00:00There's an unwritten rule in European travel. If a place is beautiful and trendy,
00:05you're going to be pressed up against thousands of strangers holding up their phones.
00:09But at Giverny, we stepped onto Monet's famous bridge before the garden had opened to the public.
00:15Same bridge, same water lilies, no crowd. We visited Tauk's new MS Serene as part of its
00:22nine-night rendezvous on the Seine itinerary, a round trip from Paris through Normandy.
00:27We spent five days exploring the Serene's cabins, dining, amenities and design,
00:35and joined three excursions. We wanted to see exactly what a $10,000 per person trip
00:41gets you on board and ashore.
00:48The MS Serene is about the length of one football field. For perspective, a major ocean cruise ship
00:55can stretch nearly three football fields and carry more than 30 times as many passengers.
01:00Riverboats don't get to be bigger, they have to be smarter. And sometimes that means making the
01:05right things smaller. If a riverboat is too tall, it doesn't pass under the bridges. If it's too wide,
01:11it doesn't fit through the locks. If it's too deep, it can't handle the river. So every square foot on
01:18a
01:18ship like this has to earn its place. That's what makes the design and engineering behind the Serene
01:23interesting. Not just that it looks polished, but that it's trying to create space inside a very
01:28strict box. Tauk intentionally books fewer guests in the same footprint as other cruise lines. Fewer
01:35people equals more physical space per guest, even with the strict limitations.
01:43The MS Serene has 20 Tauk suites at 300 square feet and 80% of all the cabins are 225
01:51square feet
01:52or larger. So we have twice as much as other ships. Half the room is just a living room. Like
01:57you've got
01:57a sofa, you've got a table, then you've got the bed on the other half. You've got these gigantic windows,
02:03sliding glass doors so you can open up and all of a sudden you've got this air, fresh air coming
02:08through. But you also have a huge walk-in bathroom with a walk-in shower and you have a walk
02:14-in closet.
02:16It's insane. Remember, on a riverboat, space is not casual and everything is a choice. A walk-in closet
02:23on land is normal, but a walk-in closet on a riverboat is a decision. Having a real sitting area
02:30is a
02:30decision. Including a bathroom that doesn't feel like it was carved out of leftover space is a
02:36decision. All of this square footage could have been another cabin. When we stepped inside, that extra
02:42space and storage really made it feel like we could actually unpack and settle in. And unpacking once
02:48is one of the underrated perks of river cruising.
02:55Outside on the sun deck, the MS Serene has a heated pool, an outdoor bar, shaded dining and lounge space.
03:02And everything is oriented towards the river. We especially noticed this at sunrise and sunset.
03:08But regardless of time of day, it was notable how the access to constant views felt. We were not staring
03:14out at the open ocean for days. We were taking in the constantly changing scenery of France. But slowly
03:20enough that we could actually notice it. The wellness space at the back of the ship is called the
03:25retreat. Traditional cruise ship layouts place gyms and fitness facilities on the windowless lower hull
03:31decks. We've taken the gym which was on the bottom floor. We've put it at the back of the ship
03:37with
03:37windows so you can be exercising while looking out and enjoying the river. We also have a masseuse or
03:43masseur on the ship. Building a gym below deck is cheap. But moving a fitness center to the top deck
03:49requires completely sacrificing some of the most valuable space on board. We learned that Tauk moved
03:55the fitness center to prime real estate based entirely on guest feedback.
04:03On the Serene, there are two dining spaces. Compass Rose, the main dining room, and Arthur's,
04:10the more casual venue. Food on board a typical river cruise can feel like cruise food that happens to be
04:16served in France. Or it can use the itinerary as a sourcing route, which is what happens here.
04:22The chef will go to the local market, he'll get some fresh foods, some fruit, some vegetables, local fish,
04:28and he'll use that when he cooks in the evening. Full menu, so you're not like getting the same thing
04:33every night. I'll have the salmon tartare and the duck please. Thank you so much. Thank you.
04:40You get a choice. Every night you get a full choice. Local products, local foods. The menus changed daily,
04:47but some specific examples we were offered on this itinerary included Normandy cider,
04:52Vernon fish, Kordbeck bread, and Rouen market produce.
04:59By the time we stepped ashore, the pattern was clear. On board, Tauk used space to remove friction
05:06and make the journey more comfortable. Off the boat, Tauk removed another kind of friction
05:11and opened doors that aren't part of standard public visits. Our transfers, timing, reservations,
05:17and entry were all arranged, so we could move from the ship straight into the experience.
05:22Some of the unique access in these itineraries comes from relationships Tauk has built over decades.
05:29We didn't see the relationships, but what we saw was what they made possible. On this itinerary,
05:35we were taken to Château du Tailly, a private estate that isn't open to the general public.
05:40We heard directly from the owner about the château's restoration.
05:43When people ask me, why did you buy a château? It's a good question. It's not me, it's my parents.
05:48In 1998, my parents decided to leave the Paris area and we ended up in Normandy,
05:55where we had the chance with the château that was for sale. I dedicated my life to saving the château.
06:00I hope to be able to pass the passion for the château to my children. Thank you.
06:05And I propose to rejoin the château for the dinner.
06:08We then sat down to a five-course dinner inside his home, all while being surrounded by furniture
06:14collections from the 13th through the 16th century. The whole thing felt very different from sightseeing.
06:23On our fourth day aboard the Serene, we entered Monet's garden before it opened to the public.
06:29This is something most visitors will never get to experience.
06:36On a busy summer day, the garden can see between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors and by midday the
06:43paths can feel packed.
06:45But when we arrived, the paths were quiet and the famous bridge was nearly empty.
06:49We weren't waiting our turn for a clear photo or being pushed along with a crowd.
06:54We could slow down and really look at the place. It looked like the paintings.
07:05At the end of our five days aboard DMS Serene, it was easier for us to understand what the fare
07:11really buys.
07:12Part of the value was what the boat and trip added. More space on board per guest,
07:17meals directly shaped by the cruise route and access far beyond standard tours.
07:22But just as much value came from what was removed.
07:25On a typical multi-stop trip, you have to keep making calculations.
07:30Is this excursion worth the upgrade? Do we tip here? Is this drink included?
07:34Are we taking a taxi? Did we book the right timed entry?
07:38You have to pack and repack with each new location. And you're usually battling crowds at each stop.
07:44Here, meals, drinks, gratuities, transfers and experiences were included in the upfront price.
07:50And the logistics were handled for us. We had fewer decisions, less friction,
07:55and in moments like in Monet's garden, almost zero crowds.
07:59The MS Serene brought all of those pieces together. The accommodation and itinerary were inseparable.
08:05And the real luxury was how little got between us and the places we had come to see.
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