Cruiseline.com Announces Winners of 2026 Member Choice Awards, Recognizing Excellence in Cruise Lines, Ships, and Destinations for the Year

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruiseline.com is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Member Choice Awards. Now in its eleventh year, these awards recognize top cruise lines, ships, and destinations. Recognition is based on reviews submitted to Cruiseline.com by community members who sailed and reviewed cruises between January and December 2025.

These honors provide valuable insights into the performance of cruise lines and ships, while also recognizing the contributions of community members who shared their reviews over the past year. Awards are presented in the following categories: Overall Cruise Lines, Overall Cruise Ships, Best New Cruise Ships, Dining, Service, Staterooms, Activities/Entertainment, Top Cruise Ports, and Private Cruise Line Destinations.

The competition among cruise lines, ships, and destinations was more intense than ever this year, reflecting the industry's significant growth in 2025. Notably, 2026 saw the debut of several new ships and enhancements to private-cruise-line destinations.

In the highly competitive best cruise line category, Royal Caribbean took the top honors for Best Mainstream Cruise Line for the year, followed closely by Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line. Viking Ocean Cruises was named the Best Premium Cruise Line, while Crystal secured the number one spot for Best Luxury Cruise Line. In the world of river cruising, AmaWaterways received the highest ratings, taking the award for Best River Cruise Line.

Highest-scoring cruise ships were also recognized for their excellence in onboard experience. Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas was the standout winner of the year, earning the title of Best Overall Cruise Ship. Utopia of the Seas also swept the categories for best ship for dining, service, and staterooms, proving its popularity among sailors. In the category of Best New Cruise Ship of 2026, Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas made an impressive debut to claim the number one ranking.

Awards were also given to cruise destinations that left a lasting impression on travelers. Skagway, Alaska, was rated the Best Cruise Port, marking the enduring appeal of Alaskan itineraries. Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay was awarded the title of Best Cruise Line Private Destination, with the Caribbean port receiving top marks.

"We congratulate all the cruise lines, ships, and ports recognized in the 2026 Cruiseline.com Member Choice Awards. These awards would not be possible without the support of our community members who took the time to share their cruise experiences and insights with us over the past year," said Jamie Cash, Chief Operating Officer of Cruiseline.com. "A special congratulations to Royal Caribbean, Viking Ocean Cruises, Crystal, and AmaWaterways for their remarkable performance in this year's rankings, as well as to the other top cruise lines, ships, and destinations for earning exceptional recognitions from our members."

The following are all winners of the 2026 Member Choice Awards for Best Cruise Lines, Cruise Ships, and Cruise Ports. Each awards category is linked to Cruiseline.com, where you can find detailed rankings and analysis.

Cruise Line Awards

2026 winners for best cruise lines overall, dining, onboard activities/entertainment, service, and staterooms are:

Best Mainstream Cruise Line

1. Royal Caribbean - 4.425
2. Celebrity Cruises - 4.381
3. Holland America Line - 4.324
4. Disney Cruise Line - 4.323
5. Virgin Voyages - 4.315

Best Premium Cruise Line

1. Viking Ocean Cruises - 4.388
2. Windstar Cruises - 4.381
3. Azamara - 4.369
4. Oceania Cruises - 4.200
5. Cunard - 4.174

Best Luxury Cruise Line

1. Crystal - 4.5401
2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises - 4.484
3. Silversea Cruises - 4.470
4. Seabourn - 4.460
5. Explora Journeys - 4.339

Best River Cruise Line

1. AmaWaterways - 4.628
2. Avalon Waterways - 4.613
3. Uniworld River Cruises - 4.540
4. Viking River Cruises - 4.510
5. American Cruise Lines - 4.488

Best Cruise Line for Food and Dining

1. Celebrity Cruises - 4.309
2. Royal Caribbean - 4.294
3. Viking River Cruises - 4.276
4. Azamara Cruises - 4.248
5. Viking Ocean Cruises - 4.246

Best Cruise Line for Staterooms 

1. Celebrity Cruises - 4.536
2. Disney Cruise Line - 4.509
3. Viking Ocean Cruises - 4.498
4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises - 4.492
5. Windstar Cruises - 4.491

Best Cruise Line for Service 

1. Royal Caribbean - 4.723
2. Celebrity Cruises - 4.675
3. Viking Ocean Cruises - 4.622
4. Azamara Cruises - 4.620
5. Virgin Voyages - 4.616

Best Cruise Line for Activities and Entertainment

1. Royal Caribbean - 4.282
2. Celebrity Cruises - 4.186
3. Disney Cruise Line - 4.156
4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises - 4.100
5. AmaWaterways - 4.100

Cruise Ship Awards

The 2026 winners of best overall cruise ships, new ship of the year, dining, onboard activities/entertainment, service, and staterooms are:

Best Overall Cruise Ship 

1. Utopia of the Seas - 4.591
2. Wonder of the Seas - 4.502
3. Star of the Seas - 4.486
4. Oasis of the Seas - 4.461
5. Mariner of the Seas - 4.454
6. Symphony of the Seas - 4.453
7. Icon of the Seas - 4.451
8. Celebrity Ascent - 4.446
9. Harmony of the Seas - 4.433
10. Celebrity Silhouette - 4.420

Best New Cruise Ship of 2026

1. Star of the Seas - 4.620
2. Celebrity Xcel - 4.512
3. Brilliant Lady - 4.473
4. Viking Vesta - 4.459
5. Star Princess - 4.456

Best Cruise Ship for Food and Dining

1. Utopia of the Seas - 4.488
2. Icon of the Seas - 4.423
3. Celebrity Beyond - 4.383
4. Star of the Seas - 4.354
5. Mariner of the Seas - 4.344

Best Cruise Ship for Staterooms 

1. Utopia of the Seas - 4.654
2. Symphony of the Seas - 4.628
3. Odyssey of the Seas - 4.581
4. Celebrity Ascent - 4.570
5. Celebrity Beyond - 4.567

Best Cruise Ship for Service 

1. Utopia of the Seas - 4.793
2. Enchantment of the Seas - 4.743
3. Wonder of the Seas - 4.738
4. Symphony of the Seas - 4.735
5. Icon of the Seas - 4.734

Best Cruise Ship for Activities and Entertainment

1. Icon of the Seas - 4.454
2. Allure of the Seas - 4.384
3. Freedom of the Seas - 4.382
4. Carnival Freedom - 4.348
5. Harmony of the Seas - 4.336

Cruise Port Awards

The top-rated cruise ports and cruise line private destinations for 2026, as reviewed by our community, are:

Best Cruise Ports

1. Skagway, Alaska - 4.520
2. Juneau, Alaska - 4.501
3. Willemstad, Curaçao - 4.482
4. Oranjestad, Aruba - 4.458
5. Barcelona, Spain - 4.457
6. Philipsburg, St. Maarten - 4.4556
7. Ketchikan, Alaska - 4.451
8. Sitka, Alaska - 4.435
9. Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda - 4.432
10. Vancouver, British Columbia - 4.431

Best Cruise Line Private Destination 

1. Castaway Cay, Bahamas - 4.618
2. Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas - 4.614
3. Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas - 4.381
4. The Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas - 4.302
5. Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Bahamas- 4.242

View all winners and overall scores from submitted review data on Cruiseline.com.

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About Cruiseline.com

Finding the right cruise is not easy, so Cruiseline.com is here to simplify the process. Everyone from first-time cruisers to seasoned sailors can find their dream vacation using Cruiseline.com's reviews, cruise advice articles, advanced deal search features, user-submitted photos, and an authentic community ready to talk about cruising. 

What sets Cruiseline.com apart? Verified reviews from community members – that means genuine reviews by real people. These reviews cover every aspect of their cruise experience, from onboard dining to service, entertainment, and ports. Through a partnership with major cruise agencies, Cruiseline.com gathers real reviews from actual cruisers who have sailed on the ships they are reviewing.

Media Contact
Brooke Franco
Public Relations & Community Manager, Cruiseline.com and Shipmate
bfranco@cruiseline.com
877-958-7447

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