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What Cruise Line Has The Best Ratings

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What Makes A Which Recommended Provider Cruise Line

2018 Top Rated Cruise Lines By CN Royal Caribbean Norwegian Viking Crystal Windstar Princess Cunard

Which? Recommended Providers are the cream of the crop and, as a minimum, we only consider giving the accolade to cruise lines that achieve a customer score of 70% or above.;

Thats not all. We know that pricing transparency is important, so we only give the award to the companies that provide clear information about gratuities, excursions and drinks at the booking stage. After all, it’s hard for customers to compare prices if they can’t find these details before parting with their cash. If the companies fall down in more than one area, theyre not eligible to be Which? Recommended Providers, whatever score they receive in the survey. ;

Similarly, a cruise company can only be a WRP if it is committed to refunding customers promptly for any cancelled cruises. Neither Azamara or Seabourn could make this commitment for bookings cancelled due to COVID-19, so both have had their WRP status removed for 2021.

Which? is independent, you can be sure that our recommendations are influenced only by our survey results. ;We’re not influenced by third parties and we don’t accept freebies from product manufacturers, retailers. or providers.

Medium Ship Line #1: Bahama Paradise Cruise Line

You mightve already guessed from its name, but the Bahama Paradise Cruise Line operates cruises to the Bahamas, sailing two-day itineraries from West Palm Beach, Florida. It has just two ships in its fleet, neither of which is necessarily a showstopper, but thats not what the crowd is here forthis is a relatively no-frills cruise line for those interested in quick, affordable getaways. Many passengers opt to extend their experience with a multi-night stay in the Bahamas, which the cruise line organizes for its guests.

Medium Ship Line #: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

As far as all-inclusive cruises go, Regent Seven Seas is the real deal. Everything from specialty excursions to meals and alcohol to airfare is included in the rates. Even the mini-bar is free! The only things youll have to pay for are spa treatments, laundry, and the casino. The cruise lines five ships each carry 750 passengers or fewer, but the ships are actually quite large, offering each guest plenty of personal space, especially in their cabins. Regent Seven Seas specializes in round-the-world itineraries.

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Best Overall: Regent Seven Seas

Regent Seven Seas

For an ultra-luxurious yacht voyage, Regent Seven Seas features all-inclusive pricing and premium service. Regent operates five vessels,with most carrying around 700 passengers in spacious suites offering modern, elegant furnishings, stocked minibars, and private balconies. On Regent, everything is included in the price: airfare, specialty restaurants, gratuities, Wi-Fi, and beverages. Private butlers and concierge service offer personalized attention to guests. Theres plenty of amenities onboard as well, ranging from a relaxing spa, onboard cooking lessons, trivia, and lively evening shows. Plus, Regents destinations span the globe although they dont have polar vessels.

Who Sails Norwegian Cruise Line

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Norwegian appeals to vacationers who want a big-resort experience at sea with lots of options for dining and entertainment. In that, its similar to Royal Caribbean perhaps its closest competitor.

But unlike Royal Caribbean, Norwegian hasnt retained any of the trappings of old-style cruising. There are no formal nights, as youll still find on Royal Caribbean ships, or dress codes. Norwegian also has thoroughly done away with the concept of big main restaurants with fixed seating.

Because of that, Norwegian is popular with people who are seeking flexibility freedom to eat when they want, with whom they want and dressed however they want, for sure, but also more generally freedom to just set their own schedule day and night.

Norwegian cruises are very unstructured vacations, and thats by design.

Like Royal Caribbean ships, Norwegian vessels have an inordinate amount of teen- and tween-friendly attractions everything from some of the largest waterslides at sea to the only go-kart tracks at sea. That makes them particularly appealing to families, including multigenerational groups. Families are a big part of Norwegians business.

But its not just families that flock to Norwegian. The lines ships are designed to offer a little something for everyone, and they thus appeal to a wide demographic, including couples of all ages and even solo travelers . They also draw customers from a wide range of the income spectrum.

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Small Ship Line #: Windstar Cruises

The lines six shipsthree sailing yachts and three all-suite motor yachtsspecialize in visiting ports that ban larger ships, like the Byzantine hilltop town of Monemvasia in the Greek Islands, and the sleepy, palm-fringed island of Bequia in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. Those smaller ports can give a sense of intimacy that isn’t always present in the most common cruise destinations, allowing for wholly different experiences. In 2017, Windstar also became the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, introducing further special itineraries with culinary themes and guest chefs.

Small Ship Line : Quasar Expeditions

The first luxury line to sail the Galápagos, Quasar Expeditions is best known for its in-depth trips aboard its two intimate ships that carry fewer than 32 passengers each. Yet note the street cred of said ships: One of the two, the Grace, is the former yacht of Princess Grace of Monaco. The other, the Evolution, will allow you to retrace Darwin’s footsteps in the Galápagos. Book the Baltra Island itinerary, where you’ll work your way from San Cristobal Island to Baltra, and explore all the central and southern islands of the archipelago in between.

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Cruise Refunds And Cancellations

Any cruise lasting more than 24 hours is automatically considered a package holiday, regardless of whether or not your booking included a flight.

Package holidays are covered by the Package Travel Regulations, entitling you to a full cash refund within 14 days if your booking is cancelled by the cruise operator. If you booked your cruise through a travel agent, they will return your money once they’ve received it from the cruise line.

During the coronavirus pandemic, however, many cruise lines have been illegally ignoring the Package Travel Regulations, with some taking more than a month to issue refunds and others refusing refunds altogether and issuing vouchers, instead.

If you’re considering booking a cruise for later in 2021 or beyond, only do so with a cruise company that’s quickly and consistently refunding customers for cancelled bookings. All our WRP cruise lines can be trusted to do this and they also all organise excellent cruises.

Small Ship Line #: Lindblad Expeditions

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This fleet of 15 vesselswith passenger capacities ranging from just 28 to 148sails to rugged, far-flung destinations including Arctic Svalbard, Antarctica, Indonesia, and the Galápagos. A Lindblad cruise typically prioritizes adventure over luxury; so on most ships, expect small, simple cabins, but plenty of memorable excursions, like snorkeling in Borneo or hiking an ice field in Patagonia. But some of its recent fleet additions are truly luxe, from its two polar-sailing expedition ships, National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, to the elegant Oberoi Philae, which sails the Nile. Each sailing has an expedition team made up of experts in fields like marine biology and photography.

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Small Ship Line #1: Hapag

German company Hapag-Lloyd is not just in the shipping business: its building a luxury expedition cruise empire, too. Though it currently only has two ships in its fleet, the MS Europa and MS Europa 2, the line has impressed its customers with suite-style cabins, impressive itineraries across all seven continents, and extremely polished service thats anything but stuffy. Hapag-Lloyds budding empire will expand with three new expedition ships scheduled to launch in 2021.

Best And Worst Cruise Lines

Whether you’re a complete novice, or an experienced cruiser keen to get back to the seas following the coronavirus pandemic, it always pays;to do your research into the best and worst cruise lines.

Our ratings are driven by thousands of cruise line guests rating their experience of the facilities onboard, the cabin, food and drink and customer service so you can avoid finding yourself queuing for the restaurant every morning or being ripped off over tips.;

From luxury small-ship cruises to big name brands with full entertainment and leisure facilities we know from guests that the cruise lines rated best are always those that have the best passenger to space ratio onboard something that will be more important than ever as cruise lines look to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. See the full results below to find out which cruise lines give you room and which ones pack holidaymakers onboard.;

Find out how to find;the best cruise deals.

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Other Interior Attractions And Activities

In addition to entertainment spaces, the interior of Norwegian ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night.

All but one Norwegian ship has a casino, and on the lines bigger vessels, they are huge operations. The casino on Norwegian Encore has more than 300 slot machines and 26 table games , plus its own bar.

On the lines big Breakaway Class and Breakaway Plus Class ships, the casino along with a large proportion of all onboard restaurants, bars and clubs sprawls across three central decks connected by an atrium-like space known as 678 Ocean Place . At night, these three-deck complexes become lively places.

The Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Class ships also have innovative outdoor promenades called The Waterfront lined with outdoor seating for many restaurants and bars. The Waterfront is located on Deck 8 of each of the ships, which is one of the main decks for restaurants on them all.

Two of the newest Norwegian vessels Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy have state-of-the-art gaming and virtual reality zones called Galaxy Pavilion.

Theres nothing quite like Galaxy Pavilion in the cruise world. The venue has an amazing array of super-high-tech virtual reality experiences, including incredibly realistic race car simulators , hang-gliding simulators, virtual mazes and a virtual reality Jurassic Park jeep ride.

Theres also the bowling alley youll find on Norwegian Epic.

Medium Ship Line #: Seabourn Cruise Lines

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Dont think of Seabourn as a typical cruiseit ships are much more akin to mega-yachts, with ultra-luxurious decor, service, and dining. The fleet currently has five vessels, the largest of which carry 600 passengers. Their small size allows the vessels to dock in small ports all around the world . Many of the cruise lines guests are lifelong learners, and they flock to the nightly Seabourn Conversation program, which brings all sorts of intriguing figures, from Steve Wozniak to Elaine Paige, on board for lectures and casual chats. In 2015, Seabourn announced a partnership with celebrity chef Thomas Keller, who crafted new menus for the three existing ships and spearheaded new restaurants on the two newest ships, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation.

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Why You Should Sail With Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is known for their massive ships and a plethora of dining, entertainment, and activity options. You should consider taking a Royal Caribbean cruise if you…

  • Want more activities and features than you could possibly enjoy in just a week
  • Are an active, adventure-seeking cruiser
  • Love large ships
  • Enjoy rock climbing walls, surfing simulators, and zip lines
  • Feel comfortable in a bustling city, because though Royalâs ships handle passengers very well, thereâs still a lot of people onboard

The Ultimate Guide To Norwegian Cruise Line Ships And Itineraries

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Looking for a cruise where you can do what you want, whenever you want, without a lot of structure and rules? Norwegian Cruise Line could be your brand.

The Miami-based cruise line pioneered the idea of freestyle cruising cruising without rigid dining schedules and dress codes and formal nights and its still the go-to line for vacationers who want a floating resort experience with a casual, laissez-faire vibe.

Instead of a few big main restaurants with fixed seating times, Norwegian ships offer a wide range of eateries and no assigned seating times just make a reservation. When its time to head out to dinner, if you want to dress up, fine. But theres no rule saying you must.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs new cruise newsletter.

Norwegian vessels also offer lots of options for daytime fun, but are particularly well known for evening entertainment. Youll find everything from music halls with The Beatles cover bands and dueling piano bars to theaters with some of the most elaborate shows at sea including some big-name Broadway productions.

That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that arent quite as big and bustling as its giants.

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Why Take A Cruise Vacation

If you have a place on your bucket list, chances are, a cruise will get you there. Cruises cover the world, taking millions of passengers each year to destinations like the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Alaska, Europe, the Mediterranean and even Antarctica. Cruising offers a tremendous value, with trips that include your lodging, meals and entertainment, all rolled into one. Some cruise lines even offer fully inclusive vacations, which cover drinks and tours ashore. Cruising means seeing the world while unpacking only once.

Cruises also provide a wonderful option for families, with many ships offering things like waterslides, mini-golf courses and fun clubs for kids and teens — all for free. Planning is easy: Pick your destination and the right ship for you. The cruise line makes it simple, offering packages to help you save on extras like alcohol, shore tours or even airfare.

Travelers say they choose to cruise because cruising often costs less per night when compared with staying at a hotel, where they’ll have to book — and pay for — all their extras.

Best: Disney Cruise Line

What Are The 5 BEST CRUISE LINES If You Are Over 40 ?

Widely regarded as one of the best family cruise lines in the world, its no surprise to see Disney Cruise Line near the top of this list. This leader in family fun brings the magic of the Disney Parks experience to the high seas with their fleet of 4 ocean liners. With sailing destinations including Alaska, Caribbean, Bahamas, Canada & New England, California Coast, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal and Transatlantic, its almost guaranteed theres a destination to suit your family. Cruiseline.com awarded Disney Cruise Lines an excellent average rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 with experts advising this cruise line is great for travelers with children but probably less fun for romantic honeymooners. The costs are generally higher than those of other family-geared cruise lines but this seems to get you massive state rooms, baby-friendly amenities and incredible Disney activities according to the review site.

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Disney Cruise Line Named Worlds Best Cruise Line By Travel + Leisure Readers

The Disney Cruise Line has been honored again by the readers of Travel + Leisure. This marked the third straight year that Disney Cruise Line was named the Top Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line in the publications Worlds Best Awards 2021 readers survey.

Travel + Leisure recognizes the top hotels, islands, cities, cruise lines, airlines, spas, and more around the globe. These are based on the results of the Travel + Leisure;Worlds;Best;Awards 2021 readers survey. Travel + Leisure readers rated cruise ships by the quality of their service, staterooms, food, entertainment, itineraries, and shore excursions.

Disney Cruise Line President Thomas Mazloum said, I know just how much hard work goes into earning these accolades, and I couldnt be prouder of our cast and crew members.

Travel + Leisure Worlds Best Awards 2021 can be found in the October issue of Travel + Leisure. This edition is on newsstands September 17 and is already available online at;www.travelandleisure.com.

The 2020 List Of The Worlds Best Cruises Is Out Now

U.S. News & World Report has released its annual list of the worlds 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.

The findings factored in evaluations from cruise industry experts, health assessments conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, price classes, itinerary offerings, and reputation among travelers. The final rankings reflect offerings across the entire fleet of each line rather than information on individual ships within each fleet and the varying services each might include.

Royal Caribbean took the top spot for value cruises.

Royal Caribbean came in at number one in the Best Cruise Line for the Money category, while Viking Ocean Cruises earned the top spot in both the Best Luxury Cruise Line and Best Cruise Line for Couples categories thanks to its high-end amenities, adult-focused ambiance, and romantic touches like private verandas in each stateroom and fireplaces in common areas.

No surprise, Disney Cruise Line maintained its hold on the top spot for Best Cruise Lines for Families yet again it has earned this distinction in every one of U.S. News annual rankings. This year, it also won Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean for the seventh consecutive year. Rounding out the roster of winners, Seabourn Cruise Line remained the number one Best Cruise Line in the Mediterranean for 2020.

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