While cruise fares can run into the thousands of dollars, the price typically includes your cabin, meals, entertainment, gym, pool, and visits to multiple (and sometimes far-flung) ports. On some lines the fare also covers extras such as some spa services, seminars and classes, and onshore excursions.
Cruises also simplify much of the planning and booking that a lot of vacations require, says Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, which specializes in small ship bookings. Imagine dinner on the Grand Canal in Venice, then on the same trip, visiting Dubrovnik, Rome, Florence, and Barcelona. “You unpack once, yet wake each morning to a new place.”
(One satisfied traveler told CR that on their cruise vacation, they simply “didn’t have to think.”)
CR rated cruise lines based on passenger satisfaction with the following factors: value for the price they paid, quality and variety of the food, customer service, onshore excursions run by the cruise company itself, and onboard activities and entertainment. These were used to calculate an Overall Satisfaction Score for every cruise line based on how well it rated in each of those factors. We then ranked the lines according to the Overall Satisfaction Score to reveal the best cruise lines.
We also asked about passenger satisfaction with some other elements of the cruise experience that did not factor into the Overall Satisfaction Score: cleanliness, cabin comfort, price transparency, the usefulness of the cruise line’s app (if it had one), the embarkation and disembarkation process, accessibility for people with disabilities, and programs and resources for families. These are also shown in the ratings table.
CR’s survey included big-ship lines, such as Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, MSC, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, as well as lines with smaller luxury or expedition-type ships, such as American, Azamara, Cunard, National Geographic-Lindblad, Oceania, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea, Viking, Virgin, and Windstar.
Below, CR members can learn about the three cruise lines that have the highest Overall Scores and earned CR’s recommendation, as well as what makes them stand out in terms of service and shipboard experience, what passengers like and dislike about them, and tips on how to get discounted fares. Members can also learn about our three picks for less expensive, family-friendly cruise lines.
CR members can also access our complete ratings of 19 cruise lines.
