Tauck River Cruises
Sapphire
- Cruises
- 0
- From
- —
Ship comparison
Sapphire vs S.S. Sao Gabriel
Uniworld River Cruises
S.S. Sao Gabriel
- Cruises
- 6
- From
- $3,799
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Sapphire is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2008. S.S. Sao Gabriel is an intimate Uniworld River Cruises ship carrying 100 passengers, in service since 2021.
Choose Sapphire if you want better-rated staterooms: it outscores S.S. Sao Gabriel for staterooms (8.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose S.S. Sao Gabriel if you want more space per passenger, a newer ship or more of a party: it outscores Sapphire for party (5.0 vs 3.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, it has 50.0 gross tons per passenger (vs 20.4) and its maiden voyage was in 2021 (vs 2008).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Sapphire | S.S. Sao Gabriel | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Uniworld River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2008 | 2021 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2017 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 2,000 | 5,000 |
| Passengers | 98 | 100 |
| Crew | 36 | 37 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 20.4 | 50.0 (better) |
| Decks | 4 | 4 |
| Length | 361 ft | 262 ft |
| Beam | 37 ft | 37 ft |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 9 / 10 | — |
| Cruises on sale | — | 6 |
| Upcoming sailings | — | 168 |
| Cruise lengths | — | 7 to 19 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | — | $3,799 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Sapphire leads on 2 of the ten, S.S. Sao Gabriel on 6, with 2 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
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.
Uniworld River Cruises
S.S. Sao Gabriel
S.S. São Gabriel from Uniworld offers guests the chance to explore the irrigated hills of the beautiful Douro River Valley of Portugal and Spain as well as some of the region's UNESCO World Heritage sites — all on an all-inclusive luxury river ship.
Sailing now
6 cruises on sale, from $3,799.
Questions
Sapphire or S.S. Sao Gabriel?
Which is bigger, Sapphire or S.S. Sao Gabriel?
S.S. Sao Gabriel is bigger at 5,000 gross tons, against 2,000 gross tons for Sapphire. Sapphire carries 98 passengers and S.S. Sao Gabriel carries 100.
Which ship is newer, Sapphire or S.S. Sao Gabriel?
S.S. Sao Gabriel is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2021 against 2008 for Sapphire.
Which has more space per passenger?
S.S. Sao Gabriel, with 50.0 gross tons per passenger against 20.4 on Sapphire. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
They are level, with one crew member for every 2.7 passengers.
Which is better for families?
S.S. Sao Gabriel scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 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 Sapphire, S.S. Sao Gabriel or a ship that suits you better.