American Cruise Lines
American Heritage
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Ship comparison
American Heritage vs National Geographic Explorer
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Explorer
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The verdict
Which should you choose?
American Heritage is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 150 passengers, in service since 2015. National Geographic Explorer is an intimate Lindblad Expeditions ship carrying 148 passengers, in service since 1982. American Heritage has no Bliss scores yet, so the verdict rests on the figures we do hold.
Choose American Heritage if you want a newer ship: its maiden voyage was in 2015 (vs 1982).
Choose National Geographic Explorer if you want more space per passenger or more crew per passenger: it has 43.7 gross tons per passenger (vs 18.0) and it has a crew member for every 1.7 passengers (vs 3.0).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| American Heritage | National Geographic Explorer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | American Cruise Lines | Lindblad Expeditions |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2015 (better) | 1982 |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | — | 2008 |
| Gross tonnage | 2,700 | 6,471 |
| Passengers | 150 | 148 |
| Crew | 50 | 86 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.0 | 1.7 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 18.0 | 43.7 (better) |
| Decks | 5 | 6 |
| Length | 295 ft | 367 ft |
| Beam | 53 ft | 52 ft |
| Speed | 14 mph | 21 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 6 / 10 | 8 / 10 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday.
American Heritage has no Bliss scores yet.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
American Cruise Lines
American Heritage
American Heritage from American Cruise Lines — formerly Queen of the Mississippi —delivers an experience unlike any other riverboat. Originally launched in 2012 and modeled after traditional Victorian-style riverboats of the late 1800s, it was the first paddlewheeler built for the Mississippi River in nearly 20 years.
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Explorer
Inaugurated in 2008, National Geographic Explorer is the world’s ultimate expedition ship. The embodiment of the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic alliance, its design and equipment are the result of almost 200 years of collective expedition experience.
About National Geographic Explorer Plan my cruise on National Geographic Explorer
Questions
American Heritage or National Geographic Explorer?
Which is bigger, American Heritage or National Geographic Explorer?
National Geographic Explorer is bigger at 6,471 gross tons, against 2,700 gross tons for American Heritage. American Heritage carries 150 passengers and National Geographic Explorer carries 148.
Which ship is newer, American Heritage or National Geographic Explorer?
American Heritage is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2015 against 1982 for National Geographic Explorer.
Which has more space per passenger?
National Geographic Explorer, with 43.7 gross tons per passenger against 18.0 on American Heritage. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
National Geographic Explorer, with one crew member for every 1.7 passengers against one for every 3.0 on American Heritage.
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