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Ship comparison

Star Clipper vs Viking Kari

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Star Clipper is an intimate Star Clippers ship carrying 170 passengers, in service since 1992. Viking Kari is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 168 passengers, in service since 2022.

Choose Star Clipper if you want better-rated entertainment, a more romantic trip or more crew per passenger: it outscores Viking Kari for entertainment (6.0 vs 1.0) and romantic (9.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has a crew member for every 2.4 passengers (vs 3.5).

Choose Viking Kari if you want more space per passenger or a newer ship: it has 29.8 gross tons per passenger (vs 13.5) and its maiden voyage was in 2022 (vs 1992).

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

Star ClipperViking Kari
Cruise line Star Clippers Viking River Cruises
Ship size Intimate Intimate
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 1992 2022 (better)
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2014 —
Gross tonnage 2,298 5,000
Passengers 170 168
Crew 72 48
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.4 (better) 3.5
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 13.5 29.8 (better)
Decks 4 4
Length 360 ft 410 ft
Beam 50 ft 39 ft
Speed — 17 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 7 / 10 10 / 10 (better)
Cruises on sale — 3
Upcoming sailings — 138
Cruise lengths — 7 to 14 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted — $2,799

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Star Clipper leads on 7 of the ten, Viking Kari on 0, with 3 level.

  • Active Star Clipper: 8.0 Viking Kari: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Star Clipper: 7.0 Viking Kari: 6.0
  • Cultural Star Clipper: 8.0 Viking Kari: 8.0
  • Dining Star Clipper: 6.2 Viking Kari: 6.0
  • Entertainment Star Clipper: 6.0 Viking Kari: 1.0
  • Family friendly Star Clipper: 2.0 Viking Kari: 1.0
  • Party Star Clipper: 2.0 Viking Kari: 1.0
  • Romantic Star Clipper: 9.0 Viking Kari: 6.0
  • Spa & fitness Star Clipper: 5.0 Viking Kari: 5.0
  • Staterooms Star Clipper: 6.0 Viking Kari: 6.0

Star Clippers

Star Clipper

Star Clipper is a true clipper ship, reflecting its proud heritage in every inch of its polished brass. Star Clippers' unique vessel offers passengers a "new age of sail," where tradition meets present-day amenities. At 360 feet long, this ship carries 170 guests and aims to provide a yacht-like experience.

Highlights

  • Two onboard swimming pools
  • Indoor/outdoor Tropical Bar
  • Open-seating for all meals

Viking River Cruises

Viking Kari

Viking Kari carries 168 passengers — fewer than the usual complement of 190 guests on most Viking Longships — on one-week cruises from Paris to the heart of Normandy, including World War II memorials.

Sailing now

3 cruises on sale, from $2,799.

Questions

Star Clipper or Viking Kari?

Which is bigger, Star Clipper or Viking Kari?

Viking Kari is bigger at 5,000 gross tons, against 2,298 gross tons for Star Clipper. Star Clipper carries 170 passengers and Viking Kari carries 168.

Which ship is newer, Star Clipper or Viking Kari?

Viking Kari is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2022 against 1992 for Star Clipper.

Which has more space per passenger?

Viking Kari, with 29.8 gross tons per passenger against 13.5 on Star Clipper. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Star Clipper, with one crew member for every 2.4 passengers against one for every 3.5 on Viking Kari.

Which is better for families?

Star Clipper scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 2.0 out of 10, against 1.0 for Viking Kari.

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