Cruise Lines

Icon, Oasis and Quantum-class megaships with waterparks, surf simulators, ice shows and neighborhoods at sea.

Best for: Families and multigenerational groups; anyone who wants the ship itself to be the destination.

Heads-up: Add-ons stack up fast — drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining — and the biggest ships can feel like a theme park at sea. Great, if that's the trip you want.

Edge-class ships with the Magic Carpet platform, serious food, and a calmer, more adult feel — without being adults-only.

Best for: Couples and food lovers who want upscale without stuffy.

Heads-up: Fare classes (AquaClass, Retreat, Concierge) are a maze, and inclusions differ by cabin in ways the website won't make obvious.

No fixed dining times, no formal nights, strong solo-traveler studios, and the newest Prima-class ships (Aqua, Luna).

Best for: Independent travelers and solo cruisers who hate set seating and dress codes.

Heads-up: 'Free at Sea' perks carry fine print — service charges and limits — and specialty dining is extra. Worth it when you price the whole trip, not the headline fare.

The fastest-growing line in the US market: glamorous ships, strong entertainment, and the Yacht Club — a genuine ship-within-a-ship luxury tier.

Best for: Value hunters who still want polish, and international travelers who like a cosmopolitan ship.

Heads-up: Announcements run in several languages and the service style is European — a feature for some, an adjustment for others. US sailings are still building their homeport map.

18+ only, 20+ eateries included instead of a main dining room and buffet, no drink packages pushed, late-night energy and Scarlet Night parties.

Best for: Adults who bounced off 'traditional cruising' — foodies, couples, groups of friends.

Heads-up: The vibe is the product: if you want formal nights, quiet sea days, or kids' clubs, this isn't it. If you want a floating boutique hotel that parties, nothing else is close.

Mid-size ships, longer and more unusual itineraries, live music venues (B.B. King's, Rolling Stone), and one of the strongest Alaska programs afloat.

Best for: Travelers 50+ who cruise for the places, not the waterslides — and Alaska first-timers.

Heads-up: Nightlife winds down early and you won't find go-karts or surf simulators. That's the point — but know it going in.

The original Love Boat line: MedallionClass wearable tech that finds you anywhere on board, strong Alaska cruisetours, and an easy, elegant onboard rhythm.

Best for: Couples and traditional cruisers who want everything handled smoothly.

Heads-up: Princess Plus and Premier bundles look simple but the math only works for some drinking and dining patterns — run it before you buy it.

The largest US homeport network, the most drive-to departures, casual energy, and the new Excel-class ships (Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee) that seriously raised its game.

Best for: First-time cruisers, families on a budget, and groups who want easy, close-to-home departures.

Heads-up: Short 3–4 night sailings earn the party reputation; the week-long Excel-class product is a different, better animal. Ship choice matters more here than anywhere.

Built around dining — a real culinary program, specialty restaurants included — on calm, mid-size ships of about 1,200 guests. Country-club pace, no waterslides, no announcements every five minutes.

Best for: Food lovers and seasoned cruisers who find the big ships too loud and the megaship dining scene a compromise.

Heads-up: What's included has been reshuffled a few times in recent years, so the sticker rarely tells the whole story. We price it all-in — drinks, excursions, the works — before you commit.

Ocean ships capped at 930 guests, all-veranda cabins, Scandinavian design, and an enrichment program that treats passengers like adults. No kids, no casino, no photo salesmen. One excursion in every port is included.

Best for: Curious travelers, roughly 55+, who cruise to learn and unwind — and ex-river-cruisers moving to the ocean.

Heads-up: Two things to know: evenings are genuinely quiet — no big shows, no gaming floor — and Viking asks for full payment much earlier than other lines, sometimes a year out.

All-suite ships where every suite gets a butler, split between a classic luxury fleet and a serious expedition fleet — Galápagos to the poles. The S.A.L.T. program ties the menu to wherever the ship actually is.

Best for: Travelers who want true luxury and far-flung itineraries in the same booking.

Heads-up: You choose between door-to-door fares (flights and transfers bundled) and port-to-port (ship only). Pick without comparing and you can overpay for convenience you didn't need.

The most inclusive line at sea: excursions, drinks, gratuities, specialty dining — even business-class air on many sailings — folded into one price. Big suites, small ships, no signing chits all week.

Best for: One-price travelers and special-occasion trips where the surprise bill at the end would ruin the gift.

Heads-up: ‘Free unlimited excursions’ is real, but the headline tours sell out and a few carry surcharges. The good stuff gets reserved the week bookings open — timing matters.

Ships of roughly 450–600 guests, all suites, open bars, and a crew that learns your name and your coffee order by day two. Plus expedition ships with two submarines for the ends of the earth.

Best for: Couples who want small, social, and thoroughly spoiled — luxury without formality.

Heads-up: Small ships mean fewer venues: a handful of restaurants, no Broadway revues. Seabourn trades variety for intimacy, every time.

Launched 2023: ships that feel like a design hotel that happens to move. Every suite has an ocean terrace, nine dining experiences are included, and the deck space is enormous for 900-odd guests.

Best for: Hotel-luxury people — the Four Seasons and Ritz crowd — taking their first serious look at cruising.

Heads-up: It's a young brand: the itinerary map is still filling in and the onboard rhythm is still being written. Early-adopter energy, priced against lines with 30-year résumés.

Four ships of about 700 guests built around time in port: more late-night stays and overnights than anyone else in the business, plus country-club casual onboard and a legendary White Night deck party.

Best for: Port collectors and repeat cruisers who've done the standard 7-night circuits and want the deeper cut.

Heads-up: The ships are older and smaller — cabins run cozy and there's no wow-factor hardware. You sail Azamara for where it goes and how long it stays, not for the ship itself.

Crystal Serenity and Symphony relaunched in 2023 under the owners of Abercrombie & Kent: huge space per guest, butlered suites, and the only Nobu restaurant at sea. The loyalists came back — and they were right to.

Best for: Classic-luxury devotees who measure a cruise by service ratios, not ship size.

Heads-up: Know the history: the original Crystal shut down in 2022 under different owners; today's line is a new company sailing the same beloved ships. Product is superb — just book with eyes open and on the right sailing, because two ships means prime dates go early.

Yacht-size ships running from a luxury icebreaker in the Arctic to barefoot-chic in the tropics — French gastronomy, a serious expedition team, and a glass underwater lounge on the Explorer class.

Best for: Expedition travelers who want their Antarctica with fine wine and a proper naturalist team.

Heads-up: It's French first: bilingual announcements, Parisian portions, few US homeports. Charm or friction — depends on you.