How cruise critic picks its winners

Cruise Critic’s Best in Cruise Awards are not a popularity contest that can be won with the loudest marketing. Their editors spend much of the year at sea, logging hundreds of nights across dozens of ships, then compare notes on design, food, service and value. Those expert views are blended with data from Cruisers’ Choice reviews, where only lines with a solid volume of recent feedback are considered. The result is a list that reflects both what the industry is doing well and what real passengers actually rate once they get home.

You can find Cruise Critic's full rundown of winners here, or read on for our summary...

New ships setting the tone

On the ocean side, Celebrity Xcel takes the main “best new ship” title. It pushes Celebrity’s Edge-class concept further, with a more immersive Bazaar space, new restaurants such as Bora and Mosaic, and a livelier evening scene that includes a tucked away speakeasy and a nostalgia friendly arcade. It is familiar enough for existing Celebrity fans but clearly designed to move the brand on again.

In luxury, Oceania Allura gets the nod. Think grand staircase, statement chandelier and a list of restaurants that reads like a food lover’s wish list, from Jacques Pépin’s French cooking to a health focused Aquamar Kitchen that manages to be virtuous without feeling joyless.

On the rivers, Riviera Radiance is Cruise Critic’s pick. Built on Scylla’s latest riverboat platform, it combines neat cabin design, three restaurants made possible by a clever split level layout, and a drinks package that includes wine and beer with meals, which British travellers tend to appreciate almost as much as the scenery.

Lines of the year

Marella Cruises takes the main “best cruise line” win for ocean cruising. The judges highlight new dining concepts, themed sailings and a serious refurbishment of Marella Discovery 2, along with the fact that drinks and tips are wrapped into the fare. For UK holiday makers who like simple pricing, Marella’s all inclusive approach clearly still lands well.

Explora Journeys tops the luxury list. Its small ships feel more like modern hotels than traditional cruise vessels, with large suites, several distinct restaurants rather than one main dining room, and a general sense that life on board is meant to feel fluid rather than regimented.

Avalon Waterways is named best river line, thanks in large part to its Panorama Suites, where the beds face the windows and floor to ceiling glass gives an unbroken view of the banks. Excursions are split into active, classic and discovery options, so you can pick something that suits your energy levels instead of being marched around in a single group.

For expedition cruising, National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions comes out on top. The collaboration between Nat Geo and Lindblad means small ships in serious scenery, with naturalists, photographers and scientists on board and a strong focus on education and research.

Cabins, suites and places to sleep

Celebrity Cruises wins “best cabins” for ocean ships, with Cruise Critic particularly keen on Edge class Infinite Verandas and the line’s rolling programme to upgrade older vessels with newer design touches.

Explora Journeys repeats its success in the luxury cabin category. Entry level Ocean Terrace suites are huge by cruise standards and come with the sort of details you usually only find in smart hotels, such as heated bathroom floors and luxurious hairdryers.

Avalon once again tops the river category, partly because those huge windows are paired with practical features like adjustable tables, decent soundproofing and a choice of mattress firmness. On the expedition side, Seabourn’s generous suites earn the win, with walk in wardrobes, heated kit closets and bathrooms that feel more five star land hotel than hardy explorer.

Royal Caribbean collects the “best suites” title, thanks to its long running obsession with two deck lofts and family suites that look like something from a design experiment rather than a conventional ship plan. MSC Cruises is recognised separately for “best suite complex” for its Yacht Club, the self contained enclave with its own restaurant, pool deck and concierge that has quietly spread across much of the fleet.

Eating and drinking your way around the winners

Virgin Voyages remains Cruise Critic’s favourite for main dining at sea. Its ships avoid the classic big main dining room in favour of several smaller restaurants, all included in the fare, and the buffet feels more like a food hall. New Spanish influenced venue Rojo by Razzle Dazzle is singled out as a recent highlight.

Explora Journeys again leads the luxury field for dining, with six restaurants on relatively small ships and a standard that is pitched squarely at good land based restaurants rather than “good for a ship”. Riverside Luxury Cruises takes the river award with a focus on fresh, local menus and a rather serious approach to outdoor barbecues, while Scenic tops the expedition dining chart thanks to everything from sushi to molecular gastronomy on Scenic Eclipse.

For paid specialty venues, Celebrity Cruises comes first, helped by animated favourite Le Petit Chef, stylish steakhouse Fine Cut, Daniel Boulud’s Le Voyage and a growing focus on destination inspired food on Celebrity Xcel.

Service, value and the softer side of a holiday

In the service categories, Holland America takes the ocean award, reflecting its famously loyal crew and thoughtful small touches, while the Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection is recognised as the luxury winner for blending hotel style polish with relaxed yachty warmth. Scenic is again rewarded on the rivers, partly for the rare inclusion of butler service in every cabin, and Seabourn’s expedition crews complete the set, praised for the way they remember names and preferences without making a fuss.

Value for money remains a hot topic. Marella Cruises adds another trophy there, thanks to its wide list of inclusions and charter flight model. Windstar is named best value luxury line, offering smaller ships and more tailored itineraries without losing the sense of treat. On the rivers, TUI River Cruises gets the value prize for its “full board plus” approach, while Swan Hellenic is recognised in expedition for offering inclusive fares in some very remote regions without constant add ons.

Picking a line by traveller type

If you are travelling with children, Cruise Critic once again points towards Royal Caribbean in the ocean category, thanks to dedicated family neighbourhoods on its newest ships, big water play areas and a strong kids club programme. On the rivers, A ROSA’s family cabins, kids clubs and school holiday programming mark it out as a rarity.

Solo travellers get a nod in the form of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines at sea, with a large number of single cabins and hosted activities, while Riviera Travel wins on the rivers for its no single supplement policies and dedicated solo departures.

Emerald Cruises is highlighted as best for LGBTQ plus travellers on the rivers, with relaxed onboard atmospheres, themed walking tours and overnight stays in some of Europe’s more welcoming cities. HX Expeditions wins “best for adventure” for its mix of classic expedition activities and more unusual options such as snow shoeing, tundra hikes and volcanic walks. Marella and TUI River Cruises are both named best for first timers in their respective sectors, thanks to simple, package style pricing and straightforward ships.

Onboard life, tech and enrichment

Royal Caribbean’s heavy investment in big ticket shows and headline activities keeps it in first place for onboard entertainment, while Scenic River stands out for doing more than the standard pianist and quiz format on its river boats. MSC Cruises is recognised for nightlife that seems determined to ignore the idea of a sensible bedtime.

Norwegian Cruise Line wins the main spa award for its Mandara facilities and thermal suites, while Viking picks up both the luxury and expedition spa categories with its Nordic inspired LivNordic concept. Viking is also the overall enrichment winner on the ocean and river sides, thanks to its mix of lectures, partnerships and cultural excursions, while National Geographic Lindblad is singled out in expedition for the depth of its educational content and local expertise.

Princess Cruises is Cruise Critic’s pick for best digital experience, largely due to its Medallion system and companion app, which smooth away many of the small frictions of life on board.

Routes, ports and the UK angle

For British readers, the itinerary and port awards are particularly relevant. Cunard wins best itineraries in the UK ocean category, helped by a globe spanning 2027 to 2028 programme that includes new Caribbean sailings and plenty of overnights. Regent Seven Seas repeats that trick at the luxury level, with everything from week long Mediterranean trips to a world cruise, and Ponant leads the expedition itineraries with a mix of polar sailings and more unusual routes such as winter voyages on the St Lawrence.

Portsmouth is named best port of call, recognised both for its historic attractions and its investment in greener cruise facilities, while Southampton keeps its crown as best departure port, thanks to continuous upgrades and shore power. P&O Cruises is Cruise Critic’s best no fly line, reflecting its extensive programme of ex Southampton itineraries, and Marella once more comes out on top for fly cruises from a wide range of UK airports.

Perfect Day at CocoCay is still the benchmark private island, Celestyal and Oceania take the main shore excursion awards, and National Geographic Lindblad and Swan Hellenic divide the specialist nods for Alaska, Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galapagos.

Taken together, the 2025 list is less about one big winner and more about a cluster of lines that know exactly what they do well. For Cruise Collective readers, it is a useful shortcut. Whether you care most about cabins, food, family fun or finding a no fly option from the UK, someone has already done the legwork.