2023 Member Choice Awards: Best Cruise Lines Overall
With cruising back in full swing and ships gradually returning to full capacity, the reviews from cruisers were pouring in for the calendar year 2022. By and large, travelers loved their cruise experience and were more than satisfied with the cruise line they had chosen for their vacation. It’s not to say that 2022 was without its challenges. Many cruise lines have struggled to get crew fully trained and back into place and return to all the shipboard activities and entertainment cruisers have come to expect over the years. But, overall, 2022 was filled with pent-up demand from avid and new cruisers alike setting their sights on the high seas to fulfill their vacation dreams.
In culling through thousands of reviews, Cruiseline.com and Shipmate members rewarded their favorite cruise lines with high praise and scores to match. The review data collected during 2022 shows that cruising has returned, is more popular than ever, and cruise lines delivered an extraordinary vacation experience. For the best lines overall, the 2023 awards have added several new categories and broken out previously combined categories such as luxury and river.
Without further ado, the Best Cruise Lines Overall (insert drum roll) are…
Best Mainstream Cruise Lines
- Royal Caribbean - 4.39
- Celebrity Cruises - 4.37
- Carnival Cruise Line - 4.33
- Disney Cruise Line - 4.31
- Virgin Voyages - 4.29
With hundredths of a point separating most lines, it’s clear that the mainstream category is not only very competitive, but the lines are also highly regarded. At the top of the leaderboard, Royal Caribbean continues to take top honors as best overall for the third year in a row.
Celebrity continues to rank at the top again this year, coming in second overall. In past years Celebrity was part of the Premium category of cruise lines, but for this year, the award categories are following the same break out on our site with the “big 9,” all competing head to head in the mainstream category. Additionally, Celebrity has walked back its ‘Always Included’ lead-in pricing program, touting all the value-added amenities included in the upfront pricing. While it’s stil available to purchase, Celebrity has returned to promoting a cruise-only price point, making it appear more competitive and attractive to those considering other lines.
The newcomer cruise line, Virgin Voyages, makes its second appearance in the awards and secures a solid fifth place against lines with significantly more capacity. With so many included amenities in Virgin’s pricing, it’s no wonder the line is receiving rave reviews. Currently sailing with two ships and adding two more in 2023, expect to see more awards in the future from this cutting-edge adult-only cruise line.
Read More: Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady Cruise Review
Best Premium Cruise Lines
- Viking Ocean Cruises - 4.25
- Windstar Cruises - 4.22
- Oceania Cruises - 4.18
- Azamara Cruises - 4.16
- Cunard - 4.12
In this competitive group of premium cruise lines, it’s no surprise that the top 5 are close in scores where again, hundredths of a point separate the lines. The “premium” category has changed from previous years. In 2022, we broke out Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, and Virgin as premium lines as they are more upscale than their mainstream counterparts. However, for 2023 we have taken a more traditional approach, using the same categorization used on our site. For the 2023 awards, the “premium” category consists of exceptionally premium lines, given the product they deliver on board.
Viking Ocean Cruises has made an impressive 5.7% jump in overall rating compared to last year's results. Likewise, tried and true fan-favorite Oceania Cruises is consistent with its year-over-year score and delivers a remarkable experience for guests. Not to be outdone, Windstar, Azamara, and Cunard all make their inaugural appearance in the top 5, with members loving the smaller ship cruising.
Truly these top 5 lines, along with their competitive counterparts, offer a premium onboard experience from fine dining and larger cabins to unique itineraries and exceptional onboard amenities and enrichment programs. In addition, these lines have a higher crew-to-guest ratio, smaller ships, and higher service levels. Of course, these luxuries come with a higher average price per day upfront cost, but these lines typically offer more inclusions such as specialty dining, wifi, and gratuities. Coupled with larger staterooms and higher service levels, it’s no wonder these lines received high marks overall.
Best Luxury Lines
- Seabourn - 4.17
- Regent Seven Seas - 4.14
- Silversea Cruises - 4.09
- SeaDream Yacht Club - 3.98
- Compagnie Du Ponant - 3.86
The luxury category is a smaller niche category of lines, highly competitive and uniquely different. From World Cruises to 7-night Caribbean, these luxury lines offer worldwide itineraries, top-notch service, and some of the best dining experiences, land or sea. In years past, these lines have competed with the premium lines above and river cruise companies. However, given the number of ships entering service for the luxury lines, it’s time to break out the true luxury lines for the recognition they deserve.
With its yacht-style ships and a bit more casual onboard (think high-end country club), Seabourn offers a genuinely relaxed luxury experience. Loyal cruisers and even those new to cruising have rewarded Seabourn with top honors and high marks. In very close competition and again with only a hundredth of a point separating a few lines, Regent Seven Seas is another shining star in the luxury category. In 2022, RSSC ranked 5th overall with a total score of 3.788 and jumped all the way to the 2nd spot in 2023. Also notable is Silverea, at 3.798, ranked fourth last year and has impressed cruisers enough to secure the third place ranking with a nice 7.7% increase in the overall score. This year, by separating the luxury lines into their own category, newcomers to the top rankings include SeaDream Yacht Club and Compagnie Du Ponant to the luxury leaderboard.
Overall these luxury lines deliver an onboard product second to none and rival luxury land-based resorts. Additionally, operating smaller, more intimate ships allows these brands to truly invest in service and guest experience. The luxury lines offer larger cabins, many with butler service, and the most inclusions sea. A luxury cruise is certainly one to consider for a future cruise, special celebration, or to experience what makes these lines unique in their onboard product and experience.
Best River Cruise Lines
- American Cruise Line - 4.34
- Viking River Cruises - 4.11
- AmaWaterways - 3.34
- Avalon Waterways - 2.94
- Uniworld - 2.60
River cruising is reaching popularity like never before, with lines adding a record number of boats in recent years. With so many choices in river cruising, it’s time to break out the category to stand on its own rather than be combined with premium/luxury ocean lines as in years past.
While we were surprised to see American Cruise Line top the list as a fan-favorite, their unique itineraries sailing the rivers and waterways of the US make this line an excellent choice for travelers still waiting to embark on international travel. Given the sheer number of river boats in Europe and on various rivers worldwide, it’s no surprise to see Viking River Cruises in the number two spot. With AmaWaterways, Avalon, and Uniworld primarily focused on European rivers, these lines finally had an entire season in 2022 back to full operation with very few restrictions (if any) remaining for guests to travel. For the 2023 sailing year, we expect to see a record-setting number of reviews for these fantastic lines and the exceptional product they deliver to guests.
Final Thoughts
Interestingly, in 2022, many lines were still operating at reduced capacity for at least part of the year. Additionally, many lines dealt with crew/staffing issues but found ways to deliver guests a memorable experience despite the challenges. These issues were mostly resolved towards the end of 2022, returning ships to full or nearly full capacity. Coupled with pent-up demand, future cruise credits to be used, and all the great promotional offers in Wave Season 2023, there has never been a better time to cruise. From solo travelers to couples, families, and groups, there is indeed a cruise line to fit every budget, activity level, interest, and destination. In addition, several lines, such as MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages, offer a match status program that matches your past passenger status from other lines, giving a true incentive to try a new cruise line.
Congratulations to all the winning cruise lines for exceeding guests' expectations and delivering a highly regarded vacation experience.
Want to make sure your favorite cruise line is on top of the leaderboard? Then, be sure to Write a Review after every cruise!
More Awards!
2023 Member Choice Awards for Best Ships
2023 Member Choice Awards for Best Ship Onboard Experience
2023 Member Choice Awards for Best Cruise Lines Onboard Experiences
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