August 7, 2021 – ms Andorinha, a Christening to Remember

We discovered that the old adage “all good things are worth waiting for” is true – and truly, for all of us at Tauck, one of the highlights of this summer of 2021 was the emotional christening a few weeks ago of our newest riverboat, ms Andorinha, designed specifically for cruising along Portugal’s Douro River. Tauck President Jennifer Tombaugh and our Chief Culture Officer, Sharyn Cannon, shared the honors as godmothers; it was a memorable day and inaugural cruise. Teams from Tauck, and our ship partner Scylla, joined about 35 guests for this very special first departure. Take a look at some of the highlights –

CEO Dan Mahar noted “Jennifer and Sharyn are the embodiment of Tauck’s ethos of caring for others, which has been the cornerstone of Tauck’s success for 96 years. Their deep care and concern for our guests, for our employees, and for our travel advisors and supplier-partners guides all that they do and how they do it. I know I speak for the entire Tauck family when I say that the honor is truly ours to have Jennifer and Sharyn serve as the Andorinha’s godmothers.”

Jennifer Tombaugh joined Tauck in 2001, and today oversees the company’s Worldwide Operations, Brand Management, Reservations, Guest Relations and Sales teams. During her Tauck career she has been responsible for the launch of Tauck Bridges (our family travel journeys), our partnership with acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, the redesign of the company’s reservation systems and website, and the formation of Tauck Ventures, focused on new business development. Sharyn Cannon joined Tauck in 1999 as the Director of the company’s Reservations Sales Center, and today leads a number of key departments including Human Resources, Tauck Director Management and IMPACT (Tauck’s philanthropic efforts), all with special focus on the engagement of Tauck’s employees and stewardship of Tauck’s unique culture. She also co-leads the company’s Global Response Team (crisis management).

Designed specifically to sail on Portugal’s Douro River (and originally scheduled to be christened in March of last year), the Andorinha is named for small migratory swallows that return 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 as Jennifer Tombaugh noted: “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.” Sharyn 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 all at Tauck and for our guests.”