Best cruise ships for 2026–2027, ranked by who they suit
Celebrity Beyond is the best cruise ship for most adults in 2026–2027: a modern design, strong restaurants and a Caribbean week without mega-ship crowds. Icon of the Seas is the best cruise ship for families and teens, Oceania's Vista has the best food, and Sun Princess is our pick for Europe.
Book it if
- You want one ship to start with for a family trip, a couples' trip or a food-first trip.
- You're choosing between a new mega-ship and something calmer.
- You want a reason for each pick, and the catch that comes with it.
Skip it if
- You want numeric scores or star ratings. We don't publish them.
- You need a small expedition or luxury ship. Those are in our luxury and small-ship picks.
- Your dates and departure port are fixed. Start from the port guide instead.
How we picked
There is no single best cruise ship, because a ship that is perfect for a family of five is the wrong ship for a couple who want a quiet dinner. So this list names the best ship for each kind of trip, then puts them in order of how many travelers each one suits.
We chose from ships that sail for the big lines U.S. travelers book, and we favored ships we have covered in a full guide. Each pick is judged on the criteria in how we rate cruises: the ship itself, food, service, itineraries and what the fare really costs once extras are added. The order is an editorial opinion with a stated reason, not a score.
If you haven’t chosen a line yet, read cruise lines ranked first.
The best cruise ships, ranked
Best cruise ship overall
Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Beyond (Edge class, 2022)
Why: About 3,260 guests, 32 restaurants, bars and lounges, and a design built around adults. It sails the Caribbean all year from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, mostly on 7-night trips.
Watch out: No water slides or water park, so young children will be short of things to do. It is priced as a premium ship, and crew gratuities are extra even on All Included fares.
From $486 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship for families and teens
Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas (Icon class, 2024)
Why: Seven pools, the Category 6 water park with six slides, and separate neighborhoods for toddlers, thrill-seekers and adults. Each age group has its own part of the ship.
Watch out: Always busy, among Royal Caribbean's priciest ships, and many restaurants cost extra. It leaves Miami for Galveston in August 2027.
From $1,184 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship for food
Oceania Cruises, Vista (Allura class, 2023)
Why: Every specialty restaurant is included in the fare, along with Wi-Fi and gratuities, on a ship of 1,200 guests. Food is the reason people book it.
Watch out: Adults only (18 and over) for new bookings, quiet evenings and a much higher fare than the big-ship lines.
From $3,900 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship for young children
Disney Cruise Line, Disney Treasure (Wish class, 2024)
Why: The newest Disney design on a full week: 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, with a day at Castaway Cay on most trips.
Watch out: Disney fares are usually the highest among the family lines, and alcohol, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra. For three or four nights, look at Disney Wish instead.
From $1,638 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship in Europe
Princess Cruises, Sun Princess (Sphere class, 2024)
Why: The newest design Princess sails in the Mediterranean, with 7-day cruises from Barcelona, Rome and Athens that link into longer trips. In 2027 it adds Istanbul and Trieste.
Watch out: About 4,300 guests is a lot of people in a small Greek harbor, and there are no water slides for kids.
From $1,125 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship for adults
Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady (2021)
Why: Adults only, with every restaurant, basic drinks and Wi-Fi in the fare and no main dining room. It sails the Caribbean in winter and the Greek Isles and Mediterranean in summer.
Watch out: No traditional buffet or formal nights, and late-night parties are part of the product. All four Virgin ships are near-identical, so pick by itinerary.
From $647 per personChecked October 2026Best cruise ship for Alaska
Princess Cruises, Star Princess (Sphere class, 2025)
Why: The newest ship in the Princess fleet, sailing 7-day Inside Passage round trips from Seattle in summer 2027, so there is no flight to Vancouver.
Watch out: About 4,300 guests, the most Princess carries, and no water slides. It spends the winter months in the Caribbean, so Alaska is a summer-only choice.
From $389 per personChecked October 2026Best MSC cruise ship
MSC Cruises, MSC World America (World class, 2025)
Why: MSC's newest ship built for American guests, on 7-night Caribbean weeks from Miami that almost always stop at Ocean Cay. Fares often undercut Royal Caribbean's newest ships.
Watch out: Up to about 6,760 guests when full, and drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and gratuities are extra unless you buy a package.
From $805 per personChecked October 2026Best big ship on a budget
Carnival Cruise Line, Mardi Gras (Excel class, 2021)
Why: Carnival's first Excel-class ship, with the BOLT roller coaster, six zones and a lot of casual food in the fare. From late May 2027 it sails 4- and 5-day Bahamas trips from Port Canaveral.
Watch out: About 5,300 guests at double occupancy, BOLT rides cost extra, and the steakhouse, sushi and teppanyaki all carry a charge.
From $529 per personChecked October 2026
Why the top three rank where they do
Celebrity Beyond first. It is not the biggest ship or the cheapest, but it has no weak spot for adults: new cabins, a long list of places to eat and a calmer feel than the mega-ships. It ranks first for the same reason Celebrity leads our line ranking. See the Celebrity Beyond guide for cabins to pick and avoid.
Icon of the Seas second. For families it would be first. Nothing else at sea gives children and teenagers as much to do, and the neighborhoods keep the loud parts away from the quiet ones. It ranks below Beyond only because it suits a narrower group: if you don’t want slides, shows and crowds, it is the wrong ship. Its sister Star of the Seas is nearly the same trip from Port Canaveral. Full details in the Icon of the Seas guide.
Vista third. It is the best ship here for anyone who plans a trip around meals, and it carries a fraction of the guests of the ships above it. The narrow audience and the fare keep it out of the top two. Its sister Allura is the same design and two years newer. See our Oceania Cruises guide.
Best cruise ships for teens
Icon-class ships are the clear pick with teenagers: Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, which entered service in July 2026. The water park, the pools and the sheer number of places to eat let teens go off on their own.
Two cheaper choices: Mardi Gras, with its roller coaster, slides and ropes course, and MSC World America. Avoid ships built around adults when you travel with a teenager who wants rides. Celebrity Beyond and the Princess Sphere-class ships have teen clubs but no slides. Our family cruise picks go into more detail.
Best cruise ships in Europe
Sun Princess is our pick for a first Mediterranean cruise on a big, new ship. Its 7-day routes can be joined into 14- or 21-day trips, and a ship that size makes the sea days easy.
Other good choices depend on what you want. Scarlet Lady sails the Greek Isles and the Mediterranean from Athens and Barcelona in summer, for adults only. Oceania’s ships spend spring to autumn in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe with longer port days. MSC World Europa is the mega-ship choice in the western Mediterranean, at MSC fares. Start with our Europe cruise guide, or Greece if the islands are the point.
The best ship from each big line
- Royal Caribbean: the Icon-class ships, then the newer Oasis-class ships such as Wonder of the Seas. See the Royal Caribbean guide.
- MSC: MSC World America for U.S. sailings. See the MSC Cruises guide.
- Princess: the two Sphere-class ships, Sun Princess for Europe and Star Princess for Alaska. See the Princess guide.
- Celebrity: the Edge-class ships, such as Celebrity Beyond. See the Celebrity guide.
- Disney: Disney Treasure for a week, Disney Wish for a short first trip. See the Disney Cruise Line guide.
- Carnival: the Excel-class ships, starting with Mardi Gras. See the Carnival guide.
- Norwegian: for Alaska, Norwegian Joy. For Hawaii, Pride of America is the only choice that stays in the islands all week.
- Virgin Voyages: any of the four, since they are near-identical. See the Virgin Voyages guide.
Sample sailings
| Departs | Line and ship | Nights | Itinerary | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy | 4 | 4 Night Bahamas Cruise (from Port Canaveral, Florida) | $1,328 | Check price |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Adventure | 4 | 4 Night Singapore Cruise (from Singapore, Singapore) | $724 | Check price |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Legend of the Seas | 7 | 7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise (from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy) | $1,813 | Check price |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wish | 3 | 3 Night Bahamas Cruise (from Port Canaveral, Florida) | $984 | Check price |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic | 3 | 3 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California) | $747 | Check price |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Getaway | 3 | 3 Night Bahamas (from Miami, Florida) | $209 | Check price |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Carnival Cruise Line, Mardi Gras | 7 | 7 Day Western Caribbean (from Port Canaveral, Florida) | $529 | Check price |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Destiny | 7 | 7 Night Caribbean - Eastern Cruise (from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida) | $2,030 | Check price |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Oceania Cruises, Oceania Allura | 14 | 14 Night Mediterranean - Eastern Cruise (from Istanbul, Turkey) | $9,449 | Check price |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Oceania Cruises, Oceania Vista | 11 | 11 Night Canada Cruise (from Montreal, Quebec) | $6,949 | Check price |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Beyond | 7 | 7 Nt Grand Cayman, Mexico & Perfect Day (from Miami, Florida) | $798 | Check price |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Reflection | 6 | 6 Night Grand Cayman, Bahamas & Mexico (from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida) | $604 | Check price |
Best cruise ships FAQ
What is the best cruise ship?
For most adults, Celebrity Beyond. For families with children or teenagers, Icon of the Seas. For food, Oceania’s Vista. The best cruise ship to go on depends on who is traveling, which is why each pick above names who it suits and who should skip it.
What are the best cruise ships for teens?
Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships: Icon, Star and Legend of the Seas. They have the most slides, pools and places to eat without a parent. Carnival’s Mardi Gras is a cheaper choice with a roller coaster.
Which cruise ship has the best food?
Among the ships ranked here, Oceania’s Vista and its sister Allura, because every specialty restaurant is included in the fare. Celebrity Beyond is the runner-up among bigger ships. Our cruise line ranking compares the lines on food.
Are these the best rated cruise ships?
They are editorial picks, not ratings. We don’t publish scores or star ratings and we don’t collect user reviews. Each place has a stated reason based on our methodology.
What is the best MSC cruise ship?
For U.S. travelers, MSC World America: it is the newest ship MSC sails from the United States and was fitted out for American guests. Its sister MSC World Europa is the pick in the Mediterranean.
Which cruise line has the most ships?
Among the ocean lines we cover, Royal Caribbean and Carnival have the biggest fleets, with 30 and 29 ships by the counts in our line guides (October 2026). MSC has 23, Norwegian 19 and Princess 17. A bigger fleet means more choice of ships and ports, not a better ship.
Sources
- Royal Caribbean: Icon of the Seas (pools, water park, dining)
- Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Beyond
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Oceania Cruises enhances voyage inclusions (Sept 2025)
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Oceania Cruises announces transition to adults-only (Jan 2026)
- Disney Parks Blog: Disney Cruise Line fall 2027 and spring 2028 itineraries
- Princess Cruises: 2027 Europe season (Sun Princess)
- Virgin Voyages: what's included
- MSC Cruises: MSC World America stateroom options (press release)
- Carnival Cruise Line: Mardi Gras
- Carnival: first short itineraries aboard Mardi Gras in 2027–28 (August 2025)
- Wikipedia: Carnival Cruise Line (fleet count)