Your cruising experience varies greatly depending on the size of your ship. That's obvious when someone considers a small luxury yacht versus a traditional cruise ship, but the difference between ships that can accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 passengers and those that serve close to 6,000 is significant.
Some cruise lines operate both megaships (more than 4,000 passengers) and large ships of 2,500 to 4,000 passengers. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have ships of both sizes under their namesake brands, but the results show that passengers may find both cruise lines preferring their newer, larger ships.
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Condé Nast Traveler obtained more than 575,048 votes cast in its 37th annual edition Readers' Choice Awards survey. The cruise lines' results were somewhat surprising, especially in the megaship category.
Image Source: Carnival Cruise Line
Cruise passengers choose their favorites
The Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards results come from hundreds of thousands of respondents who submitted ratings during the period April 1 to June 30, 2024.
“The questionnaire contained lists of candidates in various categories (cities, hotels, etc.). Candidates must receive a minimum required number of responses and a minimum overall rating to be eligible for a Readers' Choice award. Candidates are judged on a set of criteria relevant to your category, based on a standard five-point scale converted to a percentage: excellent, very good, good, fair and poor The average of these ratings determines the final score based on four decimal places, with two. decimals. being published,” the publication shared.
Megaships (more than 4,000 passengers)
6. Norwegian Cruise Line 80.33
5. P&O Cruises 81
4. Carnival Cruise Line 82.46
3. MSC Cruises 85.88
2. Royal Caribe International 87.21
1. Princess Cruises 92.22
Princess may have won because it is actually a new player in the mega ship space.
“The new Sun Princess is the cruise line's largest ship to date, seating 4,300 passengers. Princess Cruises has come a long way since its Love Boat days; the TV show was filmed on its former ship, Pacific Princess, which only carried the Sun Princess, will receive a Sphere-class sister ship, the Star Princess, next year,” the magazine shares.
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Large ships (2,500-4,000 passengers)
13. MSC Cruises 75.2
12. Carnival Cruise Line 76.83
11. Margaritaville at sea 78.8
10. Royal Caribbean International 83.88
9. Norwegian cruise line 84.23
8. P&O Cruises 84.67
7. Holland America Line 84.67
6. Cunard 84.92
5. Princess Cruises 85.96
4. Celebrity cruises 85.72
3. Coast Cruises 90.58
2. Disney Cruise Line 91.99
1. Virgin trips 92.36
That Virgin takes the top spot isn't a surprise because the cruise line was built to solve what its founders saw as the cruise industry's problems.
READ ALSO: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
Richard Branson's Virgin Voyages made its long-awaited debut in October 2021 with Scarlet Lady's “Mermaid” voyage from Miami. The 2,770-passenger ship is adults-only and promotes a sexy, party atmosphere among its dazzling nightclub, performances live performances and unusual amenities like a tattoo parlor, but it also stands out for its unique dining options,” wrote Conde Nast Traveler.
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