Tauck is in the middle of its most ambitious river cruise expansion yet, with four new riverboats in two years adding 30 percent more river capacity since 2025.

The Lumière on the Rhône and the Serene on the Seine launched in the spring of 2026, and two more ships are coming in 2027, CEO Jennifer Tombaugh told Cruise Industry News in an interview for the 2027 European River Market Report. The Saudade will join the Andorinha on Portugal’s Douro River, while the Reverie will sail the Seine as a sister to the Serene.

France capacity is growing 50 percent and the Douro is nearly doubling. A third Rhône riverboat is planned for 2028.

In all, Tauck will offer 37 European river cruises in 2027, including six Tauck Bridges family itineraries and a new six-day format on the Douro, Seine and Danube for guests with tighter schedules.

“River cruising continues to be one of the most popular ways to experience Tauck for the first time, and with these new shorter itineraries, we can now offer that exceptional entry point to all our guests with limited time,” Tombaugh said.

Despite the growth, the company is not changing its scale. Tauck’s fleet averages just 110 guests per vessel, with no ship carrying more than 130.

“That smaller scale is fundamental to the Tauck experience, not something we’re willing to compromise on at all,” Tombaugh said. “Every Tauck riverboat is custom-built to our specifications, and one of our guiding principles is intentionally carrying fewer guests than similarly sized vessels.”

Guest surveys have shaped the new ships, Tombaugh said, driving more Tauck Suites and larger staterooms. Around 80 percent of cabins on the two 2027 ships measure 225 square feet or more.

The company also launched Roam by Tauck this year, its first new brand in 17 years. Targeting travelers in their 40s and 50s with groups of just 16 guests, it will debut with at least two river itineraries.

“Roam reflects an opportunity to serve a different traveler at a different stage of life, but it doesn’t replace or redefine the Tauck river experience,” Tombaugh said.

On sustainability, the Lumière and the Serene are designed to run on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) wherever supply allows, and Tombaugh said the plan was to eventually transition the entire fleet to HVO or retire older vessels.

“The technology is ready today, but availability varies by region and waterway,” she said.