First-time cruisers will face the hardest decision of their planning process early on: choosing the right cruise line. With hundreds of ships and dozens of cruise lines, from budget-conscious options to luxury experiences, finding the perfect fit can feel overwhelming.
Factors like destination, onboard amenities, and value come into play when selecting the right cruise line. For example, if you're seeking a relaxing, adults-only getaway, the Carnival ship your co-worker raved about for their family vacation may not be the best match.
Instead, you might prefer a line like Celebrity or even Viking. Both offer adult-focused experiences from craft cocktail bars to world-class cuisine and amazing itineraries highlighting off-the-beaten-path ports of call.
Read more: What are the different cruise lines known for
On the flip side, families with younger children will likely want to pick a cruise line that features kids' clubs and family-friendly entertainment.
To help narrow down the choices, U.S. News & World Report has released its annual rankings of the best cruise lines for all travelers. The rankings highlight 18 of the most popular cruise lines in six categories for the 11th year.
"With so many cruise lines to choose from, it may be hard to know where to start when it comes to finding the perfect cruise vacation," said Nicola Wood, senior travel editor at U.S. News.
"The 2025 Best Cruise Lines rankings not only recognize the top cruise lines, but also provide a way for travelers to compare features, amenities and offerings to find the right cruise for an exciting experience at sea."
Best Cruise Lines for the Money
- Celebrity Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
- MSC Cruises
- Royal Caribbean International
- Holland America Line
Best Cruise Lines for Families
- Disney Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Costa Cruises
Best Cruise Lines for Couples
- Viking Ocean Cruises
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean
- Disney Cruise Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean
- Viking Ocean Cruises
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Silversea Cruises
Best Luxury Cruise Lines
- Viking Ocean Cruises
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Silversea Cruises
- Oceania Cruises
Cruise ship scoring
U.S. News & World Report's cruise rankings are based on the ship's overall rating, a numerical score that may include several decimal points.
To simplify for readers, however, the rankings use a star system rounded to the nearest half-star. As such, two ships with the same graphical star rating could have slightly different overall ratings.
The overall ratings comprise three elements: expert rating (30% weight), traveler rating (50% weight), and health rating (20%) rating. Other criteria are used to identify ships and lines that qualify for a given ranking list, such as traveler type, region, and price class.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
