Tauck River Cruises
Joy
- Cruises
- 17
- From
- —
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Joy is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 130 passengers, in service since 2016. Sapphire is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2008.
Choose Joy if you want a more family-friendly ship, a newer ship or more cruises to choose from: it outscores Sapphire for family friendly (6.0 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, its maiden voyage was in 2016 (vs 2008) and it has 17 cruises on sale (vs none).
Choose Sapphire if you want more space per passenger or more crew per passenger: it has 20.4 gross tons per passenger (vs 7.7) and it has a crew member for every 2.7 passengers (vs 3.8).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Joy | Sapphire | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Tauck River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2016 (better) | 2008 |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | — | 2017 |
| Gross tonnage | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Passengers | 130 | 98 |
| Crew | 34 | 36 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.8 | 2.7 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 7.7 | 20.4 (better) |
| Decks | 4 | 4 |
| Length | 443 ft | 361 ft |
| Beam | 39 ft | 37 ft |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 10 / 10 (better) | 9 / 10 |
| 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. Joy leads on 4 of the ten, Sapphire on 3, with 3 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
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.
Tauck River Cruises
Sapphire
The river cruise ship ms Sapphire from Tauck glitters along the waters of the River Seine as it explores France's from its rural villages to Normandy’s beaches and Monet’s Giverny.
Questions
Joy or Sapphire?
Which is bigger, Joy or Sapphire?
Sapphire is bigger at 2,000 gross tons, against 1,000 gross tons for Joy. Joy carries 130 passengers and Sapphire carries 98.
Which ship is newer, Joy or Sapphire?
Joy is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2016 against 2008 for Sapphire.
Which has more space per passenger?
Sapphire, with 20.4 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?
Sapphire, with one crew member for every 2.7 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 Sapphire.
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 Joy, Sapphire or a ship that suits you better.