Best Cruise Lines of 2026

We surveyed nearly 19,000 CR members about their most recent cruise. Find out which rose to the top of our rankings—and how popular lines like Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean performed.

By Lisa L. Gill
Investigative Reporter

Data analysis by Tess Yanisch

January 5, 2026

Clockwise from left: National Geographic Endurance cruise ship in the arctic, people dining on the deck of a Viking River Cruise in Budapest, a Windstar sailing yacht. — Just three of the cruise lines in our survey scored high enough to earn our recommendation, based on the food, customer service, value for the price, onshore excursions, and other factors.

Cruising is having a moment. AAA projects that a record 21.7 million U.S. travelers will book an ocean cruise in 2026, marking a 52 percent increase over the last six years.

But booking an ocean cruise can be both confusing and costly: There are dozens of cruise lines to choose from and, according to a recent survey of CR members, the typical price paid for a cruise is just over $2,750 per adult and climbs to at least twice as much in some destinations in Asia and other regions. (In Alaska alone, more than two dozen cruise lines offer cabins that range in price from about $700 to $10,000 for a seven-day trip.)

With so many choices, which cruise companies are worth your time and money? To help you decide, CR rated 19 ocean cruise lines based on a survey of 18,850 of its members, who we asked about the most recent ocean cruise they took in the last 36 months. Among them, three ranked high enough to earn Consumer Reports’ Recommended status.

While cruise fares can run into the thousands of dollars, the price typically includes your cabin, meals, entertainment, gym, pool, and visits to multiple (and sometimes far-flung) ports. On some lines the fare also covers extras such as some spa services, seminars and classes, and onshore excursions.

Cruises also simplify much of the planning and booking that a lot of vacations require, says Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, which specializes in small ship bookings. Imagine dinner on the Grand Canal in Venice, then on the same trip, visiting Dubrovnik, Rome, Florence, and Barcelona. “You unpack once, yet wake each morning to a new place.”

(One satisfied traveler told CR that on their cruise vacation, they simply “didn’t have to think.”)

CR rated cruise lines based on passenger satisfaction with the following factors: value for the price they paid, quality and variety of the food, customer service, onshore excursions run by the cruise company itself, and onboard activities and entertainment. These were used to calculate an Overall Satisfaction Score for every cruise line based on how well it rated in each of those factors. We then ranked the lines according to the Overall Satisfaction Score to reveal the best cruise lines.

We also asked about passenger satisfaction with some other elements of the cruise experience that did not factor into the Overall Satisfaction Score: cleanliness, cabin comfort, price transparency, the usefulness of the cruise line’s app (if it had one), the embarkation and disembarkation process, accessibility for people with disabilities, and programs and resources for families. These are also shown in the ratings table.

CR’s survey included big-ship lines, such as Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, MSC, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, as well as lines with smaller luxury or expedition-type ships, such as American, Azamara, Cunard, National Geographic-Lindblad, Oceania, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea, Viking, Virgin, and Windstar.

Below, CR members can learn about the three cruise lines that have the highest Overall Scores and earned CR’s recommendation, as well as what makes them stand out in terms of service and shipboard experience, what passengers like and dislike about them, and tips on how to get discounted fares. Members can also learn about our three picks for less expensive, family-friendly cruise lines.

CR members can also access our complete ratings of 19 cruise lines.

Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.

Lisa L. Gill

Lisa L. Gill is an award-winning investigative reporter. She has been at Consumer Reports since 2008, covering health and food safety—heavy metals in the food supply and foodborne illness—plus healthcare and prescription drug costs, medical debt, and credit scores. Lisa also testified before Congress and the Food and Drug Administration about her work on drug costs and drug safety. She lives in a DIY tiny home, where she gardens during the day and stargazes the Milky Way at night.