Tauck River Cruises
Esprit
- Cruises
- 10
- From
- —
Ship comparison
Esprit vs Viking Astrild
Viking River Cruises
Viking Astrild
- Cruises
- 0
- From
- —
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Esprit is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2010. Viking Astrild is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2015.
Choose Esprit if you want a more romantic trip, better-rated staterooms or more crew per passenger: it outscores Viking Astrild for romantic (8.5 vs 7.0) and staterooms (8.0 vs 6.5) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has a crew member for every 2.7 passengers (vs 3.5).
Choose Viking Astrild if you want more space per passenger, a better-rated spa and gym or more of a party: it outscores Esprit for spa & fitness (6.0 vs 3.5) and party (5.0 vs 3.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 40.8 gross tons per passenger (vs 20.4).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Esprit | Viking Astrild | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Viking River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2010 | 2015 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2018 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Passengers | 98 | 98 |
| Crew | 36 | 28 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.7 (better) | 3.5 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 20.4 | 40.8 (better) |
| Decks | 4 | 3 |
| Length | 361 ft | 361 ft |
| Beam | 39 ft | 36 ft |
| Speed | — | 17 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 10 / 10 (better) | 9 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 10 | — |
| Upcoming sailings | 40 | — |
| Cruise lengths | 11 to 24 nights | — |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Esprit leads on 5 of the ten, Viking Astrild on 4, with 1 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Tauck River Cruises
Esprit
Esprit sails Europe's most famous rivers — the Rhine, Main and Danube. The sleek river ship from Tauck River Cruises takes passengers to events such as wine tastings and galas and to sites such as castles and stately palaces while visiting old-world cities rich in architecture and arts.
Highlights
- Onboard bicycles available for shore excursions
- Majority of rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with real French balconies
- 24-hour Jacuzzi on the Sun Deck
Sailing now
10 cruises on sale.
Viking River Cruises
Viking Astrild
Designed to sail the shallow Elbe River between Prague and Berlin, the 98-passenger Viking Astrild has been dubbed a "baby Longship" because it's about half the size of the standard 190-passenger Viking Longships.
Highlights
- Aquavit Terrace for al fresco dining
- Observation Lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows for great river views
- All staterooms are outside with a river view
- Complimentary wi-fi
Questions
Esprit or Viking Astrild?
Which is bigger, Esprit or Viking Astrild?
Viking Astrild is bigger at 4,000 gross tons, against 2,000 gross tons for Esprit. Esprit carries 98 passengers and Viking Astrild carries 98.
Which ship is newer, Esprit or Viking Astrild?
Viking Astrild is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2015 against 2010 for Esprit.
Which has more space per passenger?
Viking Astrild, with 40.8 gross tons per passenger against 20.4 on Esprit. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Esprit, with one crew member for every 2.7 passengers against one for every 3.5 on Viking Astrild.
Which is better for families?
Viking Astrild scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 out of 10, against 4.0 for Esprit.
Still deciding?
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