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Behind the scenes: take a peek into the life of a Tauck leader

From delivering running commentary as you head upriver to paying gratuities, Tauck’s tour leaders are responsible for every little thing that goes into making your tour or cruise a success.

From delivering running commentary as you head upriver to paying gratuities, Tauck’s tour leaders are responsible for every little thing that goes into making your tour or cruise a success.

The sun has barely broken the horizon, and Ludmila Hochmanova is as sprite as anything. “Good morning, how are you today?” she chirps with a broad smile. I might be pre-caffeine and lacking on my usual eight hours of sleep, but she’s worked her magic, and I feel much more chipper for it.

Throughout the entire 12 days of our cruise, Hochmanova has never missed a beat; she is always friendly and energetic, even when she’s up at 3 a.m. to see the first of her cruise customers off home.

What it takes to be a tour leader

1000x568 MS Joy in port in Durnstein Tauck Blue Danube Cruise Monique Ceccato
MS Joy in port in Dürnstein.

Just like early mornings, the responsibilities of a tour leader aren’t for everyone. You can be away from home for months at a time, and you’ve got to know how to stay calm in the face of a crisis. Czech-born Hochmanova takes it all in her stride. She’s been in the tourism industry for around 20 years, joining Tauck four years ago to work the Blue Danube route between Prague and Budapest.

“When you start, you usually train on certain itineraries. I started being trained on Prague to Budapest, so for the first year, I just ran all of these tours,” says Hochmanova. “Later on, [Tauck] usually trains you on the other itineraries on the Danube because there are a couple of different ones. Once you have the general river knowledge, we’re all trained on all the tours that run on it”. 

After almost half a decade working on the mighty river that runs from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, there’s not much Hochmanova doesn’t know about it or the towns and cities it passes through. It’s part and parcel of the job, the tour leaders being the customer’s first port of call when they need information. “We’re here to answer any questions regarding the locations we’re going to,” she says. “Our main role here as tour director, though, is to make sure that everything is working fine”.

A ‘typical’ day

1000x568 Stopping for photos on one of the shore excursions Tauck Blue Danube Cruise
Stopping for photos on one of the shore excursions.

Each day, Hochmanova and her fellow tour leaders — typically working in groups of two or three — are responsible for ensuring the onboard and onshore activities go off without a hitch. A number of set tasks need to be completed daily, and each leader takes turns in assuming responsibility for them. 

“When you have three of us, one of us is looking after money and paying for everything everywhere we go,” she says. “One of us makes sure that we communicate between the local guides and our drivers. We always have to send them a message a day before, and then, before the tour starts, we go out and we do a briefing for them. The other role is the dietaries. You’re basically making sure that, once we go out of the ship, restaurants and waitstaff know about any guests who have special dietary requirements.” 

1000x568 Dining at the Akademia Klub Budapest Prague. Tauck Blue Danube
Dining at the Akademia Klub, Budapest.

There’s a lot on a tour leader’s plate, and the job often extends beyond the 9-5. Hochmanova jokes that they work 24 hours, which, while not technically true, shows her and her co-workers’ dedication to ensuring the best possible cruise for those on board. Even on days without organised tours and activities — like pre-departure and cruising days — Hochmanova is either leading lectures or planning ahead of arrival at the next port. 

For tour leaders, every day on board can be as varied as the destination they find themselves in. While waking up in a new town, city, or country each day sounds like a dream, Hochmanova shares that her role can be difficult sometimes. “The hardest part of the job is being away from home,” she says. But she wouldn’t change it for the world. “If you love travelling — if this is really your hobby — then you’re doing a job that you really love. You travel a lot, and I think that’s the best.”

1000x568 Walking along the Danube in Durnstein Monique Ceccato
Walking along the Danube River in Dürnstein.

*All images by Monique Ceccato.

This experience is one of the onshore activities offered on Tauck’s 12-day ‘Blue Danube’ river cruise. Their cruise season runs from April to October, with prices from $9,840 per person (Category 1).

The writer Monique Ceccato was hosted by Tauck as a guest on this recent 12-day ‘Blue Danube’ river cruise.