American Cruise Lines
American West
- Cruises
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- From
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The verdict
Which should you choose?
American West is an intimate American Cruise Lines ship carrying 120 passengers, in service since 1995. Joy is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 130 passengers, in service since 2016.
Choose American West if you want more space per passenger, more of a party or better-rated entertainment: it outscores Joy 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 Joy if you want a more romantic trip, more culture or a newer ship: it outscores American West for romantic (8.5 vs 2.0) and cultural (9.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2016 (vs 1995).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| American West | Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | American Cruise Lines | Tauck River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 1995 | 2016 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2022 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 2,115 | 1,000 |
| Passengers | 120 | 130 |
| Crew | 37 | 34 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.2 (better) | 3.8 |
| 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 | 10 / 10 (better) |
| Cruises on sale | — | 17 |
| Upcoming sailings | — | 67 |
| Cruise lengths | — | 5 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, Joy on 5, with 3 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
Joy
Cruising exclusively along the riverscapes of the Danube, ms Joy is part of the Inspiration class of riverboats from Tauck River Cruises.
Highlights
- Twenty two 300-sq. ft. suites and 8 loft cabins with an additional view
- Complimentary Internet
Sailing now
17 cruises on sale.
Questions
American West or Joy?
Which is bigger, American West or Joy?
American West is bigger at 2,115 gross tons, against 1,000 gross tons for Joy. American West carries 120 passengers and Joy carries 130.
Which ship is newer, American West or Joy?
Joy is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2016 against 1995 for American West.
Which has more space per passenger?
American West, with 17.6 gross tons per passenger against 7.7 on Joy. 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 3.8 on Joy.
Which is better for families?
Joy scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 6.0 out of 10, against 4.0 for American West.
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