World's Top 50 Best and Most Luxurious Cruise Lines

"Sunsets are always better on a cruise." - Anonymous.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain.

A CRUISE LINE is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager.

Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines, while others were founded from the 1960s on specifically for cruising. The business is extremely volatile; the ships are massive capital expenditures with very high operating costs, and a slight dip in bookings can easily put a company out of business. Cruise lines frequently sell, renovate, or simply rename their ships just to keep up with travel trends.

A wave of failures and consolidation in the 1990s has led to many lines existing only as "brands" within larger corporations, much as a single automobile company produces several makes of cars. Brands exist partly because of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service. For instance, Carnival Corporation owns both Carnival Cruise Lines, whose former image were vessels that had a reputation as "party ships" for younger travellers, but have become large, modern, and extremely elegant, yet still profitable, and Holland America Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance.

Currently the five largest cruise line operators in the world are Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Star Cruises, MSC Cruises and Louis Cruises.

Cruise Line News, Reviews & Resources

• 1st round-the-world passenger cruise took place 100 years ago. Here’s what it was like on board - "On March 30, 1923, exactly 100 years ago, the world’s first continuous passenger cruise ship arrived back in New York City after completing a 130-day voyage. This six-month trip was the first of its kind, paving the way for the world cruises of today, taking in destinations including Japan, Singapore, Egypt and India and traversing the Suez and Panama Canals. The voyage took place aboard the SS Laconia, a Cunard passenger liner chartered by the American Express Company for the occasion."
• 7 Safety Tips for Your Cruise Vacation - The New York Times.
• 10 lessons for skeptical first-time cruisers - CNN travel.
• 10 things I wish I knew before going on my first cruise - The Telegraph.
• 20 cruises to the world's most beautiful gardens - The Telegraph.
• 2,000 People Are Stranded on a U.S. Cruise Ship After 4 Countries Reject Entry Over Coronavirus Fears - "Roughly 2,000 passengers and crew aboard the Holland America Line Westerdam are stranded on the open seas. Fears of the novel coronavirus (now officially known as COVID-19) has prompted four different nations and the U.S. territory of Guam to deny them entry despite no one on board being diagnosed with the illness that has caused global panic."
• 2018 unbelievable cruise ships setting sail - The Telegraph.
• 2020 List Of The World’s Best Cruises Is Out Now - "U.S. News & World Report has released its annual list of the world’s best cruises. The report evaluated 176 ships in 17 of the top cruise lines to determine the rankings in six categories including best cruise lines for the money and best luxury cruise lines."
• Around the world in 245 days - at just £67k for cruise of a lifetime - "You’ll get to visit six continents and 51 countries (if you don’t mind ballooning your carbon footprint)."
• Avoid cruises even if vaccinated, CDC tells Americans - "It has elevated its travel warning for cruise ships from level three to four - the agency's highest. The CDC is currently monitoring over 90 cruise ships for Covid-19."
• Blue Riband - unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest speed.
• Carnival to resume cruises in August despite infections and deaths on ships - "Eight cruise ships to resume operations from 1 August, sailing from Texas and Florida."
• Carnival to sell six cruise ships as bookings dry up - "Holiday company loses $4.4bn in three months during coronavirus crisis."
• Coronavirus journey: The 'last cruise ship on Earth' finally comes home - "The three last cruise ships still sailing will dock today. One of them has had an odyssey like no other."
• Cruise Critic - "Cruise Critic Message Board Forums."
• Cruise line - Wikipedia.
• Cruise ship visits restricted to less than eight months - "As part of Monaco’s new policy on cruise ships, the embargo on visits has been extended to more than four months, from mid-November until the end of March. Previously, it was only in January and February that cruise ship visits were banned. In 2019, there were 165 port calls by cruise ships, and this is expected to fall to 137 this year."
• Cruise ships & COVID-19 - "Giant ships beached at scrapyard in Turkey, set to be broken up."
• CRUISING - Wikipedia.
• CRUISING HOLIDAYS - "Search thousands of cruises here."
• Cruising was a Covid disaster. Now it claims to be the 'safest vacation available' - "The world's cruise ships were once titans of the oceans, raking in billions in profit as their city-sized passenger populations traveled across the globe. There's a lot riding on cruise ships remaining virus-free, navigating the red tape, restoring their reputation and returning safely to the seas."
• Disney Announces Luxury Arctic Cruises To Svalbard In 2023 - "Tickets will shortly go on sale for two new Adventures by Disney cruises to Svalbard in 2023. Named the Arctic Expedition Cruise, the 10-day trip explores the western coastline of Spitsbergen, the largest island in this remote Arctic archipelago that polar bears call home. The two new itineraries in June and July 2023 are the latest family-focused expedition cruises offered by Disney, which already includes destinations like Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands."
• Empty Ghost Cruise Ships Become The Attraction In The English Channel - "As the cruise industry has come to a standstill, many cruise ships are being moored outside of ports and harbors around the world. Ironically, it is now the boats themselves that are becoming the tourist attractions, especially off the south coast of England."
• Feeding the largest cruise ships in the world - CNN travel.
• Global cruises are still on hold because of Covid-19. In the Mediterranean, they're back - "On August 16, one of the most common sights on the Mediterranean Sea will return once again: cruise ships."
• He bought a cruise ship on Craigslist. Here's what happened next - " It's not every day that you spot a cruise ship for sale on Craigslist. So Chris Willson was immediately intrigued when he stumbled across a 293-foot vessel listed on the classified advertisements website back in 2008. The retired 'pocket' cruise ship, built in Germany, was moored in the California Delta at the time, and its then owner was keen to offload it. He discovered that it was constructed by the Blohm+Voss shipyard in 1955, and had been the first significant passenger liner built by Germany after World War II."
• How Omicron is hitting cruise ships - "What it's like to cruise during Omicron."
• How to become a cruise ship captain - "It's a job unlike any other. Leadership skills are a must, as is being able to handle a crisis. Then there's understanding the oceans - the complex world of currents, tides and winds. Maritime engineering knowledge is a plus. As is the ability to command the logistical demands of a small city. At sea."
• Huge cruise ships, huge problems in Venice - "The truth about cruise ships in Venice."
• Is the cruise industry finally out of its depth? - "Accidents, pollution, exploitation... cruise firms were in murky waters even before Covid-19."
• Is the cruise industry responsible for overtourism? - CNN travel.
• Italy bans cruise ships from Venice lagoon after Unesco threat - "Spurred to act quickly after Unesco threatened to put Venice on its endangered list unless Italy permanently banned cruise ships from docking in the world heritage site, the government said on Tuesday that vessels weighing more than 25,000 tonnes would be barred from the lagoon from 1 August."
• Luxury cruise liners find a new winter home - "Miami of the Middle East? Dubai's pitch to winter cruisers."
• Meet the people who want to spend the rest of their lives on cruise ships - "Considering retiring on a cruise ship? You're not alone. Deciding to retire or work aboard a cruise ship is rare overall, but not new."
• Monsters or a must? Venice tussles with return of cruise ships - "The arrival of the MSC Orchestra has rekindled tensions over the pros and cons of the giant vessels."
• Monte-Carlo Diary: The menace of cruise ships - "Cruise ships are tolerated in Monaco because of the sizeable port fees they pay and also because their passengers help keep open a small number of not very good restaurants on the Rock."
• most expensive cruise ships of all time - The Telegraph.
• Most popular cruise destinations - "Cruise Critic's most popular cruise ship destinations for 2018."
• Nomad cruise - "All-inclusive Digital Nomad Conference on Cruise Ship." The world's first floating Digital Nomad Conference. Join 250+ digital nomads, entrepreneurs, remote workers and enjoy journey of a lifetime on all-inclusive-cruise across the Atlantic.
• ‘Not the cruise I signed up for’: 30-fold increase in Covid cases upends industry - "The surge has led to passengers stranded on ships, staff shortages and tour cancelations in addition to ports turning ships away."
• Picture essay 'Overtourism’ & the curse of the cruise ships - "In Kotor and Dubrovnik large cruise ships dock regularly throughout the season, depositing thousands of people each day into the tourist hotspots and putting intense pressure on the historic ports."
• Pirates, pollution & secret codes: 12 things you didn't know about cruise holidays - The Telegraph.
• POSH - 'Port out, starboard home'. Printed on tickets of passengers on P&O (Peninsula and Orient) passenger vessels that travelled between UK and India in the days of the Raj.
• Quarantined cruise ship employee creates incredible outfits out of paper bags - "Australian dancer Ashleigh Perrie was thrilled to start working on board the MS Zaandam. The cruise ship was due to travel through Antarctica -- past penguins and sea lions -- and onward to South America, while Perrie spent her days doing what she loved: performing."
• Regent Seven Seas 2025 World Cruise To Stop In 97 Ports, Here’s How Much It Will Cost - "Here’s your chance to see the entire world! You just have to be willing to spend about 5 months on a cruise ship and fork over some serious money."
• SHIP PARADE - "The online magazine dedicated to cuise ships."
• Ritz-Carlton's $6,400-a-week luxury superyacht cruise has finally set sail - "Ritz-Carlton's highly-anticipated superyacht cruise has finally made its debut, three and a half years after its maiden voyage was originally scheduled to begin. Evrima, the first of three custom-built yachts from the famous hotel chain's Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, began a seven-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Nice, France on October 15. The 190-meter vessel, which can accommodate 298 passengers, is made up of 149 suites with a private terrace, as well as floor to ceiling windows, and features an infinity pool, a wine vault, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a nightclub and its very own 'marina.'"
• Singapore 'cruise to nowhere' ends after passenger tests positive - "A Royal Caribbean ship has returned to Singapore on day three of a four-day 'cruise to nowhere' after a passenger tested positive for Covid-19."
• SS United States: The mighty ship that broke all the records -- then was left to rust - "The SS United States held -- and, incredibly, still holds today -- the fastest transatlantic speed record for a liner, and possessed a secret double identity. Two-thirds of its $78 million construction costs had been subsidized by the US government so that the liner could be requisitioned by the military and converted to a troop transport ship with the capacity to carry 14,000 soldiers."
• Taller than Nelson's Column & longer than three football fields - so how do cruise ships even stay afloat?
• Tens of thousands of people are still stuck on cruise ships, some without an end in sight - "Cruise passengers have gone home, but the crews that looked after them are still stuck at sea."
• The curious art of launching a cruise ship - The Telegraph.
• The end of the line for cruise ships - "What happens when cruise ships retire. Hundreds of cruise ships usually traverse the world's waters, but right now - with the cruise industry on an indefinite hold due to the coronavirus pandemic - they're mostly laid up at sea with no passengers."
• The first Orient Express cruise ship will set sail in 2026 - "Orient Express Silenseas: The Legendary Train Heads Out to Sea as the World’s Largest Sailing Ship Is Unveiled."
• The gigantic boat that can carry cruise ships - "Constructed in 2012, the 275-meter-long Boka Vanguard is the largest ship of its kind. Typically it transports large offshore oil and gas structures, but occasionally it will be called on to to carry other vessels - such as happened with the Carnival Vista back before the pandemic."
• The grandest ship in history joins the LEGO family as LEGO Titanic is unveiled - "Billund, 7 October, 2021: The LEGO Group has revealed an authentic replica of the most famous ship of all time, the RMS Titanic. For the first time, fans can now recreate the luxury liner in detailed LEGO® brick form, 110 years since it was launched in Belfast in 1911. The LEGO Titanic is one of the longest and largest LEGO models to date, made up of 9,090 pieces, making it a truly immersive building challenge for LEGO fans and budding historians alike." Price: US$629.99.
• 'The Love Boat': How a TV show transformed the cruise industry - "From steam-powered ships, to mega-liners, the cruise industry has been through quite a transformation over the years. And the market has skyrocketed."
• This Cruise Ship Has the Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in the World - "Cornonavirus cases onboard the Diamond Princess now account for more than one third of all those detected outside mainland China."
• This Man Has Been Living On Cruise Ships for Twenty Years - "Mario Salcedo took his first cruise almost twenty years ago - and never stopped."
• Titanic: First ever full-sized scans reveal wreck as never seen before - "The first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, has been created using deep-sea mapping. It provides a unique 3D view of the entire ship, enabling it to be seen as if the water has been drained away. The hope is that this will shed new light on exactly what happened to the liner, which sank in 1912."
• Titanic for tourists: London tour company booking trips to explore the world's most famous shipwreck - The Telegraph.
• Travelers set sail on 'cruise to nowhere' - "What it's like to sail on a 'cruise to nowhere'."
• Ultimate world cruise - "World's longest cruise sets sail from London. Viking Cruises has just launched its "Ultimate World Cruise," a 245-day luxury journey aimed at setting the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous passenger cruise. The 930-guest Viking Sun set sail from London's Greenwich Pier on August 31, 2019."
• Venice asks other ports to help find solution to cruise ship problems - "Italian city’s port authority asks eight other port cities to ‘join forces’ to combat problem."
• Virgin reveals adults-only cruise ship - "Scarlet Lady: Cruise like a rock star aboard Virgin Voyages' first ship."
• What Food You Should NEVER Buy on a Cruise - and What You Should Splurge On - TIME Magazine.
• What it's like aboard Virgin's adults-only cruise ship - "When you step into the Scarlet Lady cruise ship, you know immediately you're on Richard Branson's ship. Richard Branson hates cruise ships, so why'd he build one?"
• What you didn't know about the golden age of the ocean liner - The Telegraph.
• Why A Private Equity Firm Backed By Bernard Arnault Is Putting $400 Million Into Norwegian Cruise Line - Forbes.
• Why Do Cruise Lines Keep Cutting Their Ships in Half? - TIME Magazine.
• why dozens of cruise ships ended up stranded in Manila Bay - "Thousands of Filipino and international crew members are stuck as they await results of Covid-19 tests."
• Why I’m selling my possessions to live on a cruise ship - "She signed up to live on a cruise ship for three years. Here’s why. When Sharon Lane heard about a cruise company offering a three-year-long voyage around the world, she immediately started fantasizing about life on board. Life at Sea Cruises is selling places on board the MV Gemini, which sets sail from Istanbul on November 1 on an epic global journey that will take in most of the planet’s prime cruising destinations."
• Wild new cruise ship to feature several world firsts - "New cruise ship to feature world's first free-fall dry slide at sea and a three-level racetrack. Due to set sail in August 2022, Norwegian Prima has become the cruise line's most in-demand ship ever, says the brand, attracting record bookings when it launched in May. And that was before cruisers even had a chance to see its offerings."
• World’s Largest Cruise Ship Will Set Sail In 2024 - "That’s certainly been the mantra for Miami based cruise line Royal Caribbean, who just announced their largest ship Icon of the Seas will officially enter service in 2024. At maximum capacity, Icon will be capable of hosting 7,600 passengers on its inaugural sail on January 28, 2024."
• world's most challenging cruise ship routes - "Navigating a colossal ship is no mean feat under any conditions, but certain routes, like the sandstorm-prone, narrow Suez Canal - infamously blocked by a container ship last year - or the windy, glacier-lined waterways of Alaska, are particularly challenging."
• World's most luxurious cruise? - "Japan's 38-guest luxury floating hotel."
• World's most luxurious cruise ship? - "Crystal Symphony voyage is a decidedly grownup affair."
• world's most over-the-top cruise ship cabins - "What's it like sailing the seas at the very height of luxury? The most lavish suites on cruise ships fuse the best cutting-edge technology with the timeless luxury of 24-hour butler service, catering to your every whim. The world's most incredible floating accommodations all have one thing in common: stunning views. Behold the wonder of glaciers and fjords or a chance encounter with dolphins and whales as you float by in the privacy of your own expansive terrace."
• You can now live on a cruise ship for $30,000 per year - "Have you ever dreamed of giving it all up, leaving it all behind and hitting the road to escape all your responsibilities? Life at Sea Cruises has opened bookings for its three-year voyage on the MV Gemini, which sets sail from Istanbul on November 1, 2023. You have eight months to get your passport, vaccinations and remote working abilities in order. The company is promising to tick off 375 ports around the world, visiting 135 countries and all seven continents. The ship will cover more than 130,000 miles over the three years, taking in iconic sights from Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue and India’s Taj Mahal, to Mexico’s Chichen Itza, the pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China. It even slots in trips to 103 'tropical islands.' Of those 375 ports, 208 will be overnight stops, giving you extra time in the destination."

Top 50 Best & Most Luxurious Cruise Lines

• AIDA Cruises - since 1960.
• AUSSIE CRUISING - "Australia ruises and World Cruising."
• Azamara Club Cruises - since 2007. "You'll love where we take you." Luxury cruise vacations.
• CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES - since 1972. "Cruise Deals: Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Mexico."
• CDF CroisiÈres de France - since 2007. Catering to the French cruise market, with French as the primary language used on board. The line offers cruises to the Mediterranean operating from mid-March until November.
• CELEBRITY CRUISES - since 1988. "Celebrity Cruises is consistently voted among the top cruise lines in the world. And we didn't get there by luck."
• CLEAN CRUISING - "Australia's Award-Winning Site for Cruises Worldwide."
• COMPAGNIE DU PONANT YACHT CRUISES - "Spirit of yacht cruising." For over 20 years now, Compagnie du Ponant has embodied the art of Yacht Cruises, combining a sophisticated à la française lifestyle on board with exploration and discovery.
• COSTA CRUISES - "All Inclusive Cruise Holiday."
• CRUISES INC. - "Your cruise vacation specialists."
• CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION - "Cruising. It's all about you."
• Crystal Cruises - since 1988. "All Inclusive Luxury Cruises."
• CUNARD LINE - founded in 1840. "The most famous ocean liners in the world. Enjoy worldwide cruise vacations and luxury cruises."
• Disney Cruise Line - since 1996. "Vacations with unique cruise activities for children, families and adults to destinations across the globe."
• Fred Olsen Cruise Lines - since 1848. "Cruise from the UK for Holidays to Europe and the World."
• French Line - since 1861. In 1977, the company merged with the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes to form the Compagnie Générale Maritime.
• Hamburg America Line - founded in 1847. On September 1, 1970, after 123 years of independent existence, HAPAG merged with the Bremen-based North German Lloyd to form Hapag-Lloyd AG.
• Hapag-Lloyd cruises - since 1970. "Great Moments. Truly Exclusive."
• Hebridean Islands Cruises - "Luxury, small ship cruising as individual as you..."
• HOLLAND AMERICA LINE - since 1873. "A Signature of Excellence." Cruises to Alaska, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and the world.
• Louis Cruises - cruises from Athens and Istanbul, to Greek Islands and Turkey.
• Mediterranean Shipping Cruises - MSC Cruises. Cruise to Mediterranean Italy, Greece, Spain, France.
• MSC CRUISES - since 1987. "Cruise to your preferred destinations with Italian Style."
• Nomade Yachting by Bora Bora Cruises - "Escape in style for a World of sensuality." Polynesian tropical paradise cruise in Bora Bora.
• Norddeutscher Lloyd - founded in 1857. On September 1, 1970, the company merged with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) to form Hapag-Lloyd AG.
• North Star Cruises Australia - "Luxury Adventure Cruises."
• NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE - since 1966. "Norwegian invites guests to 'Cruise Like a Norwegian' on one of 12 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships."
• NYK Cruises - luxury cruises.
• OCEANIA CRUISES - since 2002. "Your World. Your Way." Operates five premium luxury cruise ships on world-wide itineraries.
• Ocean Village cruises - "Second to none."
• 
• ORIENT EXPRESS SILENSEAS - "The legendary train heads out to sea as the world's largest sailing ship is unveiled. 140 years after the launch of its first luxury trains, the Orient Express legend continues with the unveiling of the world’s largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas. This revolution in maritime history is an ambitious undertaking that pushes the limits of what is possible. The result of a unique French partnership between world leader in hospitality Accor and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a globally leading shipbuilding company, this extraordinary sailing yacht of the future with spectacular interiors will set sail in 2026."
• ORIENT LINES - "The Destination Cruise Specialists."
• P&O CRUISES - since 1837. "Discover a different world..."
• P&O CRUISES Australia
• PAUL GAUGUIN CRUISES - since 1998. "The Gauguin is the longest continually operating year-round luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific."
• Peter Deilmann Cruises - German cruise company which has offered river cruises throughout Europe and several ocean cruises.
• PRINCESS CRUISES - since 1965. "Escape completely."
• Pullmantur Cruises
• Red Star Line - founded in 1871. The company operated until 1935 when, due to the economic depression they ceased trading and its assets were eventually sold to the Holland-America Line.
• REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES - since 1990. "All Inclusive Luxury Cruises To Over 300 Ports World-Wide."
• Royal Caribbean International - since 1969. All ships under the Royal Caribbean International brand have had names ending in "of the Seas" since 1991.
• Saga CRUISES - since 1996. "Ocean Cruises."
• Seabourn Cruise Line - since 1986. "The world's best small-ship cruise line." Intimate luxury. Luxury cruises.
• SeaDream Yacht Club - since 2002. "It's yachting, not cruising." Enjoy the difference. SeaDream Yacht Club is different from big ship cruising. Our philosophy of casual perfection runs through everything we do. With only 56 couples being pampered by an award-winning crew of 95, the level of attention and service we pay to each of our guests makes yachting aboard either one of our mega-yachts SeaDream.
• SILVERSEA CRUISES - since 1994. "All Inclusive Luxury Cruises." Luxury cruise line that operates six luxury, all-suite cruise ships that sail itineraries all around the world throughout the year. Offers its guests with Personalized Voyages, a cruise industry first.
• STAR CLIPPERS - since 1992. "Sailing Tall Ship Cruises."
• Star Cruises - since 1993. "The leading Cruise Line in Asia-Pacific."
• The American Queen Steamboat Company - since 1995. American Queen is said to be the largest river steamboat ever built. Mississippi River cruises.
• The World - since 2002. "Residences at Sea." Private residential cruise ship serving as a residential community owned by its residents.
• True North - "Luxury Adventure Cruises."
• TUI Cruises - since 2007.
• Victoria Cruises - "The Majesty of the Yangtze." Since 1993, Victoria Cruises has been the leader in luxury river cruising. Based in New York, Victoria Cruises established new standards of excellence for sailing China’s Yangtze River when its first ship edged out of port in 1994. Victoria Cruises has a fleet of seven Five–Star Ultra–Luxury vessels (as designated by the China National Tourism Administration). Their ships are all newly built or structurally rebuilt, and all refurbished with a modern blend of European–Asian design. The architecture emphasizes spacious rooms with modern amenities including private balconies, bathtubs, and cable TV. All ships are fully equipped with wi–fi and international telecommunications systems.
• White Star Line - founded in 1845. In 1934 White Star merged with its chief rival, Cunard Line, which operated as Cunard-White Star Line until 1950. Cunard Line then operated as a separate entity until 2005 and is now part of Carnival Corporation & plc. As a lasting reminder of the White Star Line, modern Cunard ships use the term White Star Service to describe the level of customer care expected of the company.
• WONDERCRUISES - "There's so much to sea."