Thursday, April 25, 2024

The 16 Best Cruises to Book in 2023, According to T+L's Expert

top 5 cruise lines

You will want some spare cash to spend on excursions and activities on your cruise. A Caribbean cruise by Royal Caribbean International, on the other hand, offers a completely different experience. Rather than cool temperatures and lush forests, exploring the Caribbean will offer you endless sunny days, beautiful clear blue water, and lush palm trees. Royal Caribbean International’s Western Caribbean Cruise, which leaves and returns from Fort Lauderdale, will have you visiting Grand Cayman, Puerto Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Choosing an Alaskan cruise over a Caribbean one will open your eyes up to staggering natural beauty. You will be awed by the landscape’s unspoiled wilderness, magnificent glaciers, and untouched forests.

Royal Caribbean

However, come 2020, the allure of clinking glasses and poolside sunbathing dissipated into thin air as these luxury watercrafts became hotspots for COVID-19 infestation. Some of the best priced cruises can be found on Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises. Norwegian Cruise Lines has affordable cruises like its 7-day Southeast Asia cruise that costs only an average of $837 per person.

Seabourn Cruise Line

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. Themed cruises are cruises where a part of the trip is based on a theme or special interest such as Broadway shows, music, media or even crafts like knitting. Some themes are cruise-wide, while others are group itineraries with exclusive activities. Mediterranean cruises can last anywhere from seven days to two weeks, depending on the company and itinerary. Booking every excursion through the cruise line can add up, but luckily, there are typically more affordable options through third-party companies. As someone who's taken over 50 cruises all over the world, I know firsthand how popular cruising is this year.

What are the best cruise lines of 2024 for every traveler? - Cruise Blog

What are the best cruise lines of 2024 for every traveler?.

Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The best cruise lines in the world: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards

The innovative vessel, which is similar in design to Scenic Eclipse, will have luxurious suites complete with butler service and all sorts of extras, including helicopters (plural) and a submarine. "We have sailed three times on this ship. The experiences have all been exceptional," said one reader about the 10-year-old Celebrity Reflection, the fifth and largest ship in Celebrity Cruises's award-winning Solstice class. As a mega-ship, the Celebrity Reflection does not do the ice skating rinks, waterparks, and amusement-park attractions found on sister line Royal Caribbean International. Instead, the wows are the sophisticated décor and cuisine, an impressive modern art collection — with Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, and Kiki Smith among artists represented — and a real grass lawn up on top.

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. Oceania cruises offer luxury experience at a better value for money than other cruise liners. Its ships conform to the medium size category and travel to destinations all around the world. It is extremely popular among seniors and retirees, partly because it offers extended travel duration which can last up to 195 days! It offers one of the most diverse culinary experiences in the industry, with options ranging from southern Porterhouses, to steamy Callaloo, to delicious Bouillabaisse.

Seabourn

Travelers can engage in amenities such as culinary classes, luxury spas, and destination focused cultural activities. Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in six categories, including river cruising. After deciding on the location you want to see, you will need to decide on the type of cruise you want.

Luxury cruises tend to be smaller, with more staff per guest and more deluxe amenities. Among the amenities, passengers can enjoy upscale accommodations, spas and sauna facilities, water sports equipment and fine dining. It goes without saying that they are significantly more expensive than a mainstream cruise.

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. 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."

top 5 cruise lines

Best Kids Programs

You could also save money by booking a saver fare offered by some cruise lines. Pioneered by Norwegian Cruise Line, solo traveler cabins are becoming more common across the industry. Whereas for many years solo cabins were usually interior grade, there are now oceanview and even balcony cabins available for solo travelers on some lines. Get the kids set up with one of the on-ship Camp Discovery programs including The Treehouse (3-7), The Lodge (8-12) and The Beach House (13-17). In partnership with Discovery, your kids will have immersive hands-on activities, sports competitions, dance classes, movie nights and science programs. Speaking of Camp at Sea, this entertainment center is home to over 500 activities for kids, including arts and crafts, culinary, sport competitions and STEM-based activities.

Her 2022 cruise on Riviera included 70 excursions "from canoeing Croatia’s Cetina River to cooking classes in Athens." They have both specialty (where kids under 12 can eat for free) and a complimentary buffet where even the pickiest eater of the fam will find something to enjoy. Aside from the buffet and 24-hour spots, newer ships offer the Indulge Food Hall. They are set up like a food market, where you can order from any station and have it all brought right to your seat. It was a great experience trying out new dishes and having a family-style meal. If you’re searching for one of the best cruise lines for families, look no further than Disney Cruise Line.

For those staying in certain room tiers, a concierge team is available to help travelers with special requests and booking excursions. And while Disney cruises primarily cater to families, they aren’t just for kids. The ships offer nightclubs, bars and adult-only pools and dining, too, as well as special activities and clubs for teens. Norwegian Cruise Line has proved it’s the clear leader when it comes to solo travelers.

The tours are usually led by locals, which means the guides can also give you some good recommendations if you have time before you need to return to the ship. Even though it means paying for lodging and likely a few meals before boarding the boat, getting a good night's sleep before a jam-packed vacation is worth it to me. Some ports of call, like Nice, France, were easy to get around, but others like Rome were packed to the gills.

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. Just refurbished, the 165-cabin Paul Gauguin will be exploring the Pacific in 2023, with trips to the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Marquesas, and the Society Islands. The single-vessel brand was voted the very best small-ship cruise line in the World’s Best Awards 2022, as T+L readers gave particularly high marks to the Paul Gauguin’s on-board staff.

Its cruises are catered toward couples looking for a relaxing and serene vacation. It sails to places like the Galapagos Islands, Bermuda, and Italy, and though it’s pricier than other lines, offers an unforgettable experience. The company won the 2024 silver award for “Best Cruise Line” from the Travvy Awards, and have been featured in several high end publications.

Your dog or cat can be carried on-board (in a kennel) for a charge (on top of your own fare) of between $800 and $1,600, depending on its size and species. No, you can usually go on a cruise without being vaccinated for COVID-19 or other diseases. However, verify each destination's vaccine policies to ensure they have no requirements. Ships also have a living room where guests can gather to talk or relax while listening to classical music performed by resident musicians.

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