Tauck reveals names and first renderings of new riverboats

Tauck has announced the names and released artist renderings of the two new riverboats set to join its award-winning fleet next year.

The new vessels will be the MS Serene, sailing on Tauck itineraries along the River Seine in France, and the MS Lumiere, which also operates in France and on Tauck’s cruises along the Rhone.

The names for the new ships were selected from over 1,000 suggestions submitted by Tauck’s travel advisors, guests, and employees at the company’s invitation, and Tauck CEO, Jennifer Tombaugh provided insight on why each of the winning submissions were selected.

“The name Serene is perfect for our new ship on the Seine, bringing to mind tranquilty and rejuvenation,” Tombaugh said. “The River Seine itself is a gently flowing, meandering river that evokes a spirit of calm and escape that was captured beautifully in paintings of the waterway by the region’s Impressionist artists including Monet and Renoir.”

The name of Tauck’s new ship on the Rhone, Lumiere, evokes images of light, inspiration, and discovery, said Tombaugh, noting that the Rhone is a faster-flowing and livelier river, “akin to a spark of inspiration.” Tombaugh added that Lyon, a popular destination on Tauck’s Rhone River cruises, is home to the Festival Lumiere, which celebrates classic cinema and honours the Lumiere brothers, pioneers in cinema who were raised and educated in Lyon. Each December the city also hosts the Fete des Lumieres, or Festival of Lights, featuring decorative and artistic light installations throughout the city.

“Today marks a special announcement for us here at Tauck,” Tauck managing director Australia, David Clark, said. “Our two new ships, the MS Serene and the MS Lumiere, will be wonderful, new additions to Tauck’s existing, award-winning fleet. I’m confident that these ships will prove to be particularly popular with our Australian guests, when they set sail next year.”

New renderings hint at ships’ interior and exterior features

Along with the names, Tauck has also released the first artist renderings for the new ships, with four detailed images showing the ship’s full exterior, Sun Deck, wellness area and Category 5 suite.

The Sun Deck rendering reveals an attractive, well-appointed space featuring a swimming pool, full-service bar, and a generous allotment of shaded day beds. Also on the Sun Deck, a number of four-top tables with comfortable seating provide the perfect spot for alfresco dining, enjoying a glass of wine, or simply relaxing and taking in views of the river.

The wellness area, dubbed The Retreat, includes a fitness centre, massage treatment room and lounging area (complete with coffee/juice/snack bar) plus full floor-to-ceiling windows. Expanded to provide additional amenities and services (vs. the facilities on Tauck’s existing ships), the wellness area has also been shifted from the lower Emerald Deck to the ships’ upper Diamond Deck (thus allowing the full-length windows in the rendering), to offer abundant natural light and views of the river.

Each of the newbuilds features a generous offering of 300sqft Category 5 suites on the Diamond (upper) Deck, with the 125m Serene having 20 of the suites and the 135m Lumiere boasting 22. The rendering of the Category 5 suite shows roomy, airy and well-lit accommodations boasting two French balconies, a comfortable seating area and king-size bed positioned to take in views of the passing countryside.

In addition to the 20 Category 5 cabins, the Serene also has thirty 225sqft cabins (mainly on the middle Ruby Deck), and twelve 180sqft Category 1 cabins on the lower Emerald Deck, for a total capacity of 124 guests. Besides its 22 Category 5 suites, the Lumier features thirty-four roomy 225sqft cabins primarily on the Ruby Deck, and twelve 180sqft. Category 1 cabins on the Emerald deck, for a total capacity of 130 guests. In all, 80 per cent of the new ships’ cabins will be 225sqft or larger.

As on Tauck’s other riverboats, the Category 1 cabins on both the MS Serene and MS Lumiere will have all single supplements waived, and at 180-sqft, the Category 1 cabins on both new vessels will be 20 per cent larger than those featured on Tauck’s other riverboats.

MS Serene to sail on new itinerary along the Seine

In addition to sailing on Tauck’s family river cruise along the Seine, Family Fun Along the Seine: Paris to Normandy, the MS Serene also hosts travellers on a new-for-2026 Tauck itinerary, Bordeaux, Paris & The Seine (11-days, from $10,990).

The new journey begins with a fully-guided, three-night exploration of Bordeaux and Saint Emilion with accommodations at the InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hotel.

Tauck guests will then travel by high-speed train to Paris where they board the MS Serene for a seven-night cruise along the Seine. Highlights along the river include a choice of sightseeing options during a full day in Paris, a full-day’s exploration with a choice of activities at Chateau de Versailles, and guided visits to the D-Day Beaches of Normandy, historic Rouen and scenic Les Andelys.

Guests will also enjoy a Tauck-exclusive early morning visit to the Giverny home, studio and gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet, a Tauck-exclusive reception and dinner at 16th-century Chateau du Taillis, and a visit to a family farm in Tilly where they can sample regional specialties including cider, Calvados and pate.

Included in the new cruise’s price are all shore excursions, all gratuities, all onboard beverages (including all wine, beer and spirits), airport transfers, luggage handling, taxes, fees and more.