American Cruise Lines
American West
- Cruises
- 0
- From
- —
The verdict
Which should you choose?
American West is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 120 passengers, in service since 1995. Inspire is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 130 passengers, in service since 2014.
Choose American West if you want more space per passenger, more of a party or better-rated entertainment: it outscores Inspire for party (5.0 vs 3.0) and entertainment (6.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 17.6 gross tons per passenger (vs 7.7).
Choose Inspire if you want a more romantic trip, more culture or a more family-friendly ship: it outscores American West for romantic (8.0 vs 2.0), cultural (9.0 vs 6.0) and family friendly (6.5 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| American West | Inspire | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | American Cruise Lines | Tauck River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 1995 | 2014 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2022 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 2,115 | 1,000 |
| Passengers | 120 | 130 |
| Crew | 37 | 39 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.2 (better) | 3.3 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 17.6 (better) | 7.7 |
| Decks | 4 | 4 |
| Length | 232 ft | 443 ft |
| Beam | 50 ft | 39 ft |
| Speed | 14 mph | — |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 7 / 10 | 8 / 10 (better) |
| Cruises on sale | — | 20 |
| Upcoming sailings | — | 72 |
| Cruise lengths | — | 7 to 14 nights |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. American West leads on 2 of the ten, Inspire on 4, with 4 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
American Cruise Lines
American West
A veteran of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, American West from American Cruise Lines, formerly Queen of the West, underwent a major renovation in 2022, with new color palettes, luxurious textiles and linens, new furniture and carpets, artwork and other flourishes.
Tauck River Cruises
Inspire
Cruising exclusively along the riverscapes of the Rhine and Moselle, ms Inspire lends its name to the new Inspiration class riverboats from Tauck River Cruises. Carrying a maximum of 130 guests, Inspire explores medieval cities from Köln to Strasbourg and wine-growing regions from Cochem to the Alsace.
Highlights
- Brand new ship launched in 2014
- 22 suites and 8 loft cabins
- Open seating & flexible dining times
Sailing now
20 cruises on sale.
Questions
American West or Inspire?
Which is bigger, American West or Inspire?
American West is bigger at 2,115 gross tons, against 1,000 gross tons for Inspire. American West carries 120 passengers and Inspire carries 130.
Which ship is newer, American West or Inspire?
Inspire is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2014 against 1995 for American West.
Which has more space per passenger?
American West, with 17.6 gross tons per passenger against 7.7 on Inspire. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
American West, with one crew member for every 3.2 passengers against one for every 3.3 on Inspire.
Which is better for families?
Inspire scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 6.5 out of 10, against 4.0 for American West.
Still deciding?
Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing
Send your dates, budget and who is travelling, and our partner travel agency will come back to you about American West, Inspire or a ship that suits you better.