Tauck River Cruises
Sapphire
- Cruises
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Ship comparison
Sapphire vs Viking Astrild
Viking River Cruises
Viking Astrild
- Cruises
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The verdict
Which should you choose?
Sapphire is an intimate Tauck River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2008. Viking Astrild is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 98 passengers, in service since 2015.
Choose Sapphire if you want a more romantic trip, better-rated dining or better-rated staterooms: it outscores Viking Astrild for romantic (9.0 vs 7.0), dining (8.5 vs 7.0) and staterooms (8.0 vs 6.5) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose Viking Astrild if you want more space per passenger, a better-rated spa and gym or more of a party: it outscores Sapphire 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.
| Sapphire | Viking Astrild | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Tauck River Cruises | Viking River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2008 | 2015 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2017 | — |
| 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 | 37 ft | 36 ft |
| Speed | — | 17 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 9 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Sapphire leads on 4 of the ten, Viking Astrild on 4, 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.
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
Sapphire or Viking Astrild?
Which is bigger, Sapphire or Viking Astrild?
Viking Astrild is bigger at 4,000 gross tons, against 2,000 gross tons for Sapphire. Sapphire carries 98 passengers and Viking Astrild carries 98.
Which ship is newer, Sapphire or Viking Astrild?
Viking Astrild is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2015 against 2008 for Sapphire.
Which has more space per passenger?
Viking Astrild, with 40.8 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?
Sapphire, 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 Sapphire.
Still deciding?
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