Best cruise lines in the world revealed

The best cruise lines have been announced after Condé Nast Traveller readers voted in the 2022 Reader’s Choice Awards.

The findings, which investigated the crème de la crème of travel, examined cruise lines with ships of all sizes.

So if you’re keen to sail on a small ship but want the very best, this list of results will help guide you. Want to be on the world’s biggest ships? You’ll find the lines with the most beloved offerings below.

We looked at the top five cruise companies in each category to give you a snapshot of the best cruise lines in the world for 2022.

1. Royal Caribbean International
2. MSC Cruises
3. Norwegian Cruise Line

The mega ship category applies to vessels with more than 4,000 passengers.

You can find out all about Royal Caribbean’s latest mega ship in our guide to Wonder of the Seas here as well as what the brand is doing for sustainability.

Discover everything you need to know about entertainment on MSC Cruises here and check our guide to Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship Norwegian Prima.

1. Norwegian Cruise Line
2. Virgin Voyages
3. Celebrity Cruises
4. Disney Cruise Line
5. Holland America Line

The large ship category applies to ships with 2,500 to 4,000 passengers.

Virgin Voyages has climbed the ranks to second place in 2022 as it continues to do away with cruise stereotypes and break the mould (hooray!). We’ve got the latest on what Virgin is doing to go green here plus the best excursions to enjoy in Spain.

Celebrity Cruises continues its relationship with Goop-founder Gwyneth Paltrow – last month she attended a bespoke wellness experience on Celebrity Beyond. The nine-night Italian Riviera & France sailing departed from Barcelona and anchored in Rome, Italy, to welcome guests for the never-before-seen programme on the ship.

1. Viking Ocean Cruises
2. Oceania Cruises
3. Seabourn
4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
5. Silversea Cruises

The medium ship category applies to ships with between 500 and 2,500 passengers.

These winners all offer great LGBT-friendly cruises as you can see in our guide to inclusivity at sea.

Fun fact, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ world cruise for 2024 (a whopping 34,000 miles long) sold in just over two hours when it went on sale which goes to show how popular this luxury line is.

1. Ponant
2. Paul Gauguin Cruises
3. Silversea Cruises
4. American Cruise Lines
5. Seabourn

Small ships signify vessel with fewer than 500 passengers.

Ponant came first in not one but two categories in the Reader Choice Awards which goes to show how well this luxury yacht and expedition cruise performs.

Highlights of its ships include the Blue Eye Lounge, an underwater multi-sensory environment with comfortable seating and privileged views of life beneath the waves, and its fleet of Zodiacs deployed throughout each itinerary for sightseeing excursions and trips ashore.

Sailawaze was lucky to attend the christening of Silversea’s latest ship Silver Origin – read about it here.

1. Viking River Cruises
2. American Cruise Lines
3. Tauck
4. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
5. Grand Circle Cruise Line

Viking came in the top five for an impressive three categories – the cruise line has more than 30 ships sailing the waterways of the world, from the Nile and Danube to the Mississippi.

Runner-up American Cruise Lines operates 13 ships along the Eastern Seaboard and Western Seaboard (including Alaska) along with the Mississippi-Ohio and Columbia-Snake river systems in the USA.

1. Ponant
2. Viking Expedition Cruises
3. Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
4. Silversea Cruises
5. Atlas Ocean Voyages

Runner-up Viking took delivery of its second expedition ship, Viking Polaris, in September and was named by its ceremonial godmother, polar explorer Ann Bancroft. The ship will spend the southern hemisphere summer in Antarctica, before heading north to the Great Lakes for a series of cruises over the spring and summer.

Silversea’s Silver Origin will be the most luxurious expedition vessel to sail in the Galápagos Islands.