Tuesday, April 2, 2024

The 11 Best Luxury Cruise Lines, According to T+L's Experts

high rated cruise lines

The publication evaluated 17 cruise lines through a combination of expert evaluations (30%), traveler reviews (50%) and health ratings published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (20%). Complementing the itinerary will be gourmet Pacific Northwest cuisine and more than 40 regional wines curated by an onboard culinary team.

Best cruise ships and cruise lines of 2023, according to readers

For instance, SeaDream's intimate yachts can stealthily visit ports that large ships can't manage. Regent Seven Seas packs all-inclusive gourmet dining and suites into their luxury offerings. While Scenic Eclipse makes adventurous expedition sailing a posh white-gloved affair. To help you navigate the waters of luxury cruises (and to help you find the best pampering cruise ship), check out the seven best luxury cruises sailing right now. The line's ships are sleek and modern, and sail to some of the world's most interesting ports of call.

high rated cruise lines

The best cruises of 2022, according to U.S. News & World Report

Before the pandemic, about 10% of people that had never cruised said they "never" would. According to the survey, this number rose to 17% in June 2021, but fell to 14% by August. Pre-pandemic, 62% of people who had never cruised indicated they wanted to try it.

These Are the Best Cruises of 2024, According to T+L's Expert

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. Oceania Cruises has just seven ships, but the debut of the brand-new Oceania Vista catapults this cruise line into the luxury division. The cruise line's relatively new Go Local shore excursions for small groups bring travelers to under-the-radar destinations, T+L contributing editor and long-time cruiser Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon reported recently.

River Awards

In fact, Silversea's butlers take white-glove service to a whole new level — they'll handle your laundry with more care than you do, scour port towns to find your favorite tastes of home, and even help you pack and unpack your suitcase. Further, Silversea's new culinary program, nicknamed S.A.L.T. (for Sea and Land Taste), brings the taste of destinations on board through cooking classes. Of course, there's no need to cook for yourself aboard a Silversea ship, as each one features several restaurants with multi-course menus to whet your appetite every night. Carnival Cruise Line caters to families and casual cruisers with its fleet of ships. Sky Princess carries up to 3,660 passengers on itineraries around Europe and the Caribbean.

How travelers can use the list

Cruise Critic is an online cruise community with more than 650,000 ship reviews of 700 ships from experts and cruise aficionados. For the best in-suite views, book a room at the back of the ship, Kelly Cochrane, executive chef of Regent Seven Seas Cruises tells T+L. Meena Thiruvengadam is a lifelong traveler and veteran journalist who has visited more than 50 countries across six continents. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Departures, TripSavvy, and other publications. These are the best cruise lines in the world, according to the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards.

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It's a self-contained cooking school at sea that offers hands-on experience at 12 individual cooking stations (two people per station). Classes focusing on a variety of topics do incur an extra fee, but get rave reviews from past participants. Impressively, all the top lines that readers chose as the best cruise lines for large ships are WBA Hall of Fame honorees. Read on to find out why Disney Cruise Line is the crème de la crème. Holland America Line, celebrating 75 years in Alaska in 2022, is in the No. 4 spot. "Food is excellent, crew is friendly and attentive; and cabins are large compared to other cruise lines," one voter wrote.

The Best Cruise Lines for Every Traveler: Couples, Families, Luxury, Budget - Business Insider

The Best Cruise Lines for Every Traveler: Couples, Families, Luxury, Budget.

Posted: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Viking Cruises

Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in six categories, including river cruising. French luxury cruise line Ponant aims to make passengers feel as if they're traveling on their own private yachts. Guests enjoy Ladurée macarons, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and luxurious Hermès bath products on board.

Cruises

"T+L readers rave about the consistency of Viking's vessels and their Scandinavian design," cruise expert Fran Golden reported when Viking once again topped T+L's World's Best Awards last year. Viking came in at No. 1 in T+L's best mid-size ship category and river cruise category. Golden said the WBA Hall of Fame honoree's 50 river "longships" are "light-filled floating boutique hotels."

Chefs spend the day preparing for this pull-out-all-the-stops event at which they serve roast suckling pig, carved meats, pasta, salads and an array of mouth-watering desserts. Beautiful interiors and intuitive spaces that are designed for the way people want to gather and relax are hallmarks of Seabourn Ovation's indoor and outdoor public areas, which were created by renowned designer Adam D. Tihany. All 300 suites have balconies that are perfect for enjoying breakfast, drinks or dinner alfresco.

Disney dominates the family cruise category, as it has every year since U.S. To qualify for this category, at least 62% of a cruise line's online traveler reviews must be made by couples. Viking dominates this category due to its "adult-focused environment and luxurious and romantic amenities, such as fireplaces in each ship's common area and private verandas in every stateroom," according to a U.S. Viking, a cruise line based in Basel, Switzerland, is no stranger to accolades. News' luxury list last year too — despite Chairman Torstein Hagen indicating he isn't a fan of the word. On the Pacific end of your voyage, you'll visit Astoria, Oregon — the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.

The luxury cruise line operates river cruises in Europe and Asia, while ocean cruises on Scenic Eclipse (and the forthcoming Scenic Eclipse II) can take guests to Antarctica, the Arctic, Australia, South America, and Greenland, among other coveted destinations. On board, you'll find fine dining, expansive spas and fitness facilities, and butler service. Viking Cruises is a river and ocean cruise line that recently added expedition sailings and the Great Lakes trips to its repertoire.

This decadent spread includes a Champagne toast and buffet loaded with caviar and other snacks, all to be enjoyed during a shoreside beach barbecue. The first thing you notice about Viking Venus is its open, airy feel and the care put into the design of every space onboard. All accommodations include a veranda, and even the tightest quarters -- the Deluxe Veranda and the Veranda categories -- are comfortably sized at 270 square feet. Larger accommodations include the Penthouse Veranda at 338 square feet, the 405-square-foot Penthouse Junior Suite and the Explorer Suite, which spans 757 to 1,163 square feet, including balcony. Thoughtful touches in all cabins include bedside USB ports, quiet-closing drawers, heated bathroom floors and anti-fog mirrors. Foodies might also wish to pay a visit to the well-equipped Culinary Center onboard Oceania Riviera (as well as on twin sister ship Oceania Marina).

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. Both ships are intimate with a capacity of 100 passengers in 50 staterooms. The line was recognized for offering for Best Value for the Money. The line’s newest ship, Silver Nova, which holds 728 passengers was ranked as the Best New Luxury Ship. This environmentally-friendly ship, which began its inaugural cruise in August, 2023 is the industry’s first hybrid luxury cruise ship.

Cruises are booming right now, buoyed partly by the popularity of domestic seacations that hauled in first-time sailors. So much so that Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 34,000-mile world trip for 2024 sold out in just over two hours, while the adults-only Virgin Voyages, which aims to throw cruise stereotypes overboard, rose to first place in Large Ships. And we’ve brought back last year's new category showcasing the expedition cruises – small, often sustainable vessels with a shoal of scientific experts onboard – that follow in the wake of adventurers such as Sir Ernest Shackleton. Over two weeks, you'll visit Native American burial grounds and archeological sites in West Virginia and learn about the underground railroad in Ohio. You can taste bourbon and explore the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory or the Kentucky Derby Museum & Horse Park in Louisville. Take time to appreciate American artistry at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.

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