Monday, April 1, 2024

These Are the Best Cruises of 2024, According to T+L's Expert

best rated cruise lines

Viking came in at No. 1 in T+L's best mid-size ship category and river cruise category. Golden said the WBA Hall of Fame honoree's 50 river "longships" are "light-filled floating boutique hotels." Carnival Cruise Line caters to families and casual cruisers with its fleet of ships. Solo travelers will find plenty of inclusive programming aboard Holland America Line, including dance classes, wine tastings, cooking demos and lectures. Each sailing hosts a Solo Travelers party where singles can meet each other, and a roommate matching service pairs same-sex travelers in a shared stateroom to save on surcharges. Passengers aboard SeaDream Yacht Club’s twin mega-yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, have the opportunity to visit small ports around the world on 7- to 15-day itineraries.

Celebrity Cruises

Floatplane and helicopter tours take you around scenic areas like Misty Fjords or land you on a glacier, perhaps for a dog-sledding or hiking adventure on the ice. If you prefer to stay grounded, you can find informative trolley tours of ports like Skagway. On a 10-night cruise, you'll have four sea days (for example, two days from San Francisco to Juneau) plus a day of scenic cruising at a spot like Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Endicott Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park. The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go.

Best Cruise Ship for Dining: Carnival Horizon - Carnival Cruise Line

15 Best Cruise Lines in the US - Yahoo Finance

15 Best Cruise Lines in the US.

Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:39:03 GMT [source]

Virgin Voyages is light-years ahead of the pack when it comes to cruise entertainment. Instead, Virgin scouts acts from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and works with underground theaters in NYC to create something all-new at sea. Intimate venues quite literally immerse passengers in some shows, and the effortlessly diverse casts further the line's come-as-you-are ethos.

best rated cruise lines

Princess Cruises

Also, look at your cruise line's policy terms, as these may detail requirements for unvaccinated people. Finally, check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site to see a detailed list of suggested vaccines per destination. Cruise lines offering or hosting themed trips are Norwegian Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean.

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise - NerdWallet

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:01:35 GMT [source]

MSC Cruises

Carnival also offers all-inclusive rates that will help avoid any surprise expenses, but travelers should of course be prepared to spend more up front. With its endless dedication to kids, Disney Cruise Line breezes to the top of the pack when it comes to the family cruise experience. Larger-than-average staterooms with double-bathrooms, free room service and fountain sodas, and Disney’s spectacular kids facilities and production shows help set the line apart. But Disney doesn’t forget that adults are footing the bill and crafts a memorable experience for them, too. Virgin perfected onboard entertainment in 2023, introducing fresh, eye-popping shows like Lola's Library and Persephone.

Everything from shore excursions, Wi-Fi, and laundry to gratuities, top-shelf liquor, and business-class international flights are included with Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fares. While each luxurious suite features ocean views, nothing beats the view from the epic 4,000-square-foot, two-bedroom Regent Suite, which has two wraparound balconies, three walk-in closets, two Picasso lithographs, and a grand piano. Yacht Club guests get 24-hour butler service and their own dedicated concierge, plus a premium drink and internet package.

However, you should purchase your insurance immediately after booking your trip. Second, purchasing early may qualify you for add-on coverage like “cancel for any reason,” which is typically available only within a specific period (about 15 days) after you book your trip. Your Personal Suite Steward will take care of everything from laundry to snacks to little surprises you hadn’t even considered. While there are a few things you can no longer do on cruises, this cruise line will make you forget all about them.

Ocean Awards

To help narrow it down, we asked a panel of cruise industry experts to nominate their top picks for cruise lines and ships across 12 categories. The latest Silversea ship, Silver Nova, will spend the summer cruising the Inside Passage between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska. In the fall it heads to Asia for trips that include a 16-day Tokyo-to-Singapore swing. In April and August, it will offer itineraries that focus on the history of World War II, with visits to islands involved in the conflict, including Chuuk and Guadalcanal.

When you want to go will depend on which activities you want to do, how you feel about cool weather and rain, and the price. Cruises at the beginning (April and May) and end (September and October) of Alaska's cruise season are generally a bit cheaper than those in June, July and August. Oceania Vista, the line’s first new ship in 11 years, will spend next summer in the Mediterranean.

And we’ve brought back last year's new category showcasing the expedition cruises – small, often sustainable vessels with a shoal of scientific experts onboard – that follow in the wake of adventurers such as Sir Ernest Shackleton. The best time to book an Alaska cruise is when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins — balcony cabins are popular in this scenic destination — and often the best fares. Some activities are included in the cost of the cruisetour; other outings can be booked like shore excursions, depending on your interest and budget. If you're hoping to see the northern lights, booking a cruisetour in September might be your best bet to see the aurora on a cruise vacation.

French luxury cruise line Ponant aims to make passengers feel as if they're traveling on their own private yachts. Guests enjoy Ladurée macarons, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and luxurious Hermès bath products on board. Each of the company's ships features an onboard spa with massage cabins and either a Turkish bath or sauna. Ponant's luxurious small ships sail to remote destinations like Antarctica, incorporating once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as eclipse spotting from the edge of the earth. Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer. Some of the best Alaska cruise lines are Holland America and Princess Cruises because they have especially long histories in the region and offer cruises, as well as cruise and land tour combinations, on multiple ships each season.

The best cruise lines offer travelers the opportunity to experience some of the world’s finest vacation destinations while enjoying a wide variety of amenities for every member of the family. From pools, waterslides and mini golf for kids to spas, shows and nightclubs for adults, there is something for everyone on a cruise ship. The other perks included in your cruise fare will depend on how much you pay; many larger cruise lines offer multiple tiers of fares. The lowest tier will be the cheapest, but you should expect to pay out of pocket for extras like drinks, certain restaurant meals and activities and excursions once you’re on board. Higher fare tiers include more amenities but are significantly more expensive.

This environmentally-friendly ship, which began its inaugural cruise in August, 2023 is the industry’s first hybrid luxury cruise ship. In general, waiting until the last minute is not the best idea, unless you live in Seattle or Vancouver and don't need to book flights. If you're interested in Alaska's gold rush history, Skagway — 90 miles northwest of Juneau — is a port you shouldn't miss. In fact, it's the gateway to the Klondike and Dawson mining district in Canada's Yukon territory, where prospectors searched for gold in the late 1890s. The historic district still has a Wild West feel, though that's been a bit commercialized for the modern era. This port can get crowded in summer when several ships can call on the same day.

Sky Princess carries up to 3,660 passengers on itineraries around Europe and the Caribbean. Cabins include some of the largest balconies at sea, while dining options cater to every taste. Ship highlights include a European-style Piazza atrium, a dedicated jazz theater and one of the best wine bars on a cruise ship. You’ll travel aboard the National Geographic–Lindblad fleet—expedition ships that can navigate narrow waterways and small harbors that aren’t accessible on larger vessels, so you can get as close as possible to amazing sights. The ships are even equipped with kayaks or paddleboards, snorkeling gear and Zodiacs, and hydrophones and underwater cameras for further exploration.

These include a private car and driver in every port, an exclusive private dining experience and an in-suite spa with unlimited treatments. If you're wondering what is the best cruise line for luxury travelers, look no further. Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers an unrivaled experience for the most discerning travelers. All of its ships are truly all-inclusive, with complimentary unlimited shore excursions at its more than 500 ports of call.

In this lounge, you can enjoy complimentary refreshments throughout the day, order room service and meet fellow travelers. Viking Cruises is a river and ocean cruise line that recently added expedition sailings and the Great Lakes trips to its repertoire. "T+L readers rave about the consistency of Viking's vessels and their Scandinavian design," cruise expert Fran Golden reported when Viking once again topped T+L's World's Best Awards last year.

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