Tauck has unveiled its two-year programme to reconfigure and relaunch five 110m jewel-class vessels.

The ships will have spacious cabins, fewer passengers and upgraded restaurants.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar said: "From day-one our approach has always been to limit passenger capacity, and by doing so, to provide a more intimate, club-like atmosphere and more spacious cabins for our guests.

"The launch of our Inspiration Class ships took that approach to a new level, and with the re-envisioning of our Jewel Class vessels, we’re putting them on equal footing with our Inspiration Class ships."

Jewel Class comprises of Swiss Emerald, Swiss Sapphire, Swiss Jewel, Esprit and Treasures.

Tauck’s river fleet includes four 135m Inspiration Class ships, the new Grace and Joy launching later this year, and Inspire and Savor.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The Inspiration Class is planned to operate on the Danube River, or on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.

The two-phase plan will first be implemented on the riverboats in FranceSwiss Emerald and Swiss Sapphire, which will be relaunched in 2017.

"From day-one our approach has always been to limit passenger capacity, to provide a more intimate, club-like atmosphere and more spacious cabins for our guests."

The remaining three ships will be relaunched in 2018.

Refurbishment will take place in the middle deck of the ship, Ruby, wherein the existing 30 150ft² cabins will be replaced with 20 225ft² rooms.

Tauck plans to include three cruise directors aboard each cruise.

The upper deck, named diamond, which happens to be the second dining venue of the ship will be upgraded.

Tauck plans to assign ships to destinations in accordance with their shape and size to facilitate easy passage of the vessel through the topography and easy docking.

Ship Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Ship Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Recognised with Innovation and Product Launches awards in the 2025 Ship Technology Excellence Awards, BASSnet Neo is BASS Software’s future-ready maritime ERP. See how its cloud architecture, AI automation and integrated BI dashboards are transforming operational control for ship owners and managers.

Discover the Impact