USA TODAY 10Best
10 best boutique cruise lines in the world
Best Boutique Cruise Line (2023)
Boutique cruise lines take your vacation to the next level with luxurious perks like small ships, enticing passenger-to-staff ratios, unique onboard activities, and excursions you won't find on bigger ships. To find the best of the best, a panel of cruise experts and 10Best editors made their nominations, then readers voted for their favorites. Here are the 10 best boutique cruise lines for 2023.
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Scenic
- Viking Ocean Cruises
- Emerald Cruises
- Celestyal Cruises
- Quark Expeditions
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- American Cruise Lines
- Star Clippers
- SeaDream Yacht Club
Photo courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises
No. 10:
Guests aboard the six Regent Seven Seas vessels enjoy all-suite staterooms, nearly all of them outfitted with private balconies. Inclusions like unlimited shore excursions, specialty restaurants, unlimited wine and spirits, pre-paid gratuities, Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service mean there aren’t any surprises on the final bill. A staff-to-guest ratio of 1-to-1.5 means each guest receives stellar service. Regent Seven Seas sails to more than 450 ports around the world.
Photo courtesy of Scenic Cruises
No. 9:
Australian-based tour company Scenic began offering all-inclusive European and Asian river cruises aboard its fleet of Space-ships in 2008. Each vessel has two decks of private balcony cabins – and at the touch of a button, the balconies close up for all-weather use. All passengers enjoy butler service, and guests choose from a range of sightseeing experiences and excursions instead of being tied down to a single group tour.
Photo courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises
No. 8:
Viking Cruises earned its reputation through its affordable, destination-focused river cruises. After making a grand entrance into the world of ocean cruising, the line now has 10 ocean vessels. All cabins come with balconies and are notably larger than the industry average, and while the ships lack a casino and kids club, they offer the same destination-intensive programming that made their river cruises so popular.
Photo courtesy of 4FR // Getty Images
No. 7:
Traversing European rivers since 2014, Emerald also sails on the Mekong in Southeast Asia and traverses the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Caribbean seas. The line offers a good value (all gratuities are included), as well as special interest journeys for culture vultures, wine lovers, art connoisseurs. While the river fleet is comfortable and more casual, Emerald's yacht cruises are luxe with five-star food and spacious accommodations.
Photo courtesy of valentinrussanov // Getty Images
No. 6:
Celestyal Cruises has been providing epic Greek and eastern Mediterranean adventures since the 1980s, offering solid itineraries and interesting shore excursions. Guests can count on an all-inclusive experience steeped in Greek culture, more time to enjoy distinctive ports like Santorini and Mykonos, and usually a stop in another country such as Turkey, Israel or Egypt depending upon your chosen itinerary.
Photo courtesy of David Merron, Quark Expeditions
No. 5:
Quark Expeditions has been taking adventure travelers to the polar regions since 1991 and continues to operate the largest and most advanced fleet of adventure ships there. Each ship facilitates experiences like sea kayaking, camping, cross-country skiing and mountaineering in some of the planet's most stunning landscapes.
Photo courtesy of Seabourn
No. 4:
Seabourn’s fleet of all-suite, low-capacity ships carry a maximum of 600 guests each, allowing them to sail to some of the world’s most desirable destinations. Passengers enjoy a nearly 1-to-1 ratio with crew and one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the industry. Each of the luxury ships offers complimentary water sports, open bars serving wine, champagne and spirits, and world-class cuisine.
Photo courtesy of American Cruise Lines
No. 3:
Passengers with American Cruise Lines enjoy the most environmentally-friendly small ship vessels in the United States as they journey along the mighty Mississippi, through New England, to the wilds of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest or along the Intracoastal Waterway and Chesapeake Bay. Onboard experts offer lectures, and meals are crafted from locally sourced ingredients to support the communities visited.
Photo courtesy of Star Clippers
No. 2:
Cruisers with Star Clippers get to sail on three of the largest full-rigged sailing ships in the world: Star Clipper, Star Flyer and Royal Clipper. Passengers aboard these four- and five-masted ships have complimentary access to sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and other water sports, as well as fitness classes, shore excursions and a variety of daily activities. The views from lookout stations positioned 60 feet above the deck on each mast can’t be beat.
Photo courtesy of SeaDream Yacht Club
No. 1:
Passengers aboard SeaDream Yacht Club’s twin mega-yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, have the opportunity to visit small ports around the world on 7- to 15-day itineraries. With a 95-person crew and a maximum of 112 guests, each passenger receives personalized service. Also included in every SeaDream experience is complimentary access to wave runners, Hobie cats, kayaks, snorkeling gear and other water sports equipment. A golf simulator lets players practice their swing at sea.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized... Read More
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert... Read More
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 140 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents' shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes "he said, she said" cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 140 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents' shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes "he said, she said" cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been... Read More
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards... Read More
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
