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Ship comparison

American Eagle vs Viking Astrild

The verdict

Which should you choose?

American Eagle is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 109 passengers, in service since 2023. Viking Astrild is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2015.

Choose American Eagle if you want more crew per passenger, a more family-friendly ship or better-rated staterooms: it outscores Viking Astrild for family friendly (7.0 vs 5.0) and staterooms (8.0 vs 6.5) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has a crew member for every 2.2 passengers (vs 3.5).

Choose Viking Astrild if you want more space per passenger, better-rated dining or more of a party: it outscores American Eagle for dining (7.0 vs 4.0) and party (5.0 vs 2.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 40.8 gross tons per passenger (vs 10.5).

Side by side

Specifications

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

American EagleViking Astrild
Cruise line American Cruise Lines Viking River Cruises
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2023 (better) 2015
Gross tonnage 1,148 4,000
Passengers 109 98
Crew 50 28
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.2 (better) 3.5
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 10.5 40.8 (better)
Decks 5 3
Length 241 ft 361 ft
Beam 39 ft 36 ft
Speed 9 mph 17 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 9 / 10 (better)
Cruises on sale 9 —
Upcoming sailings 134 —
Cruise lengths 8 to 15 nights —
Fares fromlower highlighted $5,630 —

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. American Eagle leads on 2 of the ten, Viking Astrild on 5, with 3 level.

  • Active American Eagle: 7.0 Viking Astrild: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature American Eagle: 5.0 Viking Astrild: 5.0
  • Cultural American Eagle: 7.0 Viking Astrild: 8.0
  • Dining American Eagle: 4.0 Viking Astrild: 7.0
  • Entertainment American Eagle: 6.0 Viking Astrild: 6.0
  • Family friendly American Eagle: 7.0 Viking Astrild: 5.0
  • Party American Eagle: 2.0 Viking Astrild: 5.0
  • Romantic American Eagle: 5.0 Viking Astrild: 7.0
  • Spa & fitness American Eagle: 5.0 Viking Astrild: 6.0
  • Staterooms American Eagle: 8.0 Viking Astrild: 6.5

American Cruise Lines

American Eagle

Launched in July 2023, the 109-passenger American Eagle is one of American Cruise Lines's “go anywhere” ships called Coastal Cats. The ships blend the best qualities of expedition adventure cruising with the refinement, luxury, stability and land proximity of river cruising.

Sailing now

9 cruises on sale, from $5,630.

Viking River Cruises

Viking Astrild

Designed to sail the shallow Elbe River between Prague and Berlin, the 98-passenger Viking Astrild has been dubbed a "baby Longship" because it's about half the size of the standard 190-passenger Viking Longships.

Highlights

  • Aquavit Terrace for al fresco dining
  • Observation Lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows for great river views
  • All staterooms are outside with a river view
  • Complimentary wi-fi

Questions

American Eagle or Viking Astrild?

Which is bigger, American Eagle or Viking Astrild?

Viking Astrild is bigger at 4,000 gross tons, against 1,148 gross tons for American Eagle. American Eagle carries 109 passengers and Viking Astrild carries 98.

Which ship is newer, American Eagle or Viking Astrild?

American Eagle is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2023 against 2015 for Viking Astrild.

Which has more space per passenger?

Viking Astrild, with 40.8 gross tons per passenger against 10.5 on American Eagle. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

American Eagle, with one crew member for every 2.2 passengers against one for every 3.5 on Viking Astrild.

Which is better for families?

American Eagle scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.0 out of 10, against 5.0 for Viking Astrild.

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