PAX PICK BEST CRUISE LINES, SHIPS AND DESTINATIONS

Noted OTA Cruiseline.com has announced the winners of its 2026 Member Choice Awards – honorifics that come from the most authentic experts – “real people” – who sailed and reviewed cruises between January and December 2025.

Now in its 11th year, the awards recognize top cruise lines, ships, and destinations with recognition based on reviews submitted to Cruiseline.com by its community members.

What sets the Cruiseline.com awards apart?

Because they are based on “verified reviews from community members – (and) that means genuine reviews by real people,” says the company. “These reviews cover every aspect of their cruise experience, from onboard dining to service, entertainment, and ports. Through a partnership with major cruise agencies, Cruiseline.com gathers real reviews from actual cruisers who have sailed on the ships they are reviewing.”

The list is designed to provide valuable insights into the performance of cruise lines and ships, while also recognizing the contributions of community members who shared their reviews over the past year.

U.S.-based Cruiseline.com boasts more than 220,000 verified reviews, with awards presented in the following categories: Overall Cruise Lines, Overall Cruise Ships, Best New Cruise Ships, Dining, Service, Staterooms, Activities/Entertainment, Top Cruise Ports, and Private Cruise Line Destinations.

And this year the competition among cruise lines, ships, and destinations was “more intense than ever this year,” reflecting the industry’s significant growth in 2025,” says Cruiseline, adding that the 2026 honour roll notably saw the debut of several new ships and enhancements to private-cruise-line destinations.

Drum roll, please:

Best Mainstream Cruise Line

  1. Royal Caribbean – 4.425
  2. Celebrity Cruises – 4.381
  3. Holland America Line – 4.324
  4. Disney Cruise Line – 4.323
  5. Virgin Voyages – 4.315

Best Premium Cruise Line

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises – 4.388
  2. Windstar Cruises – 4.381
  3. Azamara – 4.369
  4. Oceania Cruises – 4.200
  5. Cunard – 4.174

Best Luxury Cruise Line

  1. Crystal – 4.5401
  2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises – 4.484
  3. Silversea Cruises – 4.470
  4. Seabourn – 4.460
  5. Explora Journeys – 4.339

Best River Cruise Line

  1. AmaWaterways – 4.628
  2. Avalon Waterways – 4.613
  3. Uniworld River Cruises – 4.540
  4. Viking River Cruises – 4.510
  5. American Cruise Lines – 4.488

Best Cruise Line for Food and Dining

  1. Celebrity Cruises – 4.309
  2. Royal Caribbean – 4.294
  3. Viking River Cruises – 4.276
  4. Azamara Cruises – 4.248
  5. Viking Ocean Cruises – 4.246

Best Cruise Line for Staterooms

  1. Celebrity Cruises – 4.536
  2. Disney Cruise Line – 4.509
  3. Viking Ocean Cruises – 4.498
  4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises – 4.492
  5. Windstar Cruises – 4.491

Best Cruise Line for Service

  1. Royal Caribbean – 4.723
  2. Celebrity Cruises – 4.675
  3. Viking Ocean Cruises – 4.622
  4. Azamara Cruises – 4.620
  5. Virgin Voyages – 4.616

Best Cruise Line for Activities and Entertainment

  1. Royal Caribbean – 4.282
  2. Celebrity Cruises – 4.186
  3. Disney Cruise Line – 4.156
  4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises – 4.100
  5. AmaWaterways – 4.100

SHIP AWARDS

The 2026 winners of best overall cruise ships, new ship of the year, dining, onboard activities/entertainment, service, and staterooms are:

Best Overall Cruise Ship

  1. Utopia of the Seas – 4.591
  2. Wonder of the Seas – 4.502
  3. Star of the Seas – 4.486
  4. Oasis of the Seas – 4.461
  5. Mariner of the Seas – 4.454
  6. Symphony of the Seas – 4.453
  7. Icon of the Seas – 4.451
  8. Celebrity Ascent – 4.446
  9. Harmony of the Seas – 4.433
  10. Celebrity Silhouette – 4.420

Best New Cruise Ship of 2026

  1. Star of the Seas – 4.620
  2. Celebrity Xcel – 4.512
  3. Brilliant Lady – 4.473
  4. Viking Vesta – 4.459
  5. Star Princess – 4.456

Best Cruise Ship for Food and Dining

  1. Utopia of the Seas – 4.488
  2. Icon of the Seas – 4.423
  3. Celebrity Beyond – 4.383
  4. Star of the Seas – 4.354
  5. Mariner of the Seas – 4.344

Best Cruise Ship for Staterooms

  1. Utopia of the Seas – 4.654
  2. Symphony of the Seas – 4.628
  3. Odyssey of the Seas – 4.581
  4. Celebrity Ascent – 4.570
  5. Celebrity Beyond – 4.567

Best Cruise Ship for Service

  1. Utopia of the Seas – 4.793
  2. Enchantment of the Seas – 4.743
  3. Wonder of the Seas – 4.738
  4. Symphony of the Seas – 4.735
  5. Icon of the Seas – 4.734

Best Cruise Ship for Activities and Entertainment

  1. Icon of the Seas – 4.454
  2. Allure of the Seas – 4.384
  3. Freedom of the Seas – 4.382
  4. Carnival Freedom – 4.348
  5. Harmony of the Seas – 4.336

PORT AWARDS

The top-rated cruise ports and cruise line private destinations for 2026, as reviewed by our community, are:

Best Cruise Ports

  1. Skagway, Alaska – 4.520
  2. Juneau, Alaska – 4.501
  3. Willemstad, Curaçao – 4.482
  4. Oranjestad, Aruba – 4.458
  5. Barcelona, Spain – 4.457
  6. Philipsburg, St. Maarten – 4.4556
  7. Ketchikan, Alaska – 4.451
  8. Sitka, Alaska – 4.435
  9. Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda – 4.432
  10. Vancouver, British Columbia – 4.431

Best Cruise Line Private Destination

  1. Castaway Cay, Bahamas – 4.618
  2. Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas – 4.614
  3. Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas – 4.381
  4. The Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas – 4.302
  5. Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Bahamas- 4.242

If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.

Scroll to Top