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Scenic River Cruises vs Tauck River Cruises
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Scenic River Cruises and Tauck River Cruises.The Low Down
Scenic's 5 star luxury river cruises are well known and popular in Australia. Scenic were the first river cruise line to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this does come at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other luxury river cruise operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. Every itinerary is all inclusive, with Freechoice activities that allow you to choose what you want to do in each port. Scenic also offer a range of luxury additions (like your own butler) depending on the cabin type selected. 
New to the Australian market in 2017, Tauck began operations in the US over 90 years ago. Offering premium all-inclusive river cruises, you won't find too many Aussies and Kiwis on their cruises yet, as they have only recently opened an office Downunder, but Tauck are renowned for the quality and inclusiveness of their trips, whether they are on land or water. Tauck do not charge a Single Supplement on Category 1 cabins on all their European river cruises.Tauck do not offering Last Minute or Earlybird Savings, however Global Journeys, as one of the few Tauck Certified Agencies in Australasia, are able to offer our river cruise clients with a 'Free Night' either before or after your cruise, with every booking you make with us.
Stats
No. of Trips
250
No. of Departures
1,176
Avg. Trip Length
17 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$601
Fleet Size
14 Ships
Known For
Luxury Cruising
Ship Styles
River Cruises
No. of Trips
60
No. of Departures
586
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$663
Fleet Size
9 Ships
Known For
Luxury Cruising
Ship Styles
River Cruises
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
With Scenic, it’s more than a 5-star river cruise...it’s a seamless journey from start to finish that places you, our guest, at the heart of everything we do. It’s taking you to extraordinary regions and immersing you in meaningful and enriching experiences. It’s exquisite cuisine, indulgent wellness, and a world-class team who will anticipate your every need. You'll find the difference is in the details with Scenic: the innovative ship design, expertly trained crew, immersive journey, and an unrivalled focus on health and safety protocols.
Whether you're experiencing the Rhine or the Danube, the Douro, the Rhône, Seine, Maas or Moselle... the magic of Tauck's award-winning European river cruises goes far beyond the riverboat you're aboard or the landmarks you'll visit. It's in the intimate ambiance and personalized service... the places you'll discover off the beaten path... and in the uncommon access to local culture and exclusive destination driven experiences you can't get on your own, as you experience a true slice of European life and return home transformed.
Recent Reviews
4.5
We loved everything about this wonderful cruise on the Douro River in Portugal with Scenic. The ship was beautiful, the staff were all so happy and couldn't do enough for us and the food was amazing. I loved that with Scenic, everything was included and that we didn't have to pay for anything else once on the ship. It was so nice to be away from read more large cities, visiting the little villages and towns along the river. Thank you once again Tracey, for your help in organising our lovely holiday. As usual, you were a great help and was always so prompt at returning my calls or answering my emails.
Munich to Budapest in late summer 0
Gems of the Danube
David and Christine, VIC, Australia, Sep 2025
We joined the Scenic Amber cruise in Munich and travelled to Budapest in August 2025. The cruise was fully booked, but it never seemed crowded. The majority of the passengers were Americans, plus Brits, Canadians , Aussies and Kiwis. All the crew spoke excellent English and all the business was in English. Everything really is included in the ticket read more price, except the laundry ( which struck me as a bit expensive) and the massages. Good quality booze is included, and the bartender has a great repertoire of cocktails, but nobody over indulges. Where you can be over indulgent is in the meals. Three three course gourmet meals every day! Lots of tasty treats that you don’t get at home, and steaks are always an option.
There is a choice of excursions every day, all very smoothly organised, folklore shows in the evening from the districts we happen to be in. Plus there are plenty of lazy options such as sitting in the top deck chatting and soaking in the pool, playing cards with new friends in the front cabin, and having those massages. The cabin itself is quite compact, the shower especially so, but we didn’t spend much time in there. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our week sightseeing, over eating, and making new friends.
There is a choice of excursions every day, all very smoothly organised, folklore shows in the evening from the districts we happen to be in. Plus there are plenty of lazy options such as sitting in the top deck chatting and soaking in the pool, playing cards with new friends in the front cabin, and having those massages. The cabin itself is quite compact, the shower especially so, but we didn’t spend much time in there. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our week sightseeing, over eating, and making new friends.
This cruise, the crew and all the organisation far exceeded our expectations. We were in luck and the river behaved and no transfer between ships were necessary. All off boat trips were amazing, the crew can't do enough to help you, even organising "slow walking tours" when they realised there were a few people struggling with the normal options. read more So much fun was had, new friends made and history visited. Food was amazing, and we honestly felt like we were filling in time before eating again! If you are even just thinking about it DO IT, Dad and I had a ball !!
We are quite seasoned travelers, but this is our first European river cruise and it was magnificent. It was added on to our trip to Ireland, Scotland/UK. Scenic delivered a first class experience. There was lots of on-shore tours and on board activities that you could choose to participate in - or not, and I loved that we were seeing various countries read more without having to pack and unpack.
The Global Journeys client support was great, the Scenic cruise and service exceeded our expectations and we made some new friends along the way. Think we may be hooked as we have been home just over a week and planning our next river cruise with Global Journeys assistance already!
The Global Journeys client support was great, the Scenic cruise and service exceeded our expectations and we made some new friends along the way. Think we may be hooked as we have been home just over a week and planning our next river cruise with Global Journeys assistance already!
Scenic South of France river cruise 0
Spectacular South of France
Bill and Yvonne, NSW, Australia, May 2025
We were very impressed with Scenic & would definitely travel with them again. All staff were excellent, professional as well as fun. The cabin was well designed with ample storage space. The meals were first class. It was fabulous to have great “freedom of choice” options & we really enjoyed the ones we chose. Entertainment was mostly good, bearing read more in mind we all have different tastes. Excellent coordination of disembarkation.
Wonderful first Scenic River Cruise - Spectacular South Of France 0
Spectacular South of France
Sonja and Anthony, QLD, Australia, May 2025
This was our first river cruise and it exceeded our expectations. The food was exceptional (taste and presentation) and the service from the staff was outstanding, they couldn't do enough for you. The balcony cabin was surprisingly spacious, we had no problem storing our luggage and belongings. Having previously done bus tours we appreciated having read more to unpack only once and that everything was included (food, drinks, excursions, tips). We had fantastic weather and the excursion options were varied, to accommodate moderate and active walkers. We had a wonderful relaxing time and will certainly book another cruise with Scenic. The booking process with Hannah from Global Journeys was fantastic, great communication all the way from making the booking to the start of the cruise and a good price. We would not hesitate to book another trip with Global Journeys.
5.0
River cruising with Tauck from Germany to Vienna 4
Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Eastbound
Heather, QLD, Australia, Dec 2019
Fantastic company and nice staff on board. We never had to ask for anything... it was all offered on a plate. Very good service and Global Journeys handled the booking and delivered all the required paperwork.
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