Tauck River Cruises
Santa Cruz II
- Cruises
- 1
- From
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Ship comparison
Santa Cruz II vs Wilderness Explorer
Un-Cruise Adventures
Wilderness Explorer
- Cruises
- 0
- From
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The verdict
Which should you choose?
Santa Cruz II is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 90 passengers, in service since 2015. Wilderness Explorer is an intimate Un-Cruise Adventures ship carrying 74 passengers, in service since 1976.
Choose Santa Cruz II if you want more space per passenger, a newer ship or more crew per passenger: it has 29.6 gross tons per passenger (vs 12.3), its maiden voyage was in 2015 (vs 1976) and it has a crew member for every 1.8 passengers (vs 2.8).
Choose Wilderness Explorer if you want a better-rated spa and gym, more of a party or better-rated entertainment: it outscores Santa Cruz II for spa & fitness (6.0 vs 4.0), party (5.0 vs 3.0) and entertainment (5.0 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Santa Cruz II | Wilderness Explorer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Un-Cruise Adventures |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2015 (better) | 1976 |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2021 (better) | 2012 |
| Gross tonnage | 2,664 | 910 |
| Passengers | 90 | 74 |
| Crew | 50 | 26 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 1.8 (better) | 2.8 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 29.6 (better) | 12.3 |
| Cabins | 50 | — |
| Decks | 5 | 4 |
| Length | 235 ft | 186 ft |
| Beam | 44 ft | 38 ft |
| Speed | — | 13 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | — | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 1 | — |
| Upcoming sailings | 6 | — |
| 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. Santa Cruz II leads on 3 of the ten, Wilderness Explorer on 4, with 3 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Tauck River Cruises
Santa Cruz II
Sailing now
1 cruise on sale.
Un-Cruise Adventures
Wilderness Explorer
To complement the wild, natural surroundings of Wilderness Explorer from Un-Cruise Adventures, the interior of the 74-guest expedition ship has been designed with a Pacific Northwest feel, including the nautical-themed main lounge.
About Wilderness Explorer Plan my cruise on Wilderness Explorer
Questions
Santa Cruz II or Wilderness Explorer?
Which is bigger, Santa Cruz II or Wilderness Explorer?
Santa Cruz II is bigger at 2,664 gross tons, against 910 gross tons for Wilderness Explorer. Santa Cruz II carries 90 passengers and Wilderness Explorer carries 74.
Which ship is newer, Santa Cruz II or Wilderness Explorer?
Santa Cruz II is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2015 against 1976 for Wilderness Explorer.
Which has more space per passenger?
Santa Cruz II, with 29.6 gross tons per passenger against 12.3 on Wilderness Explorer. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Santa Cruz II, with one crew member for every 1.8 passengers against one for every 2.8 on Wilderness Explorer.
Which is better for families?
Santa Cruz II scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.5 out of 10, against 6.0 for Wilderness Explorer.
Still deciding?
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