Easy, no problem you’ll just Google it.
That question will give you 62.5 million results. All you really want to know is what the best ocean cruise line is based on professional evaluations. There should be a list somewhere?
You are not looking for a mega ship but midsize to small ship to do a 9-12 night itinerary in the Mediterranean that stops at must see ports, but also some hidden gems and not too many sea days.
Let’s look at US News 2022 Best Cruise Lines, #1 Luxury line is Viking Ocean and it’s also rated #1 in the Mediterranean. They base their rankings on cruise ship quality, hmm where do they get that, reputation among travelers, health assessments conducted by CDC and "other" factors, like pricing and itinerary offerings.
Maybe there’s another list somewhere.
USA Today lists Carnival as #1, followed by Viking, Princess, MSC and Cunard. Selected by a panel of “experts”. Carnival & MSC???
Let’s look at Travel & Leisure
T&L rankings are based on readers answers to a survey. Midsize ships (300 to 799 staterooms, which translates into 600 to 1798 passengers) #1 Viking, clients like the consistency across the ships, none of their ships are over 10 years old and the value that is included in the pricing. #2 Seabourn, but just their new builds, #3 Silverseas, no mention of the Silver Muse or Silver Moon, but one of the older ships. #4 Regent Seven Seas #5 Oceania. Not based on panel of experts, but readers.
Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List listed this year refurbished Windstar Star Breeze, Regent’s Seven Seas Splendor, Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, Seabourn Odyssey, Silver Origin, Viking Octantis, National Geographic Endurance, Oceania Riviera. These are picked by CNT editors from around the world and it seems to showcase a lot of expedition ships, including Viking, but doesn’t include Viking’s regular ocean ships.
You know not to look at social media groups, as they are all fans of their preferred line and if you ask a question, you’ll probably get a snarky answer, like how didn’t you know?
Travel advisors will give you professional advice on what cruise line fits your lifestyle and budget. We also will compare itineraries; how much time does the ship stay in port and how many sea days. That all effects the price of a cruise. We also break down the value of line A vs line B. While the upfront price might look high, there are always those costs that aren’t included in mass market cruising. This is really important when looking at non-Caribbean sailings, excursions are important in places like Alaska and Europe.
So when you are ready to find you’re the best cruise line for you, schedule a consultation we love matchmaking our clients to the right line for them.
Comments