Thank you for voting. You’ve picked the best in cruise — the best ships, the best amenities, and the best destinations. And here they are….
🚢 Float Your Boat
The finalists in this, our highest-profile section of awards, surprise us every year. For example, Viking Cruises, well-known as a river-cruise giant, for the first time has won the Best Ocean Ship title with Viking Vesta. On the rivers, however, Viking was shown up by Riverside Mozart from Riverside Luxury Cruises, emerging as the Best River Ship for the second year running. But there are some long-running dynasties in “Float Your Boat” categories. From at least 2009 to now, Windstar Cruises has always earned top honors as Most Romantic Cruise Line. From 2010 to the present, the Best Casino category has been won handily by Norwegian Cruise Line, and top honors for family cruising have, naturally enough, consistently gone to Disney Cruise Line.
Best Ocean Ship
Viking Cruises (Viking Vesta)
Best River Ship
Riverside Luxury Cruises (Riverside Mozart)
Best Luxury Ship
Explora Journeys, Explora II
Best Expedition Ship
Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot
Best Cruise Line for Teens
Royal Caribbean International
Best Cruise Value-for-the-Money
Carnival Cruise Line
Best Cruise Line for Solo Travelers
Norwegian Cruise Line
Most Romantic Cruise Line
Windstar Cruises
Best Eco-Friendly Cruise Line
MSC Cruises
Best Shore Excursions
MSC Cruises
Best Multigenerational/Family Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean International
Best Cruise Line Private Island
MSC Cruises (Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve)
Best Antarctic Cruise
Atlas Ocean Voyages
Best World Cruise
Cunard
⚓ All Aboard
This year, we slightly tweaked our voting questions to reveal which line has the best cruise directors collectively, and which individual personality captured the hearts of cruisers as Best Social Media Star. Onboard personality Christine Kesteloo won that new category, but she had stiff competition from fans of standout personalities like Captain Kate McCue, vlogger Tony Barnette of La Lido Loca, Carnival’s John Heald for his regular reader Q-and-As, and Viking chief executive Torstein Hagen. (It’s worth noting that a segment of traditional readers in our survey expressed indifference toward social media influencers, preferring dedicated ship reviews and destination coverage over influencer content.)
Best Onboard Activities
Royal Caribbean International
Best Onboard Enrichment
Viking
Best Main Dining Room Cuisine
Oceania Cruises
Best Specialty Restaurant
Oceania Cruises, Red Ginger
Best Accommodations
Celebrity Cruises
Best Casino
Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Spa Facilities
Royal Caribbean International
Best Wellness Programs
Explora Journeys (Ocean Wellness – The Spa)
Best Fitness Facilities
Celebrity Cruises
Best Onboard Shopping
MSC Cruises
Best Facilities for Guests with Disabilities
Holland America Line
Best Children’s Programs
Disney Cruise Line
Best Cruise Ship Entertainment
Royal Caribbean International
Best Service
MSC Cruises (Yacht Club)
Best Onboard Bar/Lounge
Princess Cruises (Crooners)
Best Cruise Director
Viking Cruises
Best Cruise Social Media Star
Christine Kesteloo
Best Onboard Technology
Princess Cruises
Best Cruise Line App
Virgin Voyages
Hot Spots & Cool Places
The Med once again outperformed the Caribbean and Alaska as a popular cruise region, with voters singling out ports like Istanbul, Rome, Athens, and the Greek Islands as favorites … after category leader Barcelona. The Spanish port attracted voters with landmarks like La Sagrada Familia and the Montserrat monastery, as well as excursions like city walks and culinary tours with knowledgeable local guides … and tastings of Spanish wines and local oysters. South American winner Ushuaia, Argentina, is an indicator of a different continent’s growing popularity: It’s the most common departure port for cruises to Antarctica.
Best European River Cruise Destination
Budapest (Danube)
Best African River Cruise Destination
Luxor (Nile)
Best N. American River/Great Lakes Cruise Destination
Montréal (St. Lawrence)
Best Asian River Cruise Destination
Ho Chi Minh City (Mekong)
Best Caribbean Cruise Destination
USVI
Best Caribbean Shopping Destination
St. Maarten
Best Caribbean Beach Destination
Grand Cayman
Best Alaska Cruise Destination
Juneau
Best Canada/New England Cruise Destination
Québec City
Best Hawaii Cruise Destination
Honolulu, Hawaii
Best Mexico Cruise Destination
Cozumel, Mexico
Best Central America Cruise Destination
Belize City, Belize
Best South America Cruise Destination
Ushuaia, Argentina
Best Northern Europe/Baltic Cruise Destination
Bergen, Norway
Best Mediterranean Cruise Destination
Barcelona, Spain
Best Asia/Pacific Rim Cruise Destination
Singapore
Best South Pacific Cruise Destination
Moorea, Tahiti
Best Middle East Cruise Destination
Dubai, UAE
Best Africa/Indian Ocean Cruise Destination
Cape Town, South Africa
Best Australia/New Zealand Cruise Destination
Auckland, New Zealand
To read more of the best in cruise and travel, subscribe to Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine..
WE HAVE OUR WINNER!
Every year, one lucky voter is selected at random to win a special prize. This year, it’s a diamond bracelet from Monarch Jewels of Alaska … and the lucky voter is Kandi Hurley! A 100-cruise-day medalist with Holland America, she loves cruising with her husband Mark (and mascots Froggy and Cricket). “We both love cruising as it allows us to see the world,” she says. “Our goal was to visit all seven continents which was achieved July 2, 2025, with our trip to Africa.”
Their cruise favorites go to two extremes: “The serene quiet and sheer beauty of Antarctica made it to the top of our list (penguins were cool too). But French Polynesia, with its beauty and diverse cultures, made it a tie for first place.”
Here’s to many more happy cruises in the world’s most beautiful places — with a little more sparkle from our friends at Monarch.
Kandi and Mark Hurley
