Home > Compare River Cruise Companies > Scenic River Cruises vs Tauck River Cruises

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 River Cruises 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.
Tauck  River Cruises 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
271
No. of Departures
1,270
Avg. Trip Length
17 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$672
Fleet Size
14 Ships
Known For
Luxury Cruising
Ship Styles River Cruises
No. of Trips
60
No. of Departures
524
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$670
Fleet Size
14 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
Scenic River Cruises
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.
Tauck  River Cruises
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

Scenic Jewel European Cruise 0 Jewels of Europe , ACT, Australia, Apr 2026
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was very well plan. Food and excursion are first class. We are very happy with Scenic and also the service of Georgina and Global Journeys.
Romantic Rhine & Moselle   0 Romantic Rhine & Moselle , QLD, Australia, Mar 2026
We loved our trip! Easy from start to finish thanks to Tracey at Global Journeys. The Scenic team were amazing - the tours, food, beverages & service was all top class. Totally recommend this holiday - however maybe a week or two later for better weather!
Exceptional Danube Tour Germany to Hungary 0 Danube Christmas Markets with Nuremberg , SA, Australia, Dec 2025
Our booking with Hannah at Global Journeys was seamless. There isn't a single thing I would've changed on our Danube Cruise with Scenic Waterways. We felt spoilt from the first day until the last. Just the right amount of free time and the tours were very good. We cruised in December & it was Christmas Market magic.
Wonderful Douro River Cruise 4 Unforgettable Douro , VIC, Australia, Oct 2025
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   4 Gems of the Danube , 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.
A cruise worth every dollar   3 Jewels of Europe , SA, Australia, Jul 2025
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 !!
River cruising with Tauck from Germany to Vienna 4 Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Eastbound , 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.

Popular Trips

Scenic River Cruises

15 Days Amsterdam to Budapest

Operator: Scenic

From 8,351pp
Save 1,009pp

15 Days Budapest to Amsterdam

Operator: Scenic

From 8,351pp
Save 1,119pp

15 Days Amsterdam to Zurich

Operator: Scenic

From 8,056pp
Save 1,401pp

11 Days Lyon to Lyon

Operator: Scenic

From 6,986pp
Save 1,008pp
Tauck  River Cruises

8 Days Nuremberg to Vienna

Operator: Tauck

From 4,190pp

11 Days Amsterdam to Milan

Operator: Tauck

From 7,790pp

8 Days Munich to Budapest

Operator: Tauck

From 5,190pp

14 Days Marseille to Geneva

Operator: Tauck

From 9,190pp