Note from 10Best: Someday, we’ll all be ready to pack our suitcases again and head out on our next adventures. In the meantime, we’ll keep supporting the places that inspire us. Contact individual cruise lines for the latest updates.
Cruising is among the most popular ways to see the world. Unpack once and take in the sights of the world’s rivers and seas from your floating hotel.
More than 29 million people cruised in 2019, aboard more than 50 cruise lines sailing in all seven regions of the globe. More than a dozen new vessels are introduced each year, making the sheer variety of cruises overwhelming.
To help you narrow it down, we’ve asked a panel of cruise industry experts to nominate their favorite lines and ships across 11 categories. Help us name the best by voting for your favorites each day until voting closes on Monday, March 1 at noon ET. The winners will be announced on 10Best on Friday, March 12.
Click on each category below to vote:
Best Adventure Cruise Line
Adventure and expedition ships sail to the world’s remote regions — Photo courtesy of iStock / redtea
If you think cruising is all about lounging on the lido deck, piña colada in hand, think again. With these 20 cruise companies, nominated as the best in the industry by our panel of cruise experts, cruising becomes an adventure for active travelers.
Exploring a far-flung destination might involve kayaking through remote fjords, getting up close and personal with icebergs aboard a Zodiac or walking atop a glacier.
Vote: Best Adventure Cruise Line »
Best Boutique Cruise Line
These boutique lines elevate cruising to new levels of luxury — Photo courtesy of Paul Gauguin Cruises
Boutique cruise lines, like these 18 nominated as the best of the best by a panel of cruise experts, elevate your vacation experience with extras like small ships, attractive passenger-to-staff ratios, luxury amenities, unique on-board activities and excursions or all-inclusive fares. What’s your favorite boutique cruise line?
Vote: Best Boutique Cruise Line »
Best Cruise Ship for Dining
Cruise passengers have more choice than ever when it comes to food — Photo courtesy of iStock / Marina113
Gone are the days when fixed seating meals in a single dining room are your only option aboard cruise ships. Modern cruisers enjoy their choice of several restaurants (over two dozen aboard some of the bigger mega-ships), cooking classes, and creative menus and dishes created by some of the world’s top chefs.
Vote: Best Cruise Ship for Dining »
Best Cruise Ship for Families
Which ship packs the best family-friendly features? — Photo courtesy of iStock / Yobro10
Thanks to their excellent travel value, more and more families are turning to cruising when planning their vacations. These 20 cruise lines, chosen as the best in the industry by our panel of cruising experts, cater to young passengers in many ways, including family-friendly at-sea experiences (bumper cars, bowling and waterparks to name a few), family cabins and kid-approved dining options. Which ship is the most family-friendly?
Vote: Best Cruise Ship for Families »
Best Large Cruise Ship
The biggest ships carry over 6,000 passengers — Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International
Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. That’s often the case when you board one of these giant floating hotels. These 19 cruise ships represent some of the biggest and newest at sea, each with a capacity of over 3,000 passengers. With such size comes loads of onboard activities, entertainment options and dining venues.
Vote: Best Large Cruise Ship »
Best Mid-Sized Cruise Ship
These ships strike a balance between amenities and intimacy — Photo courtesy of Oceania Cruises
Some cruise ships are like floating horizontal skyscrapers with all the bells and whistles, others feel more like a private yacht. These 20 ships with a capacity between 1,000 and 3,000 passengers, chosen by a panel of cruising experts as the best in the industry, strike a balance between big ship amenities and small ship service.
Vote: Best Mid-Sized Cruise Ship »
Best New Cruise Ship
Which new ship are you most excited about? — Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages
While the pandemic caused cruising to come to a halt in 2020, things are looking up for 2021. Cruise lines around the globe are preparing to launch a whole host of new ships sailing the world’s rivers and seas. Our panel of cruise experts are most excited about these 19 ships scheduled to debut in 2021.
Vote: Best New Cruise Ship »
Best Ocean Cruise Line
Help us crown the best line sailing the seven seas — Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises
Whether you prefer long days at sea or ample time in diverse ports of call, mega-ships packed with features or intimate yachts, more restaurants than a resort or a single luxury dining room, there’s a cruise line out there for you. What’s your favorite ocean cruise line?
Vote: Best Ocean Cruise Line »
Best River Cruise Line
River cruising unlocks the world’s inland waterways — Photo courtesy of Emerald Waterways
River cruising has been exploding in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. You check in, unpack your bag and let your floating hotel take you on a journey of discovery down some of the world’s great waterways, with experiential guided excursions along the way.
Vote: Best River Cruise Line »
Best River Cruise Ship
Which river ship would you most want to sail? — Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways
From the Seine to the Danube, the Mekong to the Chobe, the world’s great rivers have become hot spots for cruising over the last decade. Riverboats serve as floating hotels, allowing passengers to unpack once and explore an entire region.
Vote: Best River Cruise Ship »
Best Small Cruise Ship
Ships with fewer than 1,000 passengers offer a more intimate atmosphere — Photo courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line
While large ships come with certain advantages (bowling at sea, anyone?), some cruisers prefer the intimacy, personalized service and destination-focused itineraries of a smaller vessel.
These 20 cruise ships and yachts, each with a passenger capacity of under 1,000, can get to smaller ports inaccessible to larger ships and offer a more social atmosphere where it’s easier to get to know your fellow guests.
Vote: Best Small Cruise Ship »
Remember, you can vote once per day in each category. The 10 nominees with the most votes in each category will be announced on 10Best.com on Friday, March 12.