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The best cruise lines in the world: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards

These are the best cruise lines in the world – as voted for by you
Viking River Cruises
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The survey for the 2024 Readers' Choice Awards is open, vote now for your favourite places, hotels, airports, cruise lines, travel fixers and more.

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.

These are the best cruise lines in the world, according to the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards.

  • Viking River Cruises

    The best cruise lines in the world 2023

    Mega ships (More than 4,000 passengers)

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

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

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

    Medium ships (500 to 2,500 passengers)

    15. Carnival Cruise Line. Score 80.56
    14. P&O Cruises. Score 83.29
    13. Princess Cruises. Score 84.84
    12. Marella Cruises. Score 85.60
    11. Hurtigruten. Score 86.23
    10. Cunard. Score 86.33
    9. Holland America Line. Score 86.42
    8. Celebrity Cruises. Score 86.68
    7. Azamara. Score 87.50
    6. Silversea Cruises. Score 87.74
    5. Oceania Cruises. Score 87.99
    4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Score 91.07
    3. Seabourn. Score 91.67
    2. Disney Cruise Line. Score 92.92
    1. Viking. Score 94.98

    Small ships (Fewer than 500 passengers)

    10. Variety Cruises. Score 86.75
    9. SeaDream Yacht Club. Score 89.66
    8. Silversea. Score 89.93
    7. Seabourn. Score 91.34
    6. Ponant. Score 91.45
    5. Windstar Cruises. Score 91.87
    4. Sea Cloud Cruises. Score 91.94
    3. American Cruise Lines. Score 92.88
    2. Paul Gauguin Cruises. Score 92.94
    1. Emerald Cruises. Score 95.27

    River

    10. AmaWaterways. Score 93.09
    9. Sanctuary Retreats. Score 93.14
    8. Uniworld River Cruises. Score 93.24
    7. Pandaw. Score 95.28
    6. Grand Circle Cruise Line. Score 95.69
    5. Les Bateaux Belmond. Score 95.90
    4. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. Score 95.91
    3. Tauck. Score 96.14
    2. American Cruise Lines. Score 96.66
    1. Viking. Score 97.32

    Expedition ships

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

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