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Ship comparison

AmaLea vs Avalon Passion

AmaWaterways

AmaLea

Cruises
18
From
$1,629

The verdict

Which should you choose?

AmaLea is an intimate AmaWaterways ship carrying 158 passengers, in service since 2018. Avalon Passion is an intimate Avalon Waterways ship carrying 166 passengers, in service since 2016.

Choose AmaLea if you want a lower starting fare, more adventure and nature or more of a party: it outscores Avalon Passion for adventure & nature (5.0 vs 3.0) and party (5.0 vs 3.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $1,629 (vs $3,928).

Choose Avalon Passion if you want a better-rated spa and gym, more space per passenger or better-rated staterooms: it outscores AmaLea for spa & fitness (7.0 vs 5.0) and staterooms (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 30.1 gross tons per passenger (vs 22.8).

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

AmaLeaAvalon Passion
Cruise line AmaWaterways Avalon Waterways
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2018 (better) 2016
Gross tonnage 3,602 5,000
Passengers 158 166
Crew 51 47
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 3.1 (better) 3.5
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 22.8 30.1 (better)
Cabins 79 —
Decks 4 4
Length 443 ft 443 ft
Beam 38 ft 37 ft
Speed — 9 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 9 / 10 10 / 10 (better)
Cruises on sale 18 48
Upcoming sailings 91 211
Cruise lengths 7 to 14 nights 5 to 24 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $1,629 (better) $3,928

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. AmaLea leads on 4 of the ten, Avalon Passion on 3, with 3 level.

  • Active AmaLea: 6.5 Avalon Passion: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature AmaLea: 5.0 Avalon Passion: 3.0
  • Cultural AmaLea: 8.0 Avalon Passion: 8.0
  • Dining AmaLea: 7.5 Avalon Passion: 7.0
  • Entertainment AmaLea: 5.0 Avalon Passion: 5.0
  • Family friendly AmaLea: 5.0 Avalon Passion: 4.0
  • Party AmaLea: 5.0 Avalon Passion: 3.0
  • Romantic AmaLea: 8.0 Avalon Passion: 8.0
  • Spa & fitness AmaLea: 5.0 Avalon Passion: 7.0
  • Staterooms AmaLea: 7.0 Avalon Passion: 8.0

AmaWaterways

AmaLea

The AmaLea, which debuted in 2018, is a sister ship to AmaKristina and was touted by AmaWaterways at the time as having "the most advanced design of any river cruise vessel currently in operation." Twin Balconies are available in most staterooms, which measure 210 to 235 square feet, with four suites measuring 350 square feet.

Sailing now

18 cruises on sale, from $1,629.

Questions

AmaLea or Avalon Passion?

Which is bigger, AmaLea or Avalon Passion?

Avalon Passion is bigger at 5,000 gross tons, against 3,602 gross tons for AmaLea. AmaLea carries 158 passengers and Avalon Passion carries 166.

Which ship is newer, AmaLea or Avalon Passion?

AmaLea is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2018 against 2016 for Avalon Passion.

Which has more space per passenger?

Avalon Passion, with 30.1 gross tons per passenger against 22.8 on AmaLea. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

AmaLea, with one crew member for every 3.1 passengers against one for every 3.5 on Avalon Passion.

Which is better for families?

AmaLea scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 out of 10, against 4.0 for Avalon Passion.

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