Ocean cruises offer a diverse range of vacation experiences, from large resort-style ships to smaller, more intimate luxury vessels. They typically involve traversing large bodies of water, with multiple days at sea dedicated to shipboard activities and relaxation, interspersed with visits to coastal destinations. Learn about the different categories for ocean cruising and explore further with links to each cruise company’s website.
Ultra-Luxury Lines
These are the most exclusive cruise lines, offering the highest level of service, private amenities, and personalized experiences.
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises provides a blend of classic elegance and modern comfort, with recently revitalised ships. In 2022, world-leading travel company A&K Travel Group acquired the Crystal brand and refurbished and relaunched flagships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, setting a new standard at sea. With the only restaurant at sea by the award-winning chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, personal butler service in every guest room and suite, one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios and superior attention to detail, Crystal’s commitment to care, high level of customer service and personalisation place it second to none.
Explora Journey
Explora Journey is a new luxury cruise line from MSC Cruises, focusing on wellness, sustainability, and slow travel. A transformative luxury ocean travel experience and brand that redefines the luxury cruise category, where the world’s finest ships, state-of-the-art amenities and an unmatched list of inclusions redefine the notion of luxury at sea—every detail curated to be unforgettable with European elegance and designed to be like your own private yacht.
Regent Seven Seas
Regent Seven Seas is known for its all-inclusive fares and luxurious ships, including the “most luxurious ship ever built,” Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., has been delivering the Inclusive luxury experience for over 30 years, carrying between 496 and no more than 850 guests. The line’s spacious and stylish ships form one of the world’s most luxurious fleets.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brings the luxury and service of the Ritz-Carlton Brand to the sea with three luxury yachts, the Evrima, Ilma and Luminara. With nearly as many staff members as guests, indulgent world-class fine dining, a private terrace in all suites, carefully crafted onshore excursions and a relaxed and refined lifestyle, the Ritz-Carlton onboard experience is unparalelled.
Scenic Luxury Cruises
Scenic Luxury Cruises offers ultra-luxury expedition cruises on the Scenic Eclipse discovery yachts, blending adventure with indulgence. Scenic provides an all-inclusive 5-star and 6-star experience with amenities like personalised butler service, world-class cuisine, and spacious suites. The Scenic Eclipse yachts are described as setting the benchmark for ultra-luxury ocean cruising with features like helicopters and submersibles to take you closer to the extraordinary wonders of the world.
Seabourn
Seabourn Cruises provides ultra-luxury experiences with a focus on personalised service and intimate voyages in all ocean-front suites, with world-class dining, and all-inclusive intimate ships. World-class dining and culinary experiences that rival the finest restaurants anywhere, combined with curated voyages to all seven continents, the Seaborn luxury line delivers award-winning, authentic experiences journeying to secluded paradises beyond the reach of larger vessels.
Silversea
Silversea Cruises offer a wide range of itineraries, including expedition cruises aboard small luxury ships designed for those who delight in discovery and indulging in luxury. All ships feature spacious, ocean-view suites with around-the-clock butler service, and most include private verandas. Silversea ships sail pole to pole on all seven continents, leaving (almost) no part of coastline unexplored.
Luxury Lines
These lines focus on personalized service, gourmet dining, and elegant surroundings. They are often compared to a five-star hotel.
Azamara
Azamara invites you to uncover a world of destinations at a more relaxed pace, giving you time to appreciate the landscapes, culture, and people, by day and night. The longer you stay, the more depth you’ll discover. Venture deeper into parts unknown, stay longer in port and embark on journeys through which you can truly lose yourself, or as they say, “Change the way you Sea.”
Cunard
185 years spent refining the art of ocean travel are embodied in Cunard’s uniquely famous fleet of four iconic ‘Queens’. Cunard offers legendary routes like the Transatlantic Crossing on board the world’s only true ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, and the newest standards of sea travel with Queen Anne. Experience island sunshine on the newly refitted Queen Elizabeth and enjoy art deco elegance with Queen Victoria.
Oceania
Oceania Cruises is the world’s leading culinary and destination-focused luxury cruise line. The line’s eight small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,250 guests and feature The Finest Cuisine at Sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences are available aboard the designer-inspired, small ships, which call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents, on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises has four Sonata Class ships on order scheduled for delivery in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2035. Oceania Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
Viking Ocean
Viking Ocean Cruises is known for its elegant, understated luxury, No kids, no casino ships and destination-focused itineraries make Viking ‘the thinking person’s cruise’.
Windstar
Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ship yachts carrying just 148 to 310 guests and cruises to 50 nations, calling at 150 ports throughout Europe, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Premium Lines
These cruise lines offer a step up in quality and service compared to mainstream lines, with more inclusive pricing and upscale amenities.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium vacation experience across their fleet of ships travelling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries
Disney
Make Magical Memories at Sea with beloved Disney characters, outstanding dining, kids clubs, adults-exclusive Spaces & More.
Holland America Line
Founded in 1873 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Holland America Line is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. For over 150 years it has offered carefully crafted itineraries, exciting destinations, spacious and elegant ships and unmatched hospitality.
Princess Cruises
Voyage through untamed beauty from the comfort of world-class ships, exclusive rail service and Princess Wilderness Lodges near national parks. From its modest beginnings in 1965 with a single ship cruising to Mexico, Princess has grown to become one of the premiere cruise lines in the world. Today, its fleet carries more than a million passengers each year to more worldwide destinations than any other major line.
Virgin Voyages
From swanky suites to jaw-dropping entertainment, award-winning dining to crafted cocktails, Virgin ships are designed for those who love to live large. With a kids free policy, Virgin caters their food, entertainment, and activities to adult tastes. Onboard restaurants are as good as anywhere you’d eat on land, with menus created by Michelin-starred chefs from around the world. Korean BBQ, red hot Mexican cuisine, Italian, a decadent steakhouse — it’s all included in the cost of your voyage.
Mainstream Lines
Mainstream Cruise Lines are large, popular cruise lines offering a wide range of itineraries, amenities, and entertainment options at more affordable prices.
Carnival
Founded in 1972, Carnival Cruise Line — “The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line” — now carries millions of guests every year on fun vacations at sea and ashore! A Carnival cruise features day and nighttime entertainment, stage shows, musical performances, deck parties, casinos and more. Their 29 ships operate cruises as short as a weekend, with others as long as a week or two, setting sail from every coast in the U.S, plus Australia and Europe.
MSC
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises are part of MSC Group, the leading privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage. With over 30,000 staff globally, MSC is the world’s third-largest cruise brand and leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa. They have long been committed to environmental stewardship with a long-term goal to achieve zero emissions for their operations.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line has been the premier innovator in the cruise line industry for over 58 years, offering guests the opportunity to design their ideal holiday on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. The award-winning fleet of 20 contemporary ships which carry between 1,878 and 4,218 passengers also offer an element of luxury, especially in The Haven, the line’s ship-within-a-ship concept. NCL sails to nearly 350 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Guests are welcomed aboard with a wide variety of unparalleled onboard experiences, from award-winning entertainment, dining options, personalised service as well as a range of accommodation that are perfect for any type of traveller.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International has been delivering innovation at sea since its launch in 1969. Each successive class of ships is a record-breaking architectural marvel that revolutionises holidays with the latest technology. Today, the cruise line continues to dial up the guest experience for adventurous travellers, offering bold onboard thrills, spectacular dining options, breath-taking entertainment and world-class accommodation. All while sailing exciting itineraries to 270+ destinations in 60+ countries on six continents. Royal Caribbean has been voted Best Cruise Line Overall for 21 consecutive years by Travel Weekly readers. And Perfect Day at CocoCay, its private island in The Bahamas, has been recognised as the Private Island Destination by Travel Weekly readers for four years running.
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