Best Cruise Lines of 2015

Best Cruise Lines of 2015: Readers’ Choice Awards 2015

Large Ship Lines #6: Celebrity Cruises

Readers’ Rating: 81.729

Celebrity’s fleet sails seasonally up the East and West coasts, around the Caribbean, Europe, and South America, with year-round itineraries in the Galápagos Islands aboard the Celebrity Xpedition. Cabins are “well laid out and exceptionally comfortable,” and the varied onboard activities ensure that “there is something for everyone.” Of note: The oh-so-peaceful Solarium is the adults-only pool complex aboard Solstice-class ships, including Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, and Reflection.

Photo Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Large Ship Lines #5: Royal Caribbean International

Readers’ Rating: 82.374

This fleet’s 22 vessels include the world’s two largest cruise ships afloat—the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas—and the line’s stops include ports in Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America, among others. On board, there are tons of activities to choose from, including rock climbing and ice-skating. Quantum of the Seas, a futuristic new vessel that includes tech-y touches like increased Internet connectivity, and, yes, a robot bartender, debuted last fall.

Photo Courtesy of Getty

Large Ship Lines #4: Norwegian Cruise Line

Readers’ Rating: 83.023

Cruise casual is the order of the day aboard Norwegian’s fleet of ships, whose routes span the globe from the Falkland Islands to the Greek Isles, and just about everything in between. The relaxed, family-friendly cruises include a wealth of onboard entertainment, including Blue Man Group and Broadway musicals like Rock of Ages.

Photo Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

 

Large Ship Line #3: Princess

Readers’ Rating: 84.463

Encounter an “outstanding crew” on this 18-ship line that sails to the Caribbean, South Pacific, Europe, and South America, among other destinations. Staterooms feature soft tones, wood detailing, and big TVs. The latest addition to the fleet, the Regal Princess, launched in fall 2014 and includes the SeaWalk, a glass-bottomed walkway extending out over the water.

Photo Courtesy of Princess

 

Large Ship Cruise Lines #2: Cunard

Readers’ Rating: 89.411

Anticipate “elegant public spaces” and “a wide variety of excursions” from Cunard’s three liners—Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria—which make transatlantic crossings and extended journeys around the world. This most venerable of cruise lines (two of its ships were christened by the Queen of England) caters to an older, dignified crowd, but there are family-friendly itineraries as well.

Photo Courtesy of Alamy

 

Large Ship Lines #1: Disney

Readers’ Rating: 90.563

This family-friendly line offers cruises to classic getaway destinations like the Bahamas, Hawaii and Alaska, as well as locales like the Panama Canal and the California coast. A two-week transatlantic cruise sails from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. Aboard the Disney Dream, kids and adults alike can zoom down a 765-foot outdoor covered waterslide—the first of its kind on a cruise ship.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

Source: CN Traveler

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