Royal Caribbean named the ‘Best Cruise Line of the Year’

Cruise Critic names the top cruise lines of the year in 2024’s ‘Best in Cruise Awards’

Explora, AmaWaterways and Lindblad also receive the top honor in their respective categories

Cruise Critic, the world’s leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has named the winners of its 16th annual cruise awards in its new Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards – naming the best cruise lines and destinations of the year, based on expert insight and traveler ratings. This year’s awards are the site’s most comprehensive to-date, combining the highly coveted editor-selected awards with the site’s popular consumer-led Cruisers’ Choice awards, which are based entirely on ratings and reviews from cruisers over the past year.

“Our editors have spent months at sea this year, collectively, experiencing all the industry has to offer,” shares Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. “We’ve tried and tested ships of all shapes and sizes, in regions across every corner of the globe, and these awards are based on our collective insights to recognize which lines are standing out above the rest.”

“But what’s really exciting is that, for the first time, we’re rolling out our editor-selected awards right alongside our consumer-led awards, which are based on the reviews and ratings submitted by cruisers over the past year.” explains McDaniel. “We’ve consistently heard from travelers that researching and booking a cruise is a layered experience — they want to hear recommendations from experts, and they also want to hear what fellow travelers have to say about their experiences.”

2024 Award Highlights

Selected by Cruise Critic’s international team of cruise experts 

Mainstream Awards

1. Best Mainstream Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “To say 2024 has been a marquee year for Royal Caribbean would be an understatement. Welcoming both Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas – the world’s biggest- and second-biggest cruise ships – the cruise line continues to cement its status as a leader in the industry.”
2. Best New Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the SeasAccording to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Icon of the Seas’ massive impact goes well beyond its size. Since debuting this year, Icon of the Seas has been the hottest ticket in the cruise world. The world’s largest cruise ship takes Royal Caribbean’s uber-popular, family-friendly vacations to dizzying new heights.”
3. Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Carnival Cruise Line offers great, fun ships and service at an affordable price, making it the best value in the industry. Through its large staterooms, impressive service and plethora of activities, Carnival continues to offer more to cruisers than they might expect.”

River Awards

1. Best River Cruise Line: AmaWaterways
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “In a crowded river field, AmaWaterways comes out on top, thanks to its beautiful ships, interesting itineraries and top-notch programming. With two new ships set to sail on Colombia’s Magdalena River early next year, AmaWaterways is firmly established as a trendsetter.”
2. Best New River Ship: Viking Hathor & Viking Sobek
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Viking Hathor & Viking Sobek offer a comfortable and stylish way to explore Egypt. For those who know Viking, they feel familiar with the line’s hallmark Nordic decor and quiet luxury. Yet they’re clearly designed for the Nile, both offering an immense top deck that provides shaded views of the scenery as the ships pass by.”

Luxury Awards

1. Best Luxury Cruise Line: Explora Journeys
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Excellent dining, fabulous pools and posh suites with delightful extras make a luxury sailing out-of-this-world, and that’s what Explora Journeys has produced in just a few years on the water. Entering an Explora Journeys ship is like walking into a luxury hotel, from an eye-catching Lobby Bar to the Steinway piano and one-of-a-kind shopping.”
2. Best New Luxury Ship: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection set the luxury bar high with first ship Evrima and has taken it to the next level with second ship Ilma. Coming in at roughly twice the size of its older sister, Ilma retains the outstanding service levels, stunning accommodation and cuisine of Michelin-star quality which defines this brand. We especially love that in a second-in-class ship, Ritz-Carlton has refined the original blueprint, to perfection.”

Expedition Awards

1. Best Expedition Cruise Line: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “In an area with a lot of newcomers, veteran expedition cruise line Lindblad still stands out as the best. When you cruise with Lindblad, you know you will be learning from dawn to dusk – with nighttime stargazing thrown in. While newer ships have extras like an on-deck igloos, the older ships have veteran crew who aim to make you feel at home, even when you’re far away.”
2. Best Itineraries: Ponant
   According to Cruise Critic’s Editors: “Ponant is always devising new routes that will make you grab a map. From cruises that traverse the North Pole to sailings that dive deep into Indonesia, Ponant keeps developing new routes, with a fleet that includes sailing ships, small expedition ships and one of the industry’s most powerful icebreakers.”

Cruisers’ Choice

Based on the reviews and ratings submitted by consumers over the past year

1. Top-Rated Mainstream Cruise Line: Margaritaville at Sea
   According to Cruise Critic Member Ray and Andy: “The entire journey was filled with vibrant energy and impeccable organization. From the moment we boarded, the warm, welcoming atmosphere set the tone for a truly laid-back getaway”
2. Top-Rated River Cruise Line: Avalon Waterways – According to Cruise Critic Member jmarkp: “What an incredible experience: the crew, the itinerary, the stateroom, the food. Everything seemed geared to making sure I had an incredible voyage…and they succeeded.
3. “Top-Rated Luxury Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises – According to Cruise Critic Member docntx: “The best thus far. Crew embodies the perfect blend of efficiency with playfulness and a wonderful sense of humor. The food is as close to perfect as we have experienced. The excursions were efficiently executed, and the guides we had were all exceptional.”
4. Top-Rated Expedition Cruise Line: Viking Cruises
   According to Cruise Critic Member SShadinger: “This was the best cruise I have ever been on, it is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The ship was beautiful, clean and comfortable. The expedition crew was friendly, knowledgeable and made the experiences ashore most interesting and exciting.”

2024 Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards 

Mainstream Category

Best Mainstream Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
Best New Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas
Best Cabins: Celebrity Cruises
Best Dining: Virgin Voyages
Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International
Best for Families: Disney Cruise Line
Best for Romance: Princess Cruises
Best for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Virgin Voyages
Best Nightlife: Royal Caribbean International
Best Service: Holland America Line
Best for Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Spa: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Specialty Dining: Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites: Royal Caribbean International
Best Suite Complex: MSC Cruises’ MSC Yacht Club
Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
Best App: Royal Caribbean International
Best North American Homeport: Long Beach, California

River Category

Best River Cruise Line: AmaWaterways
Best New River Ship: Viking Hathor & Viking Sobek
Best for Active Cruisers: AmaWaterways
Best Cabins: Avalon Waterways
Best Dining: Riverside
Best for Entertainment: Scenic
Best Enrichment: Viking Cruises
Best for Families: Adventures by Disney
Best for First-Timers: Emerald Waterways
Best for Honeymooners: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best for Luxury: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best Service: Tauck
Best for Solo Travelers: American Cruise Lines
Best Value for Money: Gate 1 Travel

Luxury Category

Best Luxury Cruise Line: Explora
Best New Luxury Ship: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma
Best Cabins: Silversea Cruises
Best Dining: Explora
Best Enrichment: Viking Cruises
Best for Families: Explora
Best for Romance: Emerald
Best Itineraries: Windstar Cruises
Best Service: Crystal Cruises
Best Shore Excursions: Oceania Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Seabourn Cruise Line

Expedition Category

Best Expedition Cruise Line: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Best for Adventure: Quark Expeditions
Best Cabins: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Dining: Scenic
Best Itineraries: Ponant
Best for Light Expedition: Viking Cruises
Best for Luxury: Silversea Expeditions
Best Science Offerings: HX
Best Service: Silversea
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Atlas
Best in Alaska: UnCruise Adventures
Best in Antarctica: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Best in the Arctic: Ponant Cruises
Best in the Galapagos: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

Cruisers’ Choice Category

Top-Rated Mainstream Cruise Lines

1. Margaritaville at Sea
2. Virgin Voyages
3. Celebrity Cruises

Top-Rated River Cruise Lines

1. Avalon Waterways
2. Emerald River Cruises
3. Viking Cruises

Top-Rated Luxury Cruise Lines

1. Crystal Cruises
2. Explora Journeys
3. Viking Cruises

Top-Rated Expedition Cruise Lines

1. Viking Cruises
2. Quark Expeditions
3. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

Cruise Critic is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travelers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 650,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world’s largest online cruise community where travelers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Inc. (PRNewswire)