Tauck River Cruises
Lupus Mare
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Ship comparison
Lupus Mare vs National Geographic Islander II
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Islander II
- Cruises
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The verdict
Which should you choose?
Lupus Mare is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 34 passengers. National Geographic Islander II is an intimate Lindblad Expeditions ship carrying 48 passengers, in service since 1991.
Choose Lupus Mare if you want a more family-friendly ship or more culture: it outscores National Geographic Islander II for family friendly (8.0 vs 5.0) and cultural (7.5 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose National Geographic Islander II if you want more space per passenger, more crew per passenger or a better-rated spa and gym: it outscores Lupus Mare for spa & fitness (5.0 vs 2.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, it has 68.0 gross tons per passenger (vs 14.6) and it has a crew member for every 1.0 passengers (vs 3.4).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Lupus Mare | National Geographic Islander II | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Lindblad Expeditions |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | — | 1991 |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2023 (better) | 2022 |
| Gross tonnage | 498 | 3,264 |
| Passengers | 34 | 48 |
| Crew | 10 | 48 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.4 | 1.0 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 14.6 | 68.0 (better) |
| Cabins | 15 | — |
| Decks | 4 | 5 |
| Length | 141 ft | 269 ft |
| Beam | 30 ft | 45 ft |
| Speed | — | 17 mph |
| Cruises on sale | 1 | — |
| Upcoming sailings | 10 | — |
| Cruise lengths | 7 nights | — |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Lupus Mare leads on 2 of the ten, National Geographic Islander II on 7, with 1 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Tauck River Cruises
Lupus Mare
Sailing now
1 cruise on sale.
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Islander II
The National Geographic Islander II, formerly sailing as Crystal Esprit, set sail in the Galápagos Islands year-round starting in August 2022. The sporty ship is named for the National Geographic Islander, which it is replacing.
About National Geographic Islander II Plan my cruise on National Geographic Islander II
Questions
Lupus Mare or National Geographic Islander II?
Which is bigger, Lupus Mare or National Geographic Islander II?
National Geographic Islander II is bigger at 3,264 gross tons, against 498 gross tons for Lupus Mare. Lupus Mare carries 34 passengers and National Geographic Islander II carries 48.
Which has more space per passenger?
National Geographic Islander II, with 68.0 gross tons per passenger against 14.6 on Lupus Mare. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
National Geographic Islander II, with one crew member for every 1.0 passengers against one for every 3.4 on Lupus Mare.
Which is better for families?
Lupus Mare scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 5.0 for National Geographic Islander II.
Still deciding?
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