The same hull as her three sisters, on the Danube
The ms Joy left the Vahali yard in Belgrade in 2016, the same year as her
Rhine sister. One hundred and thirty-five metres, 67 cabins, 130 travellers in
Tauck configuration, against 142 berths certified by the shipowner across 71
cabins. Twenty-two suites of twenty-eight square metres and eight duplex cabins
across two decks.
The lift serves every deck except the sun deck. Cabins on the upper and
middle decks have a French balcony, never a step-out one.
A contradiction we have not resolved
On this ship, a specialist database lists two companies as operator at once:
the tour operator and the shipowner's own brand. Every other hull in the fleet
carries a single operator. Nothing explains it publicly.
We draw no conclusion from that entry and we do not hide it. Given what
happened in 2026 to another hull of the fleet, it deserves checking with the
supplier before committing to a 2027 journey.
The operator also places this ship on the Danube in her own page and on the
Rhine in its fleet page. Our inventory counts thirty-six departures, nine in 2026
and twenty-seven in 2027.
The other ships in the fleet
The ms Savor shares the same hull on the Danube. The ms Grace holds the Rhine and the
Mosel. The ms Inspire completes the series. The ms Treasures is one of the three shorter
hulls.
Chartered, not owned
None of the hulls Tauck operates in Europe belongs to it. They leave the
yards of Scylla AG, in Basel, and sail under exclusive charter. The shipowner
also runs its own river cruise brand, which makes it both the supplier and a
competitor.
That double role produced a concrete effect in 2026, when one hull of the
fleet moved from the operator to the shipowner's brand. Nothing prevents it
from happening again.
The inclusions, said plainly
Gratuities included, to the ship's staff as much as to local guides and the
cruise director. Excursions included, all of them, with no option sold aboard.
Transfers included. Luggage handled.
On drinks, house wine, beer and standard spirits are included on board the
ship, morning to evening. The operator's own documentation files drinks taken
ashore elsewhere: do not count on the inclusion off the ship.
The international flight is not included. Internet access is, in a basic
form and where available, which on a deep river valley means what it means.
Reduced mobility: the answer is no on European rivers
Better said before booking than at the quayside. The operator states that
its European river itineraries cannot accommodate wheelchairs or mobility
scooters. Scooters are barred from all of its trips, anywhere in the world.
It offers no walking or dining assistance, and requires an able companion
for anyone who would need it. It may ask for a medical certificate.
The number of adapted cabins is published nowhere on this fleet. We do not
guess it and we do not invent it.
What the contract provides, and what the agency adds
The contract points to the law of Connecticut and the courts of that state.
It contains no arbitration clause. It does contain a waiver of class action
and a waiver of punitive damages. Nothing indicates that the operator holds a
Quebec licence.
The agency does hold one. Your payments move through a trust account and
the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents steps in as the law
provides. A booking made elsewhere does not carry that protection.
