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Ship comparison

Avalon Artistry II vs Grace

Tauck River Cruises

Grace

Cruises
26
From
—

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Avalon Artistry II is an intimate Avalon Waterways ship carrying 128 passengers, in service since 2013. Grace is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 130 passengers, in service since 2016.

Choose Avalon Artistry II if you want more space per passenger or a better-rated spa and gym: it outscores Grace for spa & fitness (7.0 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 39.1 gross tons per passenger (vs 7.7).

Choose Grace if you want more adventure and nature, better-rated dining or more culture: it outscores Avalon Artistry II for adventure & nature (5.0 vs 3.0), dining (8.0 vs 7.0) and cultural (9.0 vs 8.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Side by side

Specifications

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

Avalon Artistry IIGrace
Cruise line Avalon Waterways Tauck River Cruises
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2013 2016 (better)
Gross tonnage 5,000 1,000
Passengers 128 130
Crew 37 34
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 3.5 (better) 3.8
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 39.1 (better) 7.7
Decks 4 4
Length 361 ft 443 ft
Beam 37 ft 39 ft
Speed 9 mph —
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 10 / 10 10 / 10
Cruises on sale 10 26
Upcoming sailings 237 70
Cruise lengths 7 to 18 nights 7 to 14 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $4,276 —

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Avalon Artistry II leads on 1 of the ten, Grace on 6, with 3 level.

  • Active Avalon Artistry II: 7.0 Grace: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Avalon Artistry II: 3.0 Grace: 5.0
  • Cultural Avalon Artistry II: 8.0 Grace: 9.0
  • Dining Avalon Artistry II: 7.0 Grace: 8.0
  • Entertainment Avalon Artistry II: 5.0 Grace: 5.0
  • Family friendly Avalon Artistry II: 4.0 Grace: 4.5
  • Party Avalon Artistry II: 3.0 Grace: 3.0
  • Romantic Avalon Artistry II: 8.0 Grace: 8.5
  • Spa & fitness Avalon Artistry II: 7.0 Grace: 4.0
  • Staterooms Avalon Artistry II: 8.0 Grace: 8.5

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Artistry II

There’s both serenity and a measure of adventure when cruising Central Europe’s famed waterways aboard Avalon Artistry II.

Highlights

  • Wall-to-wall panoramic windows
  • Sky Deck with premium lounge chairs
  • Panorama bistro
  • Expanded fitness center

Sailing now

10 cruises on sale, from $4,276.

Tauck River Cruises

Grace

Cruising exclusively along the riverscapes of the Rhine, ms Grace is part of the Inspiration class of riverboats from Tauck River Cruises.

Highlights

  • Brand-new ship launching in 2016
  • Al fresco dining on the Sun Deck
  • Unlimited complimentary beverages, including regional wine, beer and premium spirits

Sailing now

26 cruises on sale.

Questions

Avalon Artistry II or Grace?

Which is bigger, Avalon Artistry II or Grace?

Avalon Artistry II is bigger at 5,000 gross tons, against 1,000 gross tons for Grace. Avalon Artistry II carries 128 passengers and Grace carries 130.

Which ship is newer, Avalon Artistry II or Grace?

Grace is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2016 against 2013 for Avalon Artistry II.

Which has more space per passenger?

Avalon Artistry II, with 39.1 gross tons per passenger against 7.7 on Grace. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Avalon Artistry II, with one crew member for every 3.5 passengers against one for every 3.8 on Grace.

Which is better for families?

Grace scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 4.5 out of 10, against 4.0 for Avalon Artistry II.

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