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Tauck River Cruises

Joy

Intimate ship Bliss scored

Cruising exclusively along the riverscapes of the Danube, ms Joy is part of the Inspiration class of riverboats from Tauck River Cruises. Carrying a maximum of 134 guests, Joy continues the cruise line's tradition of providing the most space per guest on…

  • 130guests
  • 1,000gross tons
  • 17cruises now

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The 130-guest ms Joy from Tauck River Cruises.

At a glance

Joy is an intimate-size cruise ship operated by Tauck River Cruises, in service since 2016. It carries 130 guests and 34 crew (3.8 guests per crew member) at 1,000 gross tons. It ties with 5 other ships as the largest of 19 Tauck River Cruises ships by guest capacity. On Cruiseable's Bliss scale it scores highest for cultural (9/10) and lowest for party (3/10). It has 17 cruises on sale.

Builder's plate

Specs

Guests
130
Crew
34
Gross tons
1,000
Decks
4
Length
443 ft
Beam
39 ft
Maiden voyage
2016
Space ratio
3.8
Gross tons per guest
Guests per crew
3.8
Fitness center
1

Bliss scores

What Joy is best at

Ten dimensions scored by our editors on a 10-point scale. The Cruiseable app ranks every cruise against the mix you care about.

  1. Active 7.0
  2. Adventure and nature 5.0
  3. Cultural 9.0
  4. Dining 8.0
  5. Entertainment 5.0
  6. Family friendly 6.0
  7. Party 3.0
  8. Romantic 8.5
  9. Spa and fitness 4.0
  10. Staterooms 8.5

Our review

Tauck's Joy: Sail the Danube on a luxury river ship

Cruising exclusively along the riverscapes of the Danube, ms Joy is part of the Inspiration class of riverboats from Tauck River Cruises. 

Carrying a maximum of 134 guests, Joy continues the cruise line's tradition of providing the most space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting the fewest passengers of any longship (443 feet in length).

Joy features 22 300-square-foot suites, the most suites of that size on a European riverboat. Each comes with two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows, roomy walk-in closet, and spacious marble bathroom. There are also 32 225-square-foot cabins, plus an additional 13 cabins that range from 150 to 190 square feet. 

In addition, guests have access to a second dining venue, Arthur's, named after company chairman Arthur Tauck, Jr. 

Joy and her sister ships ms Savor, ms Grace and ms Inspire are unlike any other in the Tauck fleet. 

Where Tauck's ms Joy sails

Tauck's ms Joy winds her way along the mighty Danube to cities such as Munich, Nürnberg, Vienna, Passau, Bratislava and Cesky Krumlov.

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Amenities

  • Open seating in dining room; flexible dining times; vegetarian meals always available
  • Alternate dining venue for classic favorites at lunch and dinner and lighter breakfasts in the morning
  • Al fresco dining on Sun Deck, weather permitting
  • American breakfast room service available in Category 7 suites
  • Complimentary snacks served 10:00 AM – midnight
  • Unlimited complimentary beverages aboard ship include regional wine, beer and premium spirits in addition to specialty coffee, water and soft drinks
  • Onboard entertainment includes enrichment lectures, piano music nightly, in-room movies, culinary demos, local entertainment and “themed” fun
  • 110-volt and 220-volt outlets included in every cabin for small electronics; minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks
  • Complimentary Internet
  • Fitness center; massages available; putting green on Sun Deck; jacuzzi on Sun Deck – available 24 hours
  • Bicycles available aboard for use ashore
  • Hair salon
  • Laundry service available 

Staterooms

In-room amenities include: 

  • 400-thread-count satin bed linens
  • Puffy white duvets and pillows with a hypoallergenic 90% down filling
  • 100% cotton temperature balancing blankets
  • Thick pillow-top mattresses
  • The Essentials Line of Molton Brown bath products
  • Terry cloth robes and fluffy towels
  • Hair dryers

Your take

How about you? Are you planning to sail on ms Joy? What's the attraction?

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Interested in a cruise on this ship?

For pricing, itinerary information and to reserve your spot on Tauck's ms Joy, contact a Cruiseable travel consultant by email or by calling 1-877-322-3773.

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Photos

Inside and out

Dining 1

  • The dining venue on Tauck's ms Joy.

More photos 5

  • The 130-guest ms Joy from Tauck River Cruises.
  • The Antiquarium is the oldest room of the Residenz München in Munich, Germany. It's the largest and most lavish Renaissance interior north of the Alps.
  • Tauck's river ship ms Joy features sailings on the Danube to ports in Vienna, Munich and Passau, Germany.
  • Upper and Lower Belvedere Palace, view from Rennweg, Austria.
  • The scenic town of Passau, Germany. It's called the City of Three Rivers: the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz all pass through it.

Sailing now

Cruises on Joy

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  1. 7 Night Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Westbound 7 nights · from Vienna Next Dec 1, 2026 6 dates Fare on request
  2. 7 Night Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Eastbound 7 nights · from Regensburg Next Dec 8, 2026 3 dates Fare on request
  3. 7 Night Holiday Magic: Danube Family River Cruise - Eastbound 7 nights · from Munich Next Dec 23, 2026 3 dates Fare on request
  4. 8 Night Belgium & Holland in Spring - Northbound 8 nights · from Brussels Next Mar 31, 2027 5 dates Fare on request
  5. 8 Night Holland & Belgium in Spring - Southbound 8 nights · from Amsterdam Next Apr 8, 2027 4 dates Fare on request
  6. 14 Night Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat - Southbound 14 nights · from Amsterdam Next May 10, 2027 2 dates Fare on request
  7. 11 Night The Blue Danube - Westbound 11 nights · from Budapest Next May 24, 2027 17 dates Fare on request
  8. 11 Night The Blue Danube - Eastbound 11 nights · from Prague Next May 31, 2027 11 dates Fare on request
  9. 13 Night Romantic Capitals: Prague to Paris - Westbound 13 nights · from Prague Next Jun 18, 2027 Fare on request
  10. 13 Night Romantic Capitals: Paris to Prague - Eastbound 13 nights · from Paris Next Jun 27, 2027 Fare on request
  11. 9 Night Prague & the Danube - Eastbound 9 nights · from Prague Next Jul 24, 2027 2 dates Fare on request
  12. 7 Night Heart of the Danube: Bavaria to Budapest - Eastbound 7 nights · from Munich Next Jul 26, 2027 2 dates Fare on request
Show 5 more
  1. 5 Night Essence of the Danube - Westbound 5 nights · from Budapest Next Oct 29, 2027 2 dates Fare on request
  2. 5 Night Essence of the Danube - Eastbound 5 nights · from Vienna Next Nov 3, 2027 Fare on request
  3. 7 Night A Week On... the Danube - Eastbound 7 nights · from Munich Next Apr 18, 2028 5 dates Fare on request
  4. 7 Night Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure - Eastbound 7 nights · from Munich Next Jul 4, 2028 Fare on request
  5. 7 Night Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure - Westbound 7 nights · from Budapest Next Jul 11, 2028 Fare on request

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