Readers' Choice Awards

Top Cruise Lines: Readers’ Choice Awards 2023

Condé Nast Traveler readers rank the top cruise lines in the world, from mega ships to river cruises. View as a gallery here for more on your top winners.
View of the volcano near Santorini island Greece. Beautiful summer landscape sea view
Olga Gavrilova/Getty

Mega Ships (more than 4,000 passengers)

  1. Norwegian Cruise Line 86.72
  2. Royal Caribbean International 86.69
  3. Carnival Cruise Line 85.35
  4. MSC Cruises 83.42

Large Ships (2,500 to 4,000 passengers)

  1. Virgin Voyages 94.07
  2. Disney Cruise Line 92.21
  3. Cunard 89.55
  4. Princess Cruises 89.42
  5. Celebrity Cruises 88.57
  6. Costa Cruises 87.95
  7. Holland America Line 87.79
  8. Norwegian Cruise Line 86.41
  9. Royal Caribbean International 84.31
  10. MSC Cruises 83.77
  11. P&O Cruises 81.73
  12. Carnival Cruise Line 80.37

Medium Ships (500 to 2,500 passengers)

  1. Viking 94.98
  2. Disney Cruise Line 92.92
  3. Seabourn 91.67
  4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises 91.07
  5. Oceania Cruises 87.99
  6. Silversea  87.74
  7. Azamara 87.50
  8. Celebrity Cruises 86.68
  9. Holland America Line 86.42
  10. Cunard 86.33
  11. Hurtigruten 86.23
  12. Marella Cruises 85.60
  13. Princess Cruises 84.84
  14. P&O Cruises 83.29
  15. Carnival Cruise Line 80.56
  16. Norwegian Cruise Line 80.01
  17. Royal Caribbean International 79.51
  18. MSC Cruises 76.15
  19. Costa Cruises 72.18

Small Ships (fewer than 500 passengers)

  1. Emerald Cruises 95.27
  2. Paul Gaugin Cruises 92.94
  3. American Cruise Line 92.88
  4. Sea Cloud Cruises 91.94
  5. Windstar Cruises 91.87
  6. Ponant 91.45
  7. Seabourn 91.34
  8. Silversea 89.93
  9. SeaDream Yacht Club 89.66
  10. Variety Cruises 86.75
  11. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection 86.58
  12. Star Clippers 81.92
  13. Regent Seven Seas Cruises 76.15

River Ships

  1. Viking 97.32
  2. American Cruise Lines 96.66
  3. Tauck River Cruising 96.14
  4. Oberoi 95.91
  5. Les Bateaux Belmond 95.90
  6. Grand Circle Cruise Line 95.69
  7. Pandaw 95.28
  8. Uniworld River Cruises 93.24
  9. Sanctuary Retreats 93.14
  10. AMAWaterways 93.09
  11. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours 90.09
  12. Sonesta 89.57
  13. Avalon Waterways 88.09
  14. Emerald Cruises 86.54
  15. American Queen Voyages 81.89
  16. A-ROSA 73.03

Expedition Ships

  1. Viking 96.52
  2. UnCruise Adventures 96.41
  3. Aqua Expeditions 95.97
  4. Ecoventura 95.82
  5. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours 95.80
  6. Celebrity Cruises 95.38
  7. Quasar Expeditions 94.91
  8. Metropolitan Touring 94.71
  9. Seabourn 93.37
  10. Quark Expeditions 93.15
  11. Ponant 92.25
  12. Hurtigruten 91.87
  13. Silversea 91.81
  14. Lindblad Expeditions 91.23
  15. Alaskan Dream Cruises 80.77