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Ship comparison

American Serenade vs Viking Vilhjalm

The verdict

Which should you choose?

American Serenade is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 180 passengers, in service since 2023. Viking Vilhjalm is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 190 passengers, in service since 2016.

Choose American Serenade if you want a more family-friendly ship, a newer ship or more cruises to choose from: it outscores Viking Vilhjalm for family friendly (2.0 vs 0.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, its maiden voyage was in 2023 (vs 2016) and it has 10 cruises on sale (vs 4).

Choose Viking Vilhjalm if you want a lower starting fare, a better-rated spa and gym or a more romantic trip: it outscores American Serenade for spa & fitness (6.0 vs 5.0) and romantic (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $1,999 (vs $4,255).

Side by side

Specifications

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

American SerenadeViking Vilhjalm
Cruise line American Cruise Lines Viking River Cruises
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2023 (better) 2016
Gross tonnage 5,148 5,000
Passengers 180 190
Crew 43 50
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 4.2 3.8 (better)
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 28.6 (better) 26.3
Decks 5 4
Length 269 ft 443 ft
Beam 56 ft 55 ft
Speed 14 mph 17 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 9 / 10 9 / 10
Cruises on sale 10 4
Upcoming sailings 111 90
Cruise lengths 7 to 22 nights 7 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $4,255 $1,999 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. American Serenade leads on 1 of the ten, Viking Vilhjalm on 6, with 3 level.

  • Active American Serenade: 7.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature American Serenade: 5.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 6.0
  • Cultural American Serenade: 7.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 7.0
  • Dining American Serenade: 6.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 7.0
  • Entertainment American Serenade: 5.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 6.0
  • Family friendly American Serenade: 2.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 0.0
  • Party American Serenade: 5.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 6.0
  • Romantic American Serenade: 7.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 8.0
  • Spa & fitness American Serenade: 5.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 6.0
  • Staterooms American Serenade: 7.0 Viking Vilhjalm: 7.0

Questions

American Serenade or Viking Vilhjalm?

Which is bigger, American Serenade or Viking Vilhjalm?

American Serenade is bigger at 5,148 gross tons, against 5,000 gross tons for Viking Vilhjalm. American Serenade carries 180 passengers and Viking Vilhjalm carries 190.

Which ship is newer, American Serenade or Viking Vilhjalm?

American Serenade is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2023 against 2016 for Viking Vilhjalm.

Which has more space per passenger?

American Serenade, with 28.6 gross tons per passenger against 26.3 on Viking Vilhjalm. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Viking Vilhjalm, with one crew member for every 3.8 passengers against one for every 4.2 on American Serenade.

Which is better for families?

American Serenade scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 2.0 out of 10, against 0.0 for Viking Vilhjalm.

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