Which cruise should you book?

An independent cruise guide for 2026 and 2027. We compare cruise lines, ships, home ports and trips on the same criteria and say plainly who each one suits and who should skip it. Every fact is sourced and every price is dated.

Quick answers

Our top pick for the questions people ask most. Each links to the full ranking with the runners-up and why.

Best cruise line overall
Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Beyond
Modern ships, a better main dining room than the mass-market lines and a calmer feel, at fares far below luxury lines.
From $320Checked October 2026
Best cruise ship overall
Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Cruises
About 3,260 guests, 32 restaurants, bars and lounges, and a design built around adults.
From $499Checked October 2026
Best for families with young kids
Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wish
The strongest kids' clubs at sea, a nursery for the youngest, characters and shows kids know, and rotational dining where your servers move with you.
From $550Checked October 2026
Best adults-only line
Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady
No one under 18 sails.
From $175Checked October 2026
Best for Alaska
Princess Cruises, Star Princess
Eight ships in Alaska for 2027, 85 planned Glacier Bay calls, and five of its own wilderness lodges for cruisetours that include Denali.
From $434Checked October 2026
Best luxury line
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The most inclusive fare at sea: drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and unlimited shore excursions.
From $4,799Checked October 2026
Most 3 to 5 night cruises
Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Radiance
The widest choice of 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises, with regular short sailings from Long Beach and New Orleans as well as Florida.
From $210Checked October 2026
Best for solo travelers
Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Epic
Norwegian introduced the studio cabin and still has the most of them, with a keycard-only Studio Lounge, with coffee and snacks, that makes an easy place to meet other solo guests.
From $109Checked October 2026

Booking now: Christmas and New Year cruises

Pick your week first: in 2026 Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so 7-night sailings leaving December 19 or 20 cover Christmas, and sailings leaving December 26 or 27 cover New Year's Eve. Families should look first at Disney's holiday sailings, couples at Celebrity, food lovers at Oceania, and anyone on a budget at a short Carnival trip.

See our holiday cruise picks

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When you go

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Cruise lines

Who each line suits, who should skip it, and what the fare really includes.

By line and region

Head to head

Line reviews

Ship guides

The ships people search for most: who each suits, which cabins to pick and where it sails.

All 25 ship guides

Rankings and planning

How we work

155 guides, 1,460 sources cited. Every page lists the cruise line, port and press sources behind its facts.
Prices from 31,211 sailings, checked weekly. Each "from" price shows the month it was checked; sailings drop off once they leave. What a cruise costs, by line and region
Same seven criteria for every line. Verdicts are editorial and reviewed every quarter. How we rate cruises
Reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you book through our links; it never changes a verdict. Affiliate disclosure