Monday, April 1, 2024

Large-ship Ocean Cruise Lines: World's Best in 2021

ocean cruise

Cruise lovers couldn't wait to get back out on the sea, and Travel + Leisure readers who prefer compact vessels have been delighted to find that the voyages have only gotten better. This year, T+L adjusted the World's Best Awards cruise categories to reflect the industry and traveler experience. The ships in the small-ship ocean cruise lines category are now those with 150 to 299 cabins, while smaller ships (with fewer than 150 cabins) are in an all-new intimate-ship category.

ocean cruise

The 10 Best Intimate-ship Ocean Cruise Lines in 2022

Passengers enjoy a nearly 1-to-1 ratio with crew and one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the industry. Each of the luxury ships offers complimentary water sports, open bars serving wine, champagne and spirits, and world-class cuisine. Hurtigruten specializes in voyages to Norway, Iceland and Greenland, as well as Europe, Africa, South America, Central America and Antarctica.

+ Kids sail free*

Holland America Line offers guests enriching journeys in distinctively classic cruise style, connecting them to the most fascinating people, places and cultures on Earth. Itineraries span the globe with more than 400 ports of call and more than 500 carefully crafted itineraries. With elegant fine dining and gracious service, Holland America Line’s mid-sized ships welcome guests onboard to discover timeless cruising, refined for a new generation. Seabourn’s fleet of all-suite, low-capacity ships carry a maximum of 600 guests each, allowing them to sail to some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

ocean cruise

Special Offers

Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined. A new classification designed to honor the smallest oceangoing vessels, the best intimate-ship ocean cruise lines category recognizes ships with fewer than 150 cabins. More nimble than their larger counterparts, these petite ships often take travelers to farther-flung and less-frequented ports, from tropical destinations to both poles.

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Holland America Line, celebrating 75 years in Alaska in 2022, is in the No. 4 spot. "Food is excellent, crew is friendly and attentive; and cabins are large compared to other cruise lines," one voter wrote. Royal Caribbean International, with its smaller 1990s ships such as Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas, comes in at No. 5. Scroll on to see the full list of the best cruise lines for mega-ships and learn more about why readers loved Celebrity in particular. The best cruise lines for mega-ships, according to Travel + Leisure readers, embrace the ethos of bigger means better with over-the-top entertainment and amenities. This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Family-Friendly Options

See the Cathedral of San Juan in Puerto Rico and the 14th-century Gothic Basilica of Santa Maria in Barcelona. Atlas will also offer two sailings of an 18-night "Grand Antarctica & Beyond" expedition, featuring calls to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and the South Orkney Islands. The "Drake Express Expedition" consists of a 7-night roundtrip voyage from King George Island that avoids the notorious Drake Passage by offering charter flights to the Antarctic island.

No. 7: Seabourn Cruise Line

For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best. When you buy through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The No. 3 spot goes to a perennial favorite in the World's Best Awards, Princess Cruises. One of the newest additions to its fleet, the Enchanted Princess, earned raves from voters, with one person calling it "gorgeous." The same voter also noted that "Princess has made a real effort in their health protocols." Be enriched with all-inclusive excursions on each Scenic Eclipse voyage, immersing you in your destination to create stories for life. Whether you're lounging on the beach or on board the ship, the oceans of the Atlantic and the Pacific hold plenty of opportunity for adventure.

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The 1,196-foot-long, 20-deck Icon of the Seas is packed with bars, restaurants, and things to do. Any shorter of an itinerary, and you might not have time to experience all it has to offer. USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards.

The Top 10 Large-ship Ocean Cruise Lines in 2021

Viking Cruises earned its reputation through its affordable, destination-focused river cruises. After making a grand entrance into the world of ocean cruising, the line now has 10 ocean vessels. With the motto that “small is the new big,” Atlas Ocean Voyages invites you to travel on some of their small luxury expeditions to iconic destinations and remote ports. As a mega-ship, the Celebrity Reflection does not do the ice skating rinks, waterparks, and amusement-park attractions found on sister line Royal Caribbean International. Instead, the wows are the sophisticated décor and cuisine, an impressive modern art collection — with Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, and Kiki Smith among artists represented — and a real grass lawn up on top.

"I highly recommend this company to anyone looking to visit Ecuador and the Galápagos," said another reader who had sailed on the 32-passenger ship. With so many days at sea, try something new onboard, but also bring your own entertainment — whether that's an e-reader or a good book. But it was Paul Gauguin Cruises, now owned by French cruise company Ponant, that emerged as the reader favorite among the best cruise lines for small ships. Plenty of family-friendly cruise ships have waterslides, but few have six — or even one that requires a multi-person raft. Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 140 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West.

Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in five categories; large-ship ocean cruise lines have ships that can carry 600 to 2,199 passengers. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in six categories, including river cruising. When it comes to planning the ultimate getaway, there are so many reasons why cruise vacations rank among the most popular travel options.

However, transpacific cruises are recommended during the Southern Hemisphere's winter, from May to October. It’s an age-old question — does the early bird really get the worm, or are there perks to taking a “wait-and-see” approach? If you’re booking a cruise vacation, you’ll find there are benefits to both strategies. Planning ahead is a great way to score big savings, as Royal Caribbean often runs early saver deals to guests booking well in advance. It’s also pretty safe to assume prices usually go up as availability goes down the closer you get to your sail date, so booking ahead is a surefire way to lock in a great rate. That said, booking a cruise at the last minute can also yield some unexpected savings — but only if the itinerary you’re interested in hasn’t sold out yet.

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