When it’s time to take a vacation, consider taking a boat trip.
Cruise ships take passengers from around the world to some of the most beautiful, exotic and exciting places on Earth. Each cruise line features different amenities such as spas, stage shows and high-quality restaurants at destinations.
Using a poll created by Condé Nast, we created a list of the best cruise lines in the world, including large, medium and small cruise lines, as well as river cruise lines. The poll was conducted in October 2017, with users rating each line on a five-point scale, from excellent to poor.
How do large ships compare to river vessels? Which line will take you to Egypt? What about Antarctica? Please read carefully to find out. We started with a cruise in Scandinavia.
Score: 80.17
Norwegian Cruise Line is actually based in Florida and sails to Hawaii, Asia, Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Panama, and Alaska. Some of their seven-day cruises cost less than $400 and as much as $1,000.
Score: 80.77
P&O Cruises, based in Southampton, England, offers trips to the Baltic Sea, South Pacific, Norwegian Fjords and Arabian Gulf. Their Belgium cruises start at $392 for three days. A visit to the Canary Islands costs $1141. One of the mid-sized ships, the Oriana, is adults-only and has 7 bars and pubs.
Score: 80.87
Celebrity Cruises offers trips to the Galapagos Islands, Alaska and Europe. The company also offers flight booking services to help its customers reach the ship easily. While it’s more common to travel to the Caribbean on mid-sized ships, Celebrity now offers Southeast Asia cruises starting at $1,269 per person.
Score: 82.19
Costa Cruises sails to the Caribbean, Dubai and the Indian Ocean. These tours start at about $500 per person. Some of their cruise lines have in-cabin spas.
Score: 82.22
P&O Cruises is headquartered in Southampton, England, and has routes to the Baltic Sea, the South Pacific, the Norwegian Fjords and the Arabian Gulf. These larger ships are more family-friendly and feature luxurious suites with private balconies.
Score: 82.48
Star Clippers offers trips to Greece, Southeast Asia and Jamaica. Greece tours feature tours inspired by "Mamma Mia" and start at $1,730 per person.
Score: 83.44
Florida-based Royal Caribbean International operates weekend getaways as well as long-haul trips to destinations such as Bermuda and Cuba. Prices start at $189 per person for weekend trips and $329 per person for a four-night trip to Havana.
Score: 84.1
American Queen Steamboat Co. offers Mississippi River cruises and themed tours, such as Mark Twain or the Civil War. River tours also include tours of the Columbia and Ohio Rivers.
Score: 84.27
Silversea has "ultra-luxury" cruises to Antarctica, Asia and Central America. The company is based in Monaco. Silversea's 16-day trip from Tokyo to Hong Kong costs $10,000.
Score: 84.28
Celebrity Cruises promotes its destinations more than the actual ships themselves, but larger ships offer more onboard experiences—while cruising through the Caribbean, Asia country or near alaska.
Score: 84.46
French Country Waterways offers tours through France’s wine country, including tastings and dining at renowned French restaurants. Guests travel on a private barge, starting at $4,195 per person.
Score: 84.57
Holland America Line offers routes to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest and Thailand. A 19-day trip to Scandinavia, tracing the route of the Vikings, starts at $3,699 per person.
Score: 85.48
Holland America Line offers routes to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest and Thailand. Some of the onboard amenities and activities include a night out with BB King's all-star band.
Score: 85.67
Princess Cruises offers trips through the Panama Canal, the California coast and South America. Caribbean tours start at $539 per person. On their website, you can actually view the floor plans of each of their cruise ships.
Score: 85.73
MSC Cruises offers trips to South Africa, India and Uruguay. Depending on the room, MSC Cruises offers 24-hour butler service and free massages.
Score: 85.81
Silversea has "ultra-luxury" cruise ships, one of which is called the Silver Whisper, and has the amenities of a "grand resort"—all in the middle of the ocean.
Score: 85.87
Headquartered in Seattle, Seabourn Cruise Line offers trips across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Patagonia. A 21-day trip to Antarctica and Patagonia starts at $11,999 per person. Currently, they are promoting travel to Cuba, which was previously unavailable by air or sea.
Score: 86.86
Disney Cruise Line, owned by the Walt Disney Company, offers cruises to Mexico, Bermuda and Alaska. Seven-night trips through the British Virgin Islands start at $2,565 per person.
Score: 87.39
American Cruise Lines operates trips on the Mississippi River, around New England and Alaska. Cumberland River tours start at $3,995 per person.
Score: 87.61
Oceania Cruises operates six cruise ships to places such as South Africa, Singapore and Tahiti. Prices start at $2,999 per person for 12-day cruises around Polynesia.
Score: 87.88
Princess Cruises offers trips through the Panama Canal, the California coast and South America. For $449 per person, you can enjoy a three-day trip to Japan with Princess Cruises.
Score: 88.17
Quark Expeditions specializes in Arctic and Antarctic cruises, including trips to South Georgia. A 10-day trip to Greenland starts at $6,395.
Score: 88.26
Compagnie du Ponant takes passengers to various locations in Corsica, Greenland and Croatia. Eight-day tours of Croatia start at $5,386 per person.
Score: 88.46
Cunard, owned by Carnival Corporation, takes you to the British Isles, Ireland and Cape Town. A 22-day trip to Melbourne starts at $3,359 per person.
Score: 88.47
Viking Ocean Cruises operates trips throughout the Mediterranean, West Africa and Australia. Eight-day cruises around Namibia and Morocco start at $10,999 per person.
Score: 88.92
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has cruise destinations including the Pacific Rim and Alaska. Prices start at $10,299 per person for a 22-night cruise from Miami to Honolulu.
Score: 88.99
Score: 89.17
Celebrity Cruises offers Caribbean cruises starting at $649 per person. One of their smallest ships, the Celebrity Flora, seats just 100 people and is selling tickets to the Galapagos Islands starting in 2020.
Score: 89.26
Cunard, owned by Carnival Corporation, takes you to the British Isles, Ireland and Cape Town. 12-night cruises to the Canary Islands start at $1,629 per person. In 2022, a large ship will be added to the fleet, but the name has not yet been announced.
Score: 89.6
Disney Cruise Line, owned by the Walt Disney Company, offers cruises to Mexico, Bermuda and Alaska. Two-night trips to Mexico start at $1,280 per person.
Score: 89.66
Vantage sails rivers around the world, including through Portugal, Spain and Greece. A 13-day trip to Croatia starts at $4,198 per person.
Score: 89.67
SeaDream Yacht Club sails the Mediterranean wine country and Barbados. A 14-day trip to Puerto Rico starts at $2,999 per person.
Score: 89.71
Paul Gauguin Cruises offers passengers trips to Fiji, Bali and Tahiti. Trips to the Cook Islands, Fiji and Tonga start at $7,045.
Score: 89.77
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has destinations including the Pacific Rim and Alaska.
Prices start at $26,799 per person for a 36-night cruise from Sydney to Singapore.
Score: 90.04
Windstar Cruises takes passengers to Greece, Alaska and Italy. Prices start at $9,999 per person for a 39-day cruise from Vancouver to San Juan.
Score: 90.56
Avalon Waterways offers river cruises through the Netherlands, Germany, Vietnam and India. An 11-day cruise through the Amazon starts at $4,669 per person.
Score: 91.63
Crystal Cruises’ collection of yachts takes sailors to destinations such as the Greek Islands and the United Arab Emirates. A 10-day return flight to Dubai starts at $5,395 per person.
Score: 92.2
Crystal Cruises’ full-size cruises sail to South Africa, Monaco and Antarctica. The line offers a 33-day Christmas cruise from New Orleans to Rio de Janeiro.
Score: 92.3
Aqua Expeditions runs river tours in the Amazon, Vietnam and Cambodia. Seven-night trips along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers start at $9,450 per person.
Score: 92.61
Seabourn Cruise Line offers small cruises to France, Greece and Canada. Prices start at $4,999 per person for a 19-day trip from Greece to Dubai.
Score: 93.22
Amawaterways crosses rivers in Vietnam, Botswana and South Africa. The line also offers special wine tours in Bordeaux, France. Round-trip prices start at $3,599 per person for a seven-night stay in Paris and Normandy.
Score: 94.47
Tucker River Cruises take passengers to iconic German castles and French historical sites. An 11-day trip from Switzerland to the Netherlands starts at $6,290 per person.
Score: 94.72
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises takes guests through Russia, India and Egypt. Prices start at $6,299 per person for a 13-day trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Score: 95.03
The Grand Circle Cruise Line takes travelers across rivers in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Prices start at $4,095 per person for a 13-night trip through France’s wine country.
Score: 96.28
Viking River Cruises' ships are designed to resemble historic Viking ships and offer trips to Russia, Ukraine and Egypt. Prices start at $2,799 per person for a 10-day river trip through Portugal.