TORONTO — Tauck has completed “massive reconfigurations” on two of its river cruise ships, with a redesign that reduces passenger capacity by 17% and adds larger cabins.

Both the ms Treasures and ms Esprit are back in Tauck’s riverboat fleet following the radical revamp. The Treasures and Esprit are the last of Tauck’s four 110-metre ships to undergo the transformation. Tauck’s two other 110-metre ships, the ms Sapphire and ms Emerald, have been similarly reconfigured.

Tauck says it wants to continue to “prioritize creating larger cabins and roomier public areas for its guests, rather than taking the more conventional approach of maximizing passenger count”.

MS TREASURES – COMPASS ROSE DINING ROOM

MS TREASURES – LOUNGE

The Treasures and Esprit were fully gutted in a down-to-the-studs refurbishment, with the most noticeable change occurring on the Ruby (middle) Decks, where 30 150-square-foot cabins in each ship’s original configuration were replaced by 20 larger cabins measuring 225 square feet.

With the total number of cabins reduced from 59 to 49, each ship’s overall capacity has been reduced from 118 passengers to 98 per vessel – a 17% reduction.

The Treasures and Esprit will sail on Tauck’s cruises along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, including the popular ‘Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat’ itinerary.

MS ESPRIT

MS ESPRIT – RECEPTION

MS ESPRIT – LOUNGE

With the reconfiguration Tauck says it expects the 14-night journey (which also operates from Budapest to Amsterdam) to become even more popular.

In addition to the 20 new 225-square-foot cabins, each of Tauck’s 110-metre ships already have 14 300-square-foot suites. As a result, cabins measuring 225 square feet or larger now account for 69% of all accommodations, which Tauck says is the highest percentage of such cabins on any 110-metre riverboats in Europe.

Tauck continues to staff each ship with a Tauck Cruise Director and a full complement of three Tauck Directors.