Signature Luxury Travel & Style has assembled an expert panel of cruise and travel industry insiders to identify the world’s best luxury cruise ships and cruise lines.
What is the Signature Luxury Travel & Style Luxury Cruise Awards?
Signature Luxury Travel & Style’s Luxury Cruise Awards is a compendium of the world’s finest ocean, river, expedition, family and tall-ship cruising. Our annual awards celebrate the top cruise lines, cruise ships and operators in the industry.
How are the Luxury Cruise Awards judged?
Our annual Luxury Cruise Awards are judged by a panel of leading luxury cruise experts and travel advisors who rate major cruise lines across 14 key categories, including suites, service, dining, wellness, itineraries and shore excursions. Each cruise line is awarded points that are tallied to determine the overall winners.
Categories
World’s best luxury ocean ships: more than 750 passengers
1. Explora Journeys
Redefining the notion of sustainable luxury at sea, Explora Journeys offers exceptional curated itineraries, sumptuous suites and award-winning cuisine.
2. Oceania Cruises
A standout in the luxury field, Oceania Cruises offers custom guest experiences through impeccable service, enriching excursions and gourmet fare.
3. Viking Ocean Cruises
With sustainability, elevated comfort and cultural immersion at the fore, Viking boasts elegant interiors and unparalleled destination-focused programs.
Finalists: Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Virgin Voyages
World’s best luxury ocean ships: from 251 to 749 passengers
1. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises prioritises exceptional, all-inclusive experiences that cater to travellers seeking destination immersion, effortless attention to detail and superior space.
2. Silversea Cruises
Sailing to more than 9,00 destinations on all seven continents, Silversea Cruises excels on all levels, particularly when it comes to bespoke hospitality. A leader in luxury cruising, Silversea’s fleet of intimate, all-suite ships delivers personalised service, diverse dining options and thoughtfully tailored itineraries.
3. Crystal
An acclaimed industry leader in personalised voyages, Crystal provides butler service for every suite, Broadway-quality entertainment and a signature spa.
Finalists: Azamara, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Paul Gaugin Cruises, Ponant, Seabourn, Windstar Cruises.
World’s best luxury ocean ships: boutique 25 to 250 passengers
1. Silversea
Silversea‘s Silver Origin is a pioneer of experiential travel in the Galápagos, with expert-led excursions, butler service, destination-specific cuisine, all-suite accommodations and exclusive shore excursions.
2. PONANT
Embodying French elegance, PONANT‘s Le Lyrial promises an intimate voyage with exquisite gastronomy, refined interiors and signature spa treatments. Thoughtfully designed staterooms and suites have private balconies and terraces, with the smallest of details creating a five-star ambience.
3. Aqua Expeditions
Raising the bar on intimate exploration, Aqua Expeditions‘ Aqua Blu yacht sails to remote destinations and features bespoke cabins, adventurous itineraries and fine dining.
Finalists: Celebrity Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions
World’s best luxury ocean ships: yachts 50 to 300 passengers
1. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Combining the group’s renowned service with the luxury of a high-end hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection focuses on curating every detail, from world-class cuisine to authentic excursions.e.
2. Scenic
Scenic’s beautifully designed, all-inclusive, ultra-luxe Discovery Yachts sail to the world’s most magnificent destinations across seven continents.
3. SeaDream Yacht Club
SeaDream’s twin mega-yachts set a new standard for level of service and unique experiences at sea, offering unique and exclusive excursions.
Finalists: Emerald Cruises
World’s best luxury ocean ships: tall ships
1. Ponant
Le Ponant is quite possibly the ultimate way to cruise, with just 16 sleek cabins and highly personalised service thanks to a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio. Expect privacy, high-quality water activities on
remote shores and authentic regional gastronomy.
2. Windstar Cruises
Windstar’s fleet of tall ships are the epitome of intimate cruising, blending the private yacht experience with the personalised service of a boutique hotel. Sailing itineraries that port in New Zealand, Tahiti, Asia and Europe, cruising aboard Windstar Cruises is a laid-back yet upper-class affair that ensures every guest feels relaxed and respected.
3. Sea Cloud Cruises
For more than 40 years, Sea Cloud has been pursuing the principle of sustainable cruising. Exuding historic charm and timeless elegance, Sea Cloud’s three windjammers are designed to host a small number of guests and craft exclusive voyages.
Finalists: Star Clippers
World’s best luxury ocean ships for multigenerational travellers
1. Celebrity Cruises
From tots to teens, parents to grandparents, Celebrity Cruises caters to all ages with educational programs, live performances, dining options for kids and family-friendly shore excursions.
2. Norwegian Cruise Line
Balancing adult-oriented amenities like age-restricted lounges with kid-friendly activities, including youth programs, Norwegian Cruise Line caters to all.
3. Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean promises standout getaways that satisfy each generation, with adventure activities, dedicated kids’ and adults’ areas and spacious suites.
Finalists: Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises
World’s best ship-in-a-ship
Cruise lines that offer an exclusive ship cocoon, elevating your sailing experience.
1. Norwegian Cruise Line
Crowning select Norwegian ships, The Haven is an opulent enclave with exclusive access to premium amenities including butler service, a sundeck and private lounges.
2. Celebrity Cruises
On certain Celebrity vessels, The Retreat is replete with dedicated butler service, private sundecks and exclusive bars and restaurants.
3. MSC Cruises
Access to the premium, all-inclusive MSC Yacht Club allows guests to unwind at the exclusive solarium and indulge in fine dining at a private restaurant.
Finalist: Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean
What is an ocean cruise ship?
An ocean cruise ship is a vessel built specifically to meet the needs of traversing open waters. These ships typically showcase a solid design, robust materials and resistant architecture that can withstand the harsh conditions of ocean voyages and long around-the-world routes. Cruise ships are often large with a high guest capacity and sail itineraries with ports of call in tourist hotspots and destinations of interest. These types of ships are considered to be floating resorts and boast facilities such as a spa, gym, theatres, multiple restaurants and bars, pools, sun decks, theme park-style attractions for children and other similar amenities.
Signature Luxury Travel & Style Luxury Cruise Awards
Read more:
The world’s best luxury river cruises
The world’s best luxury expedition cruises
Cruise lines leading the way in sustainable cruising
This article originally appeared in volume 53 of Signature Luxury Travel & Style magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue today.
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