Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Best Cruises Overall

best rated cruise line

Paul Gauguin Cruises operates just one ship, but it is exquisite, hosting 330 guests and sailing only in the South Pacific to destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. The ship is small enough to access private ports at remote beaches and take travelers well off the beaten path. Named the best small-ship ocean cruise line in T+L's 2022 World's Best Awards, Golden said the line is known for Tahitian-inspired massage techniques in the onboard spa and noted that cruisers particularly love the wonderful staff. If you're wondering what is the best cruise line for luxury travelers, look no further.

best rated cruise line

Best cruise line for budget travelers

Cruising is a popular way for travelers to visit multiple destinations for one price. In fact, industry statistics indicate that nearly 80% of travelers who have cruised before want to book another cruise in the future. The best cruise lines offer transportation, accommodations, food and entertainment that meet their target audience's needs. Luxury cruises tend to be smaller, with more staff per guest and more deluxe amenities. Among the amenities, passengers can enjoy upscale accommodations, spas and sauna facilities, water sports equipment and fine dining.

Best cruise line for explorers

Royal Caribbean International’s ships sail to a wide variety of destinations, from shorter trips to the Caribbean and Mexico to longer vacations to Alaska, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. Cruisers who seek an ultimate luxury experience must typically take a trip with boutique, small-ship cruise lines such as Seabourn that have relatively few crowd-pleasing attractions. For a premium fare, MSC’s Yacht Club offers what’s called a “ship-within-a-ship” experience — a dedicated VIP enclave on a larger cruise ship that gives guests the best of both worlds. For those staying in certain room tiers, a concierge team is available to help travelers with special requests and booking excursions. And while Disney cruises primarily cater to families, they aren’t just for kids. The ships offer nightclubs, bars and adult-only pools and dining, too, as well as special activities and clubs for teens.

Best Dining

That’s not to mention all the regular activities and excursions Norwegian offers, from rock climbing and bowling to spa treatments to boxing classes. You’ll travel aboard the National Geographic–Lindblad fleet—expedition ships that can navigate narrow waterways and small harbors that aren’t accessible on larger vessels, so you can get as close as possible to amazing sights. The ships are even equipped with kayaks or paddleboards, snorkeling gear and Zodiacs, and hydrophones and underwater cameras for further exploration. If you’re looking for something a little more kitsch, these themed cruises will be right up your alley. The transatlantic cruise from Southampton to New York (a traveler’s must-do at any age) is a great option for older travelers because you never leave the ship.

The 9 best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity - The Points Guy

The 9 best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity.

Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Princess Cruises

The Best Cruise Ships in the World: The Gold List 2024 - Condé Nast Traveller

The Best Cruise Ships in the World: The Gold List 2024.

Posted: Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. Silversea Cruises topped the list as Best Luxury Cruise Line for the second year in a row.

Best Spa

Single cruisers also have access to an exclusive shared social space called the Studio Complex and Lounge. In this lounge, you can enjoy complimentary refreshments throughout the day, order room service and meet fellow travelers. Travelers can choose departure ports from the Americas, the Mediterranean, Asia, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and more. Viking operates smaller ships with a maximum of 930 passengers, which makes it easier to visit ports that larger cruise liners cannot navigate. Emerald Yacht Cruises, a line best known for its river ships, launched its first ocean-going vessel, Emerald Azzura, in 2022 followed by an identical sister ship, Emerald Sakara, in 2023. American Cruise Line offers this itinerary on five ships from April to October 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Best cruise lines for families: Disney Cruise Line

Additionally, Lindblad Expeditions has introduced a food-and-wine-centric river cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Disney is famous for its attention to detail and focus on the guest experience in its theme parks, and those attributes extend to its cruises, too. Families will enjoy meet-and-greets with Disney characters, themed restaurants, and a slew of onboard activities and entertainment. Staterooms are also family friendly, with storage that’s designed to accommodate multiple guests.

On the Pacific end of your voyage, you'll visit Astoria, Oregon — the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. This coastal city at the mouth of the Columbia River is known for its Victorian homes, wineries, brew pubs, and Lewis and Clark heritage. Next, from Kalama, Washington, you can join an excursion to visit the remnants of the area around Mount St. Helens, which suffered a devastating eruption in 1980.

Best cruise line for older travelers

The latest Silversea ship, Silver Nova, will spend the summer cruising the Inside Passage between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska. In the fall it heads to Asia for trips that include a 16-day Tokyo-to-Singapore swing. Lindblad Expeditions will run a series of domestic trips on the Columbia and Snake rivers aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion, both of which have 31 cabins. The food-focused itineraries are organized in partnership with Food & Wine, which, like T+L, is published by Dotdash Meredith.

Cruising has come a long way, and now, rather than cookie-cutter ships and itineraries, the best cruise lines are offering options that appeal to a wide variety of travelers. There are mega ships that can hold almost 7,000 guests, and small ships geared toward a couple hundred guests or less. There are even expedition ships that allow you to get up close and personal with nature. Norwegian Cruise Line has proved it’s the clear leader when it comes to solo travelers. Even better, Norwegian's ships offer an exclusive studio for solo guests, where passengers can chat, grab snacks and get to know one another. The line's not stopping there -- it's expanding the number of solo cabins across its entire fleet.

On board, your family will enjoy live shows that rival Broadway performances, evening fireworks displays and visits from popular Disney, Marvel and Star Wars characters. "The cruise itself was absolutely perfect. Nice weather, great excursions, beautiful scenery, nice ship and excellent staff." Cruise Critic is an online cruise community with more than 650,000 ship reviews of 700 ships from experts and cruise aficionados. Cruise Critic just announced its annual list of the Best Cruise Lines of The Year. This is the 15th iteration of the list compiled by the online cruise community’s international team of cruise experts. Not only is the autumnal landscape in New York's Hudson Valley visually captivating, but the small cities and towns that line the river's shores are filled with fascinating early American history dating back more than 400 years.

Cruise the Hudson round-trip from New York City on American Cruise Lines' seven-night Hudson River Fall Foliage Cruise. You'll visit Catskill, home to the Hudson River School Art Trail and the Olana Historic Site, or explore more actively at the Hudson River Skywalk and Kaaterskill Falls. In Albany, founded in 1609, you can tour the newly renovated New York State Capitol building, built in the late 1800s; you can also visit the New York State Museum, which dates to 1836. If your vacation preferences favor mountain landscapes, wine tasting and pioneer lore, consider American Cruise Lines' eight-night Columbia & Snake River Cruise. You'll explore the Pacific Northwest from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkstown, Washington (or vice versa).

Carnival’s low fares and fun amenities make it a popular choice for those looking for a quick, affordable cruise (although it also offers longer trips to Europe, Australia and more). Its ships cater to travelers looking for an entertaining, exciting getaway — with an emphasis on pools, waterslides, mini-golf and karaoke, plus comedy shows, casino games and nightclubs for adults. As an avid cruiser who’s been everywhere from Alaska and Iceland to Russia and the United Arab Emirates aboard cruise ships, I’m recommending these specific cruise lines based on my own experiences and those of my friends and colleagues. My husband and I scouted out the best cruises for kids when our own children were young, and since becoming empty nesters, we’ve found the best adults-only cruises and couples cruises.

Small, purpose-built ships are designed to access the remote landscapes of the Polar Regions and the Galápagos Islands—and to appeal to both kids and adults. Throw in all the perks, including Royal Genies and private dining, a dedicated bar and sun deck, and it’s clear why Royal Caribbean has some of the best suites at sea. Nearly every cruise line offers a high standard of onboard service, but Holland America Line’s gracious crewmembers craft something truly special. Service is thoughtful and casually personal, with crewmembers remembering names and preferences. The genuine care and thought put in by each crewmember is what keeps Holland America’s loyal passengers coming back – and it’s exactly that atmosphere that keeps crews coming back year after year, too.

The world’s largest cruise line, Carnival boasts 23 ships that are favorites among those looking for less expensive fun on the sea. Although they’re known best for their Caribbean itineraries—good for a quick weekend getaway—Carnival also sails to many other destinations, including Europe, Mexico and Hawaii. Gone are the days when a Pride Month advertisement and sparsely attended LGBTQ+ gathering were the norm. Virgin Voyages has blasted away the competition by providing a naturally inclusive cruise where LGBTQ+ people are visible from the moment you board. You'll find the latter openly dancing on dance floors, kissing and hugging in bars, and holding hands over dinner. Virgin perfected onboard entertainment in 2023, introducing fresh, eye-popping shows like Lola's Library and Persephone.

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