Scenic Ocean Cruises vs Tauck

The core difference

Scenic Ocean Cruises and Tauck are the two most comprehensively all-inclusive expedition products available to Australian travellers — and comparing them reveals how different “all-inclusive” can look when executed by fundamentally different companies.

Scenic is Australian-owned expedition innovation. Founded by Glen Moroney in Newcastle, NSW in 1986, the Scenic Group built its reputation on European river cruising before launching the “world’s first Discovery Yachts.” Eclipse (2019) and Eclipse II (2023) carry 228 guests each with PC6 ice class, two Airbus helicopters, a submarine certified to 300 metres, Zodiac fleet, ten dining venues, butler service in every suite, and a genuinely all-inclusive fare. Scenic Ikon arrives in April 2028 with 270 guests, fifteen dining venues, and an 18,298-square-foot spa. Eclipse II is permanently homeported in Australia from 2028.

Tauck is American all-inclusive touring. Family-owned since 1925, the company charters Ponant Explorer-class ships (184 guests) for ocean and expedition voyages — adding Tauck Directors and its all-inclusive excursion programme to Ponant’s hardware, French crew, and Ducasse Conseil cuisine. Every excursion included, every gratuity covered, airport transfers, drinks at meals. No bill at the end. Tauck also operates eleven river ships across European waterways. Two new riverboats join in 2026.

The structural difference is profound. Scenic owns, designs, and operates its ships. Tauck charters other people’s ships and wraps them in its touring philosophy. Scenic’s innovation is hardware — helicopters, submarines, ten restaurants. Tauck’s innovation is service — the Director model, total inclusion, zero upselling. Both are excellent. They are excellent at entirely different things.

What is actually included

Both lines deliver genuinely all-inclusive fares, but the specifics reveal different priorities.

Scenic’s “Truly All-Inclusive” fare covers all ten dining venues without surcharges, premium branded beverages (champagne, spirits, wines), shore excursions across three tiers (Freechoice, Enrich, Discovery), butler service in every suite, all gratuities including onshore guides and drivers, Starlink Wi-Fi, port charges, and taxes. Helicopter flights (approximately USD $695) and submarine dives (approximately USD $795) are the primary extras. Spa treatments are additional.

Tauck’s charter fare covers every excursion — every single scheduled option, not a tiered selection — all gratuities including shipboard crew, onshore guides, and drivers, airport transfers on arrival and departure days, drinks at meals, and the Tauck Director’s services throughout. On chartered Ponant ships, the open bar is included within the Tauck fare. No onboard account, no bill at the end.

The practical differences: Scenic’s three-tier excursion programme offers choice — Freechoice for independent exploration, Enrich for exclusive experiences, Discovery for active adventure. Tauck includes every excursion without tiers. Scenic includes butler service universally; Tauck does not have butler service on chartered Ponant ships. Scenic includes premium drinks at all hours; Tauck includes the Ponant open bar plus drinks at meals. Tauck includes airport transfers that Scenic does not. Both cover gratuities comprehensively.

The net effect: Scenic’s inclusion is broader on daily amenities (butler, ten dining venues, premium beverages). Tauck’s inclusion is more complete on logistics (every excursion, airport transfers, zero-bill guarantee). Both represent genuine all-inclusive value — the question is which inclusions matter most to you.

Dining and culinary experience

Scenic wins this comparison decisively on variety — but Tauck’s Ponant galley delivers focused French excellence.

Scenic Eclipse delivers ten dining venues on a 228-guest ship. Elements (main restaurant), Lumière (contemporary French fine dining with pre-dinner champagne and caviar), Koko’s (Asian fusion with sushi bar and Night Market), Chef’s Table at Elements (invitation-only degustation for ten guests), Azure Bar & Café (all-day casual), Yacht Club (grill), and Chef’s Garden at Scenic Epicure (cooking masterclasses). Lumière is consistently described as perhaps the finest restaurant on any expedition ship. The Cruise Critic Best Expedition Line for Dining award in 2022 and 2023.

Tauck’s chartered Ponant ships feature two to three restaurants with the Ducasse Conseil programme. Le Nautilus serves à la carte four-course dinners with amuse-bouche. Le Grill offers casual fare. The bread is boulangerie-quality. Pierre Hermé macarons at afternoon tea. The food is refined French cuisine with genuine pedigree — Alain Ducasse held three Michelin stars at three restaurants simultaneously.

The verdict: Scenic wins on variety, venue count, and the dining-to-guest ratio. Ten restaurants for 228 guests is extraordinary. Tauck’s two to three Ducasse-standard restaurants for 184 guests deliver focused French excellence. For travellers who want to eat somewhere different every night, Scenic. For travellers who value concentrated French culinary craft, Tauck.

Suites and accommodation

Scenic’s suites are substantially larger, and every guest receives butler service.

Scenic Eclipse’s 114 suites start at 345 to 365 square feet for the Verandah Suite with butler service, King Size Slumber Bed, Nespresso machine, Smart UHD television with Bose sound, and 24-hour in-suite dining. Spa Suites reach 540 square feet with Philippe Starck spa bath. The Owner’s Penthouse Suite spans 2,100 square feet with private Jacuzzi terrace.

Tauck’s chartered Ponant Explorer-class staterooms start at 161 square feet interior plus 43-square-foot balcony — standard Ponant accommodation. Prestige Suites at 291 square feet. Owner’s Suite at 485 square feet. No butler service on any category. The cabins are functional and well-appointed but designed for expedition rather than luxury residence.

The space gap is significant — Scenic’s entry suite is more than double Tauck’s entry cabin. Butler service, Nespresso machines, and Bose sound systems are standard on Scenic and absent on Tauck. For travellers who value cabin comfort and personal butler attention as part of the daily experience, Scenic wins decisively.

Pricing and value

Both lines sit at the top of the expedition market, with comparable total costs but different value propositions.

Scenic’s per-diem starts from approximately AUD $1,200 per person per night, though promotional pricing can reduce this substantially. A thirteen-day Antarctic cruise starts from approximately AUD $32,690. An eight-day Mediterranean from approximately AUD $14,710.

Tauck’s ocean charter per-diem runs approximately AUD $1,200 to $1,800 per person per night. A twelve-night Mediterranean expedition costs roughly AUD $18,000 to $25,000 per person all-inclusive with transfers. Antarctica expeditions price comparably per night.

Total cost comparison for a twelve-night Antarctic expedition: Scenic at approximately AUD $28,000 to $38,000 per person (butler, ten dining venues, premium drinks, excursions, gratuities) plus optional helicopter and submarine. Tauck at approximately AUD $18,000 to $25,000 per person (smaller cabin, fewer restaurants, all excursions, all gratuities, transfers). The premium for Scenic buys a suite roughly double the size with butler service, eight additional dining venues, and helicopter/submarine access. Whether that premium represents value depends on how much the hardware features matter to you.

Spa and wellness

Scenic wins decisively. The Senses Spa spans 550 square metres with ESPA treatments, complimentary plunge pools, saunas, steam room, Vitality Pool, and PURE Yoga Studio. Ikon will feature an 18,298-square-foot two-level spa. Tauck’s chartered Ponant ships offer a compact Sothys or Clarins spa with hammam and fitness centre — functional but not comparable.

Entertainment and enrichment

Both deliver expedition-focused enrichment. Scenic’s Discovery Team comprises up to twenty specialists per voyage with daily briefings in a 180-degree projection theatre, cooking masterclasses, and an Observatory Lounge. Tauck’s Director model provides personally managed enrichment — destination commentary, excursion coordination, and a single point of contact. Scenic offers more specialist depth; Tauck offers more personal management.

Fleet and destination coverage

Scenic’s fleet is smaller but purpose-built; Tauck’s access is chartered but supplemented by its own river fleet.

Scenic operates two Discovery Yachts becoming three — Eclipse, Eclipse II, and Ikon (April 2028). 228 guests each with PC6 ice class, helicopters, submarine, and Zodiacs. Eclipse II permanently based in Australia from 2028.

Tauck charters four to five Ponant Explorer-class ships (184 guests) for ocean voyages covering the Mediterranean, Antarctica, the Arctic, Asia, and Latin America. Tauck also operates eleven river ships across the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Douro, and French waterways.

Scenic offers more capability per ship (helicopters, submarine). Tauck offers more total product diversity (ocean plus river). Neither has a large ocean fleet — both are limited in departure dates compared to the major cruise lines.

Where each line excels

Scenic excels in:

• Expedition hardware. Helicopters and submarine on every Discovery Yacht — unique capabilities for flightseeing and deep-water exploration.
• Dining breadth. Ten venues on a 228-guest ship. The highest restaurant-to-guest ratio in expedition cruising.
• Suite quality. Larger suites with universal butler service. The most spacious expedition accommodation available.
• Australian ownership. Founded in Newcastle, NSW. AUD pricing. Eclipse II permanently homeported in Australia from 2028.
• Spa facilities. 550-square-metre Senses Spa with complimentary wellness facilities. Ikon will feature an 18,298-square-foot two-level spa.

Tauck excels in:

• Total inclusion. Every excursion, every gratuity, every airport transfer. The most comprehensive logistics inclusion in luxury travel.
• The Director model. A dedicated Tauck employee managing every detail — excursions, commentary, coordination.
• European rivers. Purpose-built Inspiration-class ships with 300-square-foot suites. A product Scenic’s ocean fleet cannot offer.
• No upselling. The genuine cultural absence of art auctions, photography packages, and hard-sells.
• Zero-bill guarantee. No onboard account, no bill at the end. Complete financial transparency.

Standout itineraries for Australian travellers

Scenic

Eclipse II: East Antarctica (approximately 20 nights, from Queenstown) — Mawson’s Huts with helicopter shuttle. Connections from Australia via domestic New Zealand flights.

Eclipse II: The Kimberley (returning 2028, 10 nights, Darwin to Broome) — The only Kimberley expedition ship with onboard helicopters.

Scenic Ikon: Mediterranean Inaugural (April 2028, Venice) — Fifteen dining venues, 270 guests, two-level spa.

Tauck

Rhine and Danube: Budapest to Amsterdam (14 nights, Inspiration-class) — The flagship river voyage with all excursions included and Tauck Director throughout.

Antarctica Expedition (approximately 14 nights, chartered Ponant ship) — Tauck Directors and all-inclusive excursions on Explorer-class hardware.

Douro: Porto and the Douro Valley (8 nights, ms Andorinha, 84 guests) — Ultra-intimate river experience.

Ship-by-ship recommendations

Scenic

Scenic Eclipse II — The recommended first sailing for Australians. Permanently based in Australia from 2028. Identical to Eclipse I.

Scenic Eclipse I — Primarily deployed to Europe and Antarctica.

Scenic Ikon (April 2028) — The flagship. 270 guests, fifteen dining venues, two-level spa.

Tauck

Inspiration-class river ships (130 guests) — Flagship river product. Twenty-two Tauck Suites at 300 square feet.

Chartered Ponant Explorer-class (184 guests) — Ocean and expedition voyages with Tauck Director overlay.

ms Andorinha (84 guests) — Ultra-intimate Douro specialist.

For Australian travellers specifically

The Australian connection heavily favours Scenic.

Scenic is Australian to its core. Founded by Glen Moroney in Newcastle in 1986. Headquarters on Watt Street. River cruise brand built through decades of Channel 9 advertising. Eclipse II permanently based in Australia from 2028 with Sydney, Darwin, and Hobart homeports. AUD pricing through scenic.com.au. The Scenic & Emerald Rewards programme (February 2026) unifies loyalty across ocean, river, and Emerald brands. Contact: 1300 938 753.

Tauck has no dedicated Australian office. Bookings through specialist advisors or directly through Tauck. European departures require positioning flights. Included airport transfers simplify European arrival logistics. No Australian homeported ships, no AUD pricing, and no unified Australian loyalty programme.

The loyalty question strongly favours Scenic for Australians. Carrying river cruise status directly onto an Antarctic Eclipse voyage is a genuine advantage for existing Scenic guests. Tauck has no formal loyalty programme.

The onboard atmosphere

The atmospheres differ — one is polished expedition, the other is managed touring.

Scenic’s atmosphere is English-speaking, polished, and social. 228 guests with nearly 1:1 crew ratio. Butler service creates personal relationships. The Discovery Team structures the day. International but English-speaking passenger mix with strong Australian and British representation. Elegant casual dress. For Australians, Scenic feels like sailing with an Australian company.

Tauck’s atmosphere on ocean charters blends Ponant’s French crew culture with Tauck’s American guest base. The Director creates communal rhythm. Predominantly English-speaking North American passengers. Smart casual dress. More structured than Scenic — the Director manages the daily programme more actively than Scenic’s team model. No formal nights.

The bottom line

Scenic and Tauck both deliver genuinely all-inclusive expedition luxury — and the choice between them reveals whether you prioritise hardware innovation or service philosophy.

Choose Scenic for the most feature-rich expedition product afloat — helicopters, submarine, ten dining venues, butler service, Australian ownership, and suites double the size of Tauck’s chartered cabins. Choose it for AUD pricing, unified loyalty, and a ship homeported in Australia from 2028.

Choose Tauck for the most comprehensively inclusive travel experience — every excursion, every gratuity, every transfer, and a Director managing every detail. Choose it for European rivers Scenic cannot reach and the zero-bill guarantee. Accept smaller cabins, fewer restaurants, no helicopter or submarine, and no Australian office.

For Australians wanting both, a Scenic Antarctic expedition followed by a Tauck Danube river voyage delivers two of the finest all-inclusive experiences available.