When it comes to christening Tauck’s new Douro River ship, ms Andorinha, Tauck is keeping it in the family—two of Tauck’s top executives will serve as co-godmothers to the new riverboat.
Set to be christened next month in the small Portuguese village of Barca de Alva, Andorinha’s godmothers will be company president Jennifer Tombaugh and chief culture officer Sharyn Cannon. The ship, designed specifically for cruising along Portugal’s Douro River, officially enters Tauck’s fleet during the first week of August.
The Andorinha is named for a species of small migratory swallow that returns to the same nests in Portugal each spring after wintering in Africa. With travel finally resuming after the COVID-19 pandemic, that symbol of resilience and renewal is especially meaningful for Tombaugh and Cannon.
“After such a long pause in travel and with the disruptions in all of our lives, the launch of the Andorinha and the start of our journeys on the Douro take on a much deeper meaning of restart, renewal and rebirth,” said Tombaugh in a press release statement. Cannon agreed, noting that “in Portuguese culture the andorinha symbolizes love, loyalty and faithfulness, and I can’t think of a greater symbol for these times, for our employees and for our guests.”
The new ship will accommodate 84 guests, accommodated in 42 cabins, including 12 300-sq.-ft. suites on the upper Diamond Deck, and 20 225-sq.-ft. staterooms primarily on the vessel’s Ruby or mid-level deck. The remaining accommodations (six 200-sq.-ft. cabins and four 150-sq.-ft. cabins) will be on the lower or Emerald Deck.
Tauck is offering two Douro River itineraries aboard the Andorinha in 2021; a 12-day journey that bookends a 7-night Douro cruise with 2-night hotel stays in Lisbon and Madrid, and an 8-day “cruise-only” itinerary along the river. Douro Discovery, an 8-day Tauck Bridges cruise designed specifically for families, will debut in 2022.
For more information, visit tauck.com.
