Small Ship Line #1: Ponant
Fine French cuisine, Hermès bath products, and personalized service come standard on Ponant’s fleet of globe-circling ships. The line has recently expanded its original fleet of four expedition ships and one sailing yacht with six new Explorer-class ships designed for luxury expedition-style cruising. Each features an infinity pool, an underwater viewing lounge, and itineraries that include destinations as far-flung as Papua New Guinea and West Africas Bissagos Islands. In 2019, Ponant acquired Paul Gauguin Cruises, adding another ship to the fleet, and just this year launched Le Commandant Charcot, an ice-breaking expedition ship.
How They Picked The Winners
If you’re reading these rankings and want to know how winners were picked , then here is the methodology used.
Here is how U.S. News & World Report explained the way they got to their rankings.
Expert Rating : Our editors assign each ship an Expert Rating between 1 and 5 based on the ship’s level of luxury, with 5 being the highest score. This score represents our editors’ analysis of a ship’s atmosphere, facilities, activities, cabins, cuisine and service.
Traveler Rating : A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com. Reviewers assign a rating between 1 and 5 based on their level of satisfaction with their cruise experience.
Filtering Lists by Criteria: Cutoff points and other criteria are used to identify cruise ships or cruise lines that qualify for a given ranking list.
Traveler Type: Each cruise ship and cruise line’s placement on our traveler type cruise rankings takes into account the aggregate traveler rating among specific types of travelers. Cruise ships and lines with the highest Overall Ratings and the greatest approval rating among a certain traveler type , appear on such lists. To qualify for a cruise ship traveler type ranking list, a ship had to have a minimum of 10 total guest reviews, and a certain percentage of reviews had to come from the specified traveler type the percentage required varies by list.
The Best Cruise Lines For 2022 Have Been Announced
The best cruise line may be a very subjective question, but U.S. News & World Report has released their opinion of the best lines across various categories.
The 2022 Best Cruises rankings were announced on Tuesday, which is an annual look at which cruise lines rank among the top picks.
There are six categories of categories for ranking 17 different cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean did not come out as the winner in any one category, but did rank near the top in a few.
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Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited
Royal Caribbean is the second largest in cruise line operations, after Carnival, and includes three popular subsidiary cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises. Over the past year, RCL stock is up over 35%.
Prior to the pandemic, Royal Caribbean had placed orders for a number of new cruise ships, including a brand new class called the Icon Class, according to the companys blog. Although Royal Caribbean has had to scale back its timelines, passengers can still expect a number of new ships to come available over the next two years.
Cruising enhancements will include:
- Additional health and safety protocols
- Adhering to government and health authority guidance from the Healthy Sail Panel
With these new developments and Royal Caribbeans ability to adjust according to economic conditions potential investors may seriously consider adding RCL stock to their investment portfolio.
Medium Ship Line #1: Azamara
Though Azamaras three 700-passenger ships are lovely, with top-quality dining and plenty of on-board activities to fill days at sea, passengers choose this cruise line for the experience at its destinations, which span all seven continents. Azamara not only offers personalized shore excursions , they also do a number of overnights, allowing guests to explore more destinations farther inland. The overnights also allow passengers to experience an evening out on the town in port cities, if they so choose.
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Best Value Cruise Line Stocks
These are the cruise line stocks with the lowest 12-month trailing price-to-sales ratio. For companies in early stages of development or industries suffering from major shocks, this can be substituted as a rough measure of a business’s value. A business with higher sales could eventually produce more profit when it achieves, or returns to, profitability. The price-to-sales ratio shows how much you’re paying for the stock for each dollar of sales generated.
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Source: YCharts
River Ship Line #1: Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
Scenics 16 luxurious river ships sail waters across Europe and Asia, from the Danube in Germany to the Irrawaddy in Myanmar to the Volga in Russia. Each voyage is completely all-inclusivetransfers, excursions, all food and beverage , and gratuities are covered in the ratemaking for a truly relaxing and stress-free experience. And did we mention theres butler service for every cabin?
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Helpful Information About Cruise Lines
Cruising may be the best option if you are looking for a vacation that has everything in one place, with a minimum level of stress. Planning your travels inland is fun and exciting, but it can also be exhausting, especially when traveling with a big group, say, with friends or family. Booking a cruise, on the other hand, boils down to merely figuring out the type of cruise ship you want to board, how comfortable you want to be on it, and the destinations you want to visit.
A common misconception about cruises is that they offer fewer entertainment options than a land vacation. While this can certainly be true of smaller cruises, which may be mostly rooms and living quarters, this is far from a truism about the industry as a whole. Cruises have come a long way: in addition to their destination, many ships feature numerous, assorted activities, from Broadway shows and casinos to comedy acts, cooking classes, and movie showings. Although some activities may come at an added price, everything remains in close proximity, making transportation a non-issue.
Medium Ship Line #1: Carnival Cruise Line
The eight ships between Carnival’s Fantasy and Spirit classes each clock in around 2,100 passengersCarnival hasn’t built a ship that small since 2004 and has no plans to order any more. But these smaller ships sail itineraries all over the world, from the Panama Canal to the South Pacific, as well as shorter sailings from Florida to the Caribbean, and bring the same amount of laid-back fun to each sailing as the much larger Carnival ships.
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Consider Before Investing In Cruise Stocks
People worldwide have been waiting anxiously to resume their vacations aboard cruise ships. Investors could consider this eagerness as a sign that the cruise industry might be a great place to purchase stocks after a long-awaited economic recovery and end to the pandemic.
Savvy investors concentrate on industries and businesses that they know, understand and thoroughly research before buying stock. Sound investing involves learning companies business models and how they compare to other companies in the same industry.
With as much knowledge as possible about the cruise ship industry and how well the cruise lines are positioned, well-educated investors have a leg up over other investors.
Large Ship Line #: Holland America Line
As its name indicates, Holland America is a cruise line that was established in 1873 to primarily ferry passengers, many of whom were emigrants, between the Netherlands and the United States. Of course, these days, the cruise line sails more broadly to more than 470 ports around the world on its 11 shipsand its highly regarded for its Alaska itineraries. While passengers can enjoy classic cruise activities like swimming, sports, and gambling, Holland America is particularly noted for its culinary and musical programs: it has a partnership with the TV show Americas Test Kitchen for cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, and a number of live music venues , and stage productions dedicated to the history of music on many of its ships. The latest addition to Holland Americas fleet is the Rotterdam, which first set sail in July 2021, with a capacity of 2,650 passengers.
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Medium Ship Line #1: Marella Cruises
U.K.-based cruise line Marella, which is operated by TUI UK, has a fleet of four ships that hold between 1,100 and 2,000 passengers, sailing itineraries around Europe, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean, with some special journeys to Asia. The sailings are billed as all-inclusive, and they do include alcoholic beverages and tips, but some of the specialty restaurants cost an extra fee.
Best Cruise Lines For Couples
Awards for the best cruises for those traveling in twos are:
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. News & World Report’s press release.
To qualify for this category, at least 62% of a cruise line’s online traveler reviews must be made by couples.
Most luxury cruise lines allow kids, though they often don’t cater to them the way the larger lines do. Viking, however, doesn’t allow children at all.
The company previously welcomed kids aged 12 and older to cruise, but as of 2018, all guests must be 18 or older to board.
Also on the list: Celebrity Cruises , Oceania Cruises , Silversea Cruises , Cunard Line and Holland America Line .
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Medium Ship Line #1: Royal Caribbean International
While it’s true that Royal Caribbean is better known for its large and mega-ships, the cruise line also has a fair number of medium-size ships whose maximum capacities are just shy of 2,500 guests. Each of these ships belongs to the Vision class or Radiance class, two families of older vessels whose smaller sizes allow them to explore more adventurous destinations, such as Alaska and Cyprus. But they also sail the Caribbean, offering Royal Caribbean loyalists a more intimate experience than the fleet’s larger ships.
River Ship Line #: American Queen Steamboat Company
If nostalgias the name of your game, book a trip with the American Queen Steamboat Company, whose four paddlewheelers sail the Mississippi, Columbia, Snake, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers. These are leisurely sailings: most are nine days long, with some outliers like the 15- or 16-day journey from Minneapolis to New Orleans.
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Worst: Norwegian Cruise Line
There are many things that Norwegian Cruise Lines is doing well for example they were the first cruise line to introduce flexible dining options, they offer supplement-free studios for single cruisers and they have one of the youngest fleets of any major North American cruise line out there. Though still a popular choice, Norwegian received a 3.4 star rating from customers on Cruiseline.com. Complaints from passengers include the small size of cabin rooms, an excess of smoking areas on board and too many specialty food restaurants with little focus on food quality.
Small Ship Line #: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Sailing with only 490 guests, the Seven Seas Navigator takes its all-inclusive promise seriously, offering unlimited shore excursions, open bars with premium wines , unlimited Wi-Fi, and dining in specialty restaurants. The ship sails all over the world, from New Zealand to Dubai, on week-long to three-month-long itineraries.
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Worst: American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines specializes in river cruises that tour the historic waterways of the United States with their fleet of 7 small cruise ships. Occupancy ranges from between 150-50 passengers depending on vessel so whatever ship youre guaranteed an intimate cruising experience. While the staterooms are described as some of the largest in the industry, the primary complaint with American Cruise Lines is the extremely expensive rates. You could easily enjoy a luxury-level ocean cruise for less cost and get a longer experience. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for a low 3 star customer rating from Cruiseline.com for this price guests expect a lot and unfortunately its just not there.
Top Cruise Ship Stocks To Buy In 2021
Wondering which stocks are hot on the market this year? Despite the proliferation of the delta coronavirus variant, cruise operators are picking up the pace, adding new dates to meet consumer demand. This could be good news for stock investors.
Continue reading to learn the top three cruise stocks that are making investors hopeful this year about the cruise industry bouncing back after being deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Worst: Viking River Cruises
With a massive fleet of 40 longships and 23 other vessels, Viking River Cruises has firmly planted themselves as having the most river cruise vessels of any company in the world. That being said, the cruise line is a popular choice if youre looking to see the sights of Europe, Russia, Asia or Egypt. Like other river cruise companies, Viking will be enjoyed by those who enjoy not having to plan anything on their own, but may not be a great option if you enjoy setting your own schedule. The company received a 3.4 star overall rating from customer reviews on Cruiseline.com and its important to note that over 81% of reviews came from couples which shows you the demographics of this cruise line. Some complaints from passengers include last minute itinerary changes, small cabin rooms and expensive rates.
Further Insight Into Our Methodology
Ah, cruise lines. Love them or hate them, cruise lines are a popular vacation alternative for travelers of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds. They are convenient and accessible, requiring little planning of anything other than your budget. As the market has diversified, now there are cruises of every size visiting destinations worldwide and catering to just about every demographic. Booking a cruise is no longer as easy as defaulting to the biggest, most magnificent ship docked at the nearest port.
When researching cruise lines, our goal was to understand the industry as a whole first, and then how the companies operated individually. We started by searching for news and reports about recent developments in the industry, especially as concerns COVID-19. We read about cruise ships, how they work, and how they impact the environment. We also compiled preliminary data about fares and the other costs of going on a cruise. Once that was done, we made a list of the companies that best aligned with our designated criteria and values.
We split our criteria into three groups:
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Beverages Packages Often Are Not Worth It
Often advertised as an easy way of saving money, beverage packages cover various refreshments and drinks, such as bottled water, sodas, and alcoholic beverages. The thing is, theyre pretty expensive. For example, a Royal Caribbean drinks package can cost as much as $89 per day, and one Norwegian drinks package is over $120 a day.
Beverage packages can save you money, but only if you were going to spend a lot of it on drinks in the first place. In other words, they only make sense if you routinely spend more than what those packages covered in drinks on a per-day basis. Packages become even less desirable in cruises where certain drinks are already included, such as soda on the Disney Lines, specialty coffees on Sea Cloud Cruises, and beer and wine with lunch and dinner on Viking Cruises.
Do the math before getting on your cruise. Carefully think about the type of drinks and how many of them youd typically order while on vacation. Also, consider that some lines include drinks packages as a perk during limited-time booking promotions, making such a package turn from an expensive luxury to an affordable benefit.
World’s Largest Cruise Companies
The biggest cruise companies – they all are very big, some are bigger big, one is the biggest. They all are very very very much rich!
Carnival Corporation & plc is the world’s largest cruise shipowner, with 1/2 share of the market. The company is dual-listed , Southampton-headquartered, has a combined fleet of 100+ ships, 160,000+ berths, 10,000+ employees, ~75,000 crew, USD 38,9 billion in assets, USD 16,4B revenue . Carnival owns the following brands – AIDA , CCL-Carnival , Costa , Cunard , HAL-Holland America , Ibero , P& O UK and P& O Australia , Princess , Seabourn . Carnival’s major stock-holder is the company founder’s Arison family .
Royal Caribbean Group – 1997-founded as an American-Norwegian cruise company. RCG is the 2nd largest cruise shipowner in the world, controls over 1/4 of the cruise market, with 58,000 employees, nearly USD 20 billion in assets, and almost USD 7B in revenue . The combined fleet includes the brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, Pullmantur , CDF Croisieres de France . RCG also fully owns Air Pullmantur, and 50% of TUI Cruises .
Mediterranean Shipping Company SA – the 2nd largest shipping line in the world , with more than 555 vessels of almost 2,2 million TEU . The MSC shipping line serves 270 ports worldwide, with over 29,000 employees.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd ownership is 43,4% Genting Group, 32,5% Apollo Management and 10,8% TPG Capital . NCL controls ~8% of the global cruising market.
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