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Ship comparison

American Splendor vs Le Laperouse

The verdict

Which should you choose?

American Splendor is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 185 passengers, in service since 2016. Le Laperouse is an intimate Ponant Cruises ship carrying 184 passengers, in service since 2018. American Splendor has no Bliss scores or specs yet, so the verdict rests on the figures we do hold.

Choose Le Laperouse if you want more crew per passenger or more cruises to choose from: it has a crew member for every 1.7 passengers (vs 3.6) and it has 6 cruises on sale (vs none).

Side by side

Specifications

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

American SplendorLe Laperouse
Cruise line American Cruise Lines Ponant Cruises
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2016 2018 (better)
Gross tonnage — 9,900
Passengers 185 184
Crew 52 110
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 3.6 1.7 (better)
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier — 53.8
Decks 5 5
Length 266 ft 430 ft
Beam — 59 ft
Speed — 14 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 9 / 10 (better)
Cruises on sale — 6
Upcoming sailings — 9
Cruise lengths — 9 to 11 nights

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday.

American Splendor has no Bliss scores yet.

  • Active Le Laperouse: 8.0
  • Adventure & nature Le Laperouse: 8.0
  • Cultural Le Laperouse: 8.0
  • Dining Le Laperouse: 8.0
  • Entertainment Le Laperouse: 5.0
  • Family friendly Le Laperouse: 5.0
  • Party Le Laperouse: 5.0
  • Romantic Le Laperouse: 7.0
  • Spa & fitness Le Laperouse: 5.0
  • Staterooms Le Laperouse: 6.0

American Cruise Lines

American Splendor

The 185-passenger American Splendor paddlewheeler has been cruising the Mississippi River since 2016 (initially as America) and underwent a major makeover in 2022. American Cruise Lines calls her "the finest Mississippi paddlewheeler ever built, introducing features never before seen on a Mississippi riverboat."

Ponant Cruises

Le Laperouse

Featuring innovative and environmentally friendly equipment, elegantly designed cabins, spacious suites with large windows and lounge areas that open onto the outside, Le Laperouse is the first in a new class of luxury expedition yacht from France-based Ponant cruise line. The ship, with just 92 cabins and suites, launched in June 2018.

Sailing now

6 cruises on sale.

Questions

American Splendor or Le Laperouse?

Which ship is newer, American Splendor or Le Laperouse?

Le Laperouse is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2018 against 2016 for American Splendor.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Le Laperouse, with one crew member for every 1.7 passengers against one for every 3.6 on American Splendor.

Still deciding?

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