Celebrity, Disney and Crystal take top spots on best cruise line rankings
Picking a cruise line can be as challenging as choosing a soul mate. Which one “gets you” and shares your (vacation) values? Which one indulges your diva style or, conversely, doesn’t max out your credit cards? Which one likes your kids and your kids like back?
To help make the perfect match, U.S. News World Report released its ranking of best cruise lines. The survey judged 15 major cruise lines in six critical categories: destination (Caribbean, Mediterranean), demographics (families, couples) and budget (affordability, luxury). The publication evaluates the cruise lines only once a year; it updates its ship rankings throughout the year.
Three cruise lines dominated the top spots. Celebrity Cruises earned gold for being the best for your wallet and for Mediterranean itineraries, a first for the company. Disney Cruise Line upheld its four-year winning streak in the families and Caribbean departments. And Crystal Cruises kept its crown for luxury and couples.
[Despite the Caribbean country’s name, Turks and Caicos is not a duo like Batman and Robin]
In addition to the numerical listings, the experts shared the thinking behind their selections — character profiles, if you will. In Best Cruise Lines for the Money, the reviewers described Celebrity this way: “With only nine ships in the fleet, Celebrity offers the floating-city experience of larger ships while maintaining the service standard and intimacy of smaller lines. And you can’t beat the affordable rates, which can be as little as $100 per person per night.” Royal Caribbean, the second-place winner, earned praise because “having the ability to accommodate thousands of guests per ship allows the company to keep rates low.” Cruisers, they noted for that entry, can find trips for less than $150 per person per night. Plus, the price tag covers most of the onboard frills and thrills.
Even the cruise lines on the bottom rungs garnered some positive attention. For the Caribbean, MSC Cruises took 13th place, but don’t let the unlucky number dissuade you from booking an island cruise: “MSC doesn’t tout as many Caribbean itineraries as other lines on this ranking — just two of its ships, the MSC Divina and MSC Poesia, are sailing to the region in 2017 — but its routes stop in popular ports of call like Jamaica, the Bahamas and Trinidad Tobago.”
To compile its rankings, the publication culled scores from experts (the report’s editors), travelers (as found on Cruiseline.com) and health records (based on the Vessel Sanitation Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Here’s a look at the rankings:
For the Money
1. Celebrity Cruises
2. Royal Caribbean International
3. Norwegian Cruise Line
For Luxury
1. Crystal Cruises
2. Regent Seven Seas
3. Oceania Cruises
For Families
1. Disney Cruise Line
2. Royal Caribbean International
3. Carnival Cruise Lines
For Couples
1. Crystal Cruises
2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
3. Azamara Club Cruises
In the Mediterranean
1. Celebrity Cruises
2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
3. Oceania Cruises
In the Caribbean
1. Disney Cruise Line
2. Celebrity Cruises
3. Crystal Cruises
For the full report, see travel.usnews.com/cruises.
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