Princess Cruises tops 800,000-vote Condé Nast ranking of the world's best cruise lines

Nearly 800,000 travelers cast votes in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards for the best cruise lines in the world — and the winner in the most competitive category wasn't the line that operates the nine largest ships on the planet.

Princess Cruises claimed the top spot in the megaship category — vessels carrying more than 4,000 passengers — with a score of 92.35, beating Royal Caribbean International, which scored 86.45 and operates ships capable of carrying up to 7,600 passengers stretching nearly 1,200 feet. MSC Cruises ranked third, followed by Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Princess entered the megaship tier on the strength of two recent additions to its fleet: Sun Princess, launched in 2024, and Star Princess, launched in 2025. Each carries up to 4,300 passengers, making them the largest ships in the Princess fleet, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Princess Cruises has come a long way since its Love Boat days; the TV show was filmed on its former ship Pacific Princess, which only carried up to 626 passengers.— Condé Nast Traveler

Royal Caribbean's second-place finish comes despite — or perhaps because of — the sheer scale of its fleet. Its biggest vessels offer onboard attractions ranging from water parks to live productions, according to Condé Nast Traveler. MSC's megaships carry between 5,300 and 6,700 passengers. Carnival's larger ships include a roller coaster at sea, while Norwegian offers water parks, go-kart racing, and virtual-reality gaming.

The large-ship category — vessels carrying between 2,500 and 3,999 passengers — produced a different winner entirely. Virgin Voyages, the adults-only line praised by the publication for its dining and described as having a 'sexy, party-hard atmosphere,' took first place with a score of 91. Disney Cruise Line followed in second with 90.75, and Holland America Line ranked third with 90.57. Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises rounded out the top five, putting Princess among the highest-rated lines in two separate size categories.

The awards extended well beyond the biggest ships. In the medium-ship segment, Viking ranked first, with Crystal Cruises and Explora Journeys close behind. Viking also took the top spot for river cruise lines. Regent Seven Seas Cruises won the small-ship category for vessels carrying fewer than 500 passengers. For expedition cruises — think Antarctica or remote destinations — andBeyond was ranked first, with Celebrity Cruises placing third in that category on the strength of its Celebrity Flora, which sails the Galápagos.

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards are an annual survey-based ranking. The 2026 edition drew votes from travelers around the world and was widely reported in mid-October 2026. The awards cover multiple travel categories beyond cruising.

Why it matters — For anyone planning a cruise, this ranking — drawn from nearly 800,000 real traveler votes and segmented by ship size — offers a practical guide to which lines actually satisfy passengers, not just which ones are biggest.

Reported by foxnews.com, nine.com.au