogh's works and where he was hospitalized.
We chose the walking tour of the city, but later regretted our decision after talking to a couple who did the bike ride, which they said included a surprise picnic overlooking the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct.
The next day in Avignon would feature another Tauck exclusive, dinner at a restored castle on the grounds of the medieval Duchy Uzes, so we skipped the bike and walking tours as well as an afternoon visit to the Pont du Gard, a famous Roman aqueduct, to take time on our own to explore the beautiful city and the one-time home to the Pope on our own.
Likewise, the next morning we forewent the coach trip to Roussillon, checking out bikes with a fellow traveler to spend what turned out to be a perfect fall morning riding along the river and through the vineyards and farms on the Ile de la Barthelasse, which also offered sweeping views of Avignon, its famed bridge to nowhere and, of course, the Palais des Papes.
Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef Frederic Deshayes teaches Tauck guests how to make French macarons. Photo Credit: TW photo by Jeri Clausing
Still, we participated in most of the activities because they were just too interesting to pass up. From the standard truffle hunts, food market tours and wine tastings that are common offerings in the Provence region, Tauck ups the ante with extras like macaron-making classes at the famed Le Cordon Blue cooking school in Paris and a cooking demonstration and a lesson (and tasting, of course) on wine and cheese pairing at the cooking school of chef Anne-Sophie Pic, one of the few females to ever win three Michelin stars.
In the end, there were indeed an extraordinary number of outstanding choices and seemingly too little time. It's not a complaint. Simply what they describe on social media as #firstworldproblems.