After announcing the restart of select tours and cruises in recent weeks, Tauck revealed that it plans to resume full operations of all remaining 2021 itineraries during August and September. In all, Tauck expects to operate more than 80% of its pre-pandemic portfolio of tours and cruises this year, with a full return of all itineraries slated for 2022.

Tauck’s ms Sapphire (also known as the Swiss Sapphire), docked in Paris on October 11, 2017. Photo © 2017 Aaron Saunders

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the global restart of our 2021 journeys,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “If a destination is welcoming American travelers, and if it’s a place where Tauck operates, we’ll be bringing our guests there in the coming months.”

“The challenges of the past 15 months have been unprecedented in our 96-year history,” he noted, “but the loyalty of our guests and travel advisors, the skill, dedication and hard work of our employees, and our bedrock philosophy to always ‘do the right thing’ have brought us to this day. We’re humbled and grateful, and we’re incredibly excited to move forward.”

Tauck has begun operating an increasing number of tour and cruise departures in the U.S. and elsewhere over the past weeks. Earlier this month the company announced the August resumption of a few select land tours and cruises in Europe, its cruises in the Galapagos Islands and its guided safaris in eastern and southern Africa. However, and even with the resumption of those itineraries, Tauck had yet to confirm restart plans for the bulk of its 2021 itineraries prior to today’s announcement.

Newly added to Tauck’s restart plans for August are several itineraries in Italy (one of Tauck’s most popular destinations), land tours in Switzerland, the company’s A Week in… Ireland tour, and its exploration of Jordan and Egypt. Tauck will also resume operations on the Rhine with its August 25th departure of The Romantic Rhine river cruise. The balance of Tauck’s 2021 tours and cruises, including the company’s popular river cruises on the Danube and its other journeys on the Rhine, will begin operating in September.

Although excited by today’s announcement, Mahar also sounded a note of caution. “To date the world’s return to travel has gone very, very well, and we have great cause for optimism,” said Mahar. “However, some restrictions remain in place for destinations like the UK and Canada, and we know that as our industry recovers, there will be twists and turns along the way. We’re as prepared as possible, but we know that the best attitude is to expect the unexpected and to stay flexible.”