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10 Best Cruise Lines - 2025
Booking a cruise holiday can be overwhelming with hundreds of cruise ships to choose from and no idea where to start.
One good option is to start by choosing a cruise line you want to travel with, and then pick a location and cruise ship.
Some cruise lines are perfect for families and kids looking for a cheap cruise, others are aimed at romantic couples looking for a luxury holiday with fine dining.
We’ve pulled together loads of customer reviews, UK industry awards and prices to come up with our list of the 10 best cruise lines. Our ranking isn't just based on review scores (you can see that at the foot of the page). Instead, we've included a mix to include some cheaper and some more expensive cruise lines. We've also given it bias towards cruise lines that are popular and practical for UK cruisers.
For a rough price comparison, we looked for a Mediterranean cruise of about 10 - 14 days for two people. We looked for a cabin with a window in September or October 2025. If we couldn't find that, we looked for something similar. There is often a difference in what is included in a cruise, so it's not a perfect comparison.
One good option is to start by choosing a cruise line you want to travel with, and then pick a location and cruise ship.
Some cruise lines are perfect for families and kids looking for a cheap cruise, others are aimed at romantic couples looking for a luxury holiday with fine dining.
We’ve pulled together loads of customer reviews, UK industry awards and prices to come up with our list of the 10 best cruise lines. Our ranking isn't just based on review scores (you can see that at the foot of the page). Instead, we've included a mix to include some cheaper and some more expensive cruise lines. We've also given it bias towards cruise lines that are popular and practical for UK cruisers.
For a rough price comparison, we looked for a Mediterranean cruise of about 10 - 14 days for two people. We looked for a cabin with a window in September or October 2025. If we couldn't find that, we looked for something similar. There is often a difference in what is included in a cruise, so it's not a perfect comparison.
1. Princess Cruises - Great value, family friendly, 80% review score
Princess Cruises is a great value cruise operator that is a solid choice for first timers. They’ve got nearly 20 ships to choose from and you can go straight from Southampton if you’d rather avoid getting on a plane. Princess Cruises attracts a fairly wide age range, with plenty of families onboard.
Onboard activities include stargazing talks, swimming pools, outdoor cinema, cooking demonstrations and dance classes. When I searched, upgrading to a room with a balcony was very reasonably priced (a couple of hundred pounds per person). I’ve seen some cruise lines charging more than double for in-demand balconies and verandas, compared to the inside cabin price.
Princess cruise ships are large, with about 1700+ cabins.
Onboard activities include stargazing talks, swimming pools, outdoor cinema, cooking demonstrations and dance classes. When I searched, upgrading to a room with a balcony was very reasonably priced (a couple of hundred pounds per person). I’ve seen some cruise lines charging more than double for in-demand balconies and verandas, compared to the inside cabin price.
Princess cruise ships are large, with about 1700+ cabins.
Reviews and awards:
Typical price: £4059 for a 14 night Mediterranean cruises in September 2025 for two people. Includes an ocean view stateroom with a balcony. They had sold out of rooms without balconies, so you might get a cheaper deal on other dates if you don't want a balcony. The cruise is travelling onboard Sky Princess from Southampton and visiting destinations including Spain and Italy. That is £145 per person, per night - which is an excellent price compared to rivals.
- Average customer reviews are 80% (3.8/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.2/5 on IGLU, 4/5 on Cruiseline.com)
- World Cruise Awards 2024 - World's Best Cruise Ship for Dining for Sun Princess.
- Cruise International Awards 2017 - Best Cruise Line for First Time Cruisers and Best Overall Cruise Line
- Cruise International Awards 2018 - Best Cruise Line overall
- British Travel Awards 2017 - 3rd Best Luxury Cruise Line
Typical price: £4059 for a 14 night Mediterranean cruises in September 2025 for two people. Includes an ocean view stateroom with a balcony. They had sold out of rooms without balconies, so you might get a cheaper deal on other dates if you don't want a balcony. The cruise is travelling onboard Sky Princess from Southampton and visiting destinations including Spain and Italy. That is £145 per person, per night - which is an excellent price compared to rivals.
Star Princess is a new cruise ship for 2025
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Dance lessons are one of many activities onboard
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2. Celebrity Cruises - mid-priced, young at heart adults and families - 82% review score
Celebrity Cruises is a good choice if you’re the kind of person who prefers chic modern hotels with spa facilities over a B&B with floral bed linen.
Their award-winning large ships are jam packed with things to do including casinos, cinemas, live music shows, swimming pools, lectures, gyms, libraries, art galleries/studios, shopping and glass-blowing (eh?).
There are also kids’ activities and some quirky features such as a grass lawn.
Celebrity is a bit of an all-rounder, rather than being aimed just at one age group but it’s popular with couples, families and young-at-heart adults who don’t want to spend their holidays doing Sudoku. They also offer courses on using Apple products, which probably tells you all you need to know about the trendy clientele.
Reviews and awards:
Destinations and departure ports: All over the world if you’re willing to fly (including Antarctic, Transpacific and Galapagos). From Southampton you can visit Scandinavia, Russia, Mediterranean, Ireland, USA and Caribbean or a mini cruise to France.
Typical price: £5730 for a 14 night cruise of the Mediterranean, Italy and Spain with an outside cabin for two people in September 2025. The cruise is onboard Celebrity Apex and starts from Southampton. It includes stops in France, Italy, Gibraltar and Spain. That works out as £205 per person, per night.
Their award-winning large ships are jam packed with things to do including casinos, cinemas, live music shows, swimming pools, lectures, gyms, libraries, art galleries/studios, shopping and glass-blowing (eh?).
There are also kids’ activities and some quirky features such as a grass lawn.
Celebrity is a bit of an all-rounder, rather than being aimed just at one age group but it’s popular with couples, families and young-at-heart adults who don’t want to spend their holidays doing Sudoku. They also offer courses on using Apple products, which probably tells you all you need to know about the trendy clientele.
Reviews and awards:
- Celebrity Cruises gets a very decent 82% from customers (4/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.1/5 on IGLU, 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com).
- Cruise Critics Awards 2024 - Best Cabins, Best Speciality Dining, Best for Romance
- Cruisers Choice Awards 2017 - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the best large ship category (Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse)
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - 7th Best Cruise Line
- Which? 2018 - 6th Best Cruise Line
- Globe Travel Awards 2018 - Best Premium Cruise Company
Destinations and departure ports: All over the world if you’re willing to fly (including Antarctic, Transpacific and Galapagos). From Southampton you can visit Scandinavia, Russia, Mediterranean, Ireland, USA and Caribbean or a mini cruise to France.
Typical price: £5730 for a 14 night cruise of the Mediterranean, Italy and Spain with an outside cabin for two people in September 2025. The cruise is onboard Celebrity Apex and starts from Southampton. It includes stops in France, Italy, Gibraltar and Spain. That works out as £205 per person, per night.
Celebrity is a modern and trendy cruiseline
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Celebrity goes for swanky city-hotel décor rather than old fashioned decadence
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3. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines - budget/mid-priced, mostly 50+, 80% review score
As you might expect from the quaint English-sounding name, Fred Olsen Cruises are much more traditional than the zip lines and surf simulators of Royal Caribbean International.
The target market is similar to Saga Cruises, with onboard activities including things like watercolour tutorials or ballroom dancing. There are also gyms, saunas, swimming pools and gaming tables.
We’ve included them in our top 10 because Fred Olsen regular punches above its weight and wins awards despite being cheaper than many cruise lines. They also have a good choice of cruises from Southampton and offer River Cruises.
Fred Olsen's ships tend to be on the smaller side compared to some cruise lines, with about 700 cabins on a typical ship.
Reviews and awards:
Typical price: £4798 for a 14 night cruise for two people on the 'Volcanic Vistas of the Azores and Madeira, departing from Southampton in September 2025. The cabin is an 'outside' cabin but you can pay extra for larger windows or a balcony. That works out as £171 per person, per night.
The target market is similar to Saga Cruises, with onboard activities including things like watercolour tutorials or ballroom dancing. There are also gyms, saunas, swimming pools and gaming tables.
We’ve included them in our top 10 because Fred Olsen regular punches above its weight and wins awards despite being cheaper than many cruise lines. They also have a good choice of cruises from Southampton and offer River Cruises.
Fred Olsen's ships tend to be on the smaller side compared to some cruise lines, with about 700 cabins on a typical ship.
Reviews and awards:
- Average of 80% from customers (3.7/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.3/5 on IGLU, 4/5 on Cruiseline.com)
- Cruise Critics Awards 2024 - Best for solo travellers
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - 8th Best Large Cruise Line
- Which? 2018 - 4th Best Cruise Line
- Cruisers Choice Award 2017 - 4th Best Small Cruise Ship (Boudicca)
Typical price: £4798 for a 14 night cruise for two people on the 'Volcanic Vistas of the Azores and Madeira, departing from Southampton in September 2025. The cabin is an 'outside' cabin but you can pay extra for larger windows or a balcony. That works out as £171 per person, per night.
Fred Olsen is particularly popular with older cruisers
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Fred Olsen's routes include the Norwegian Fjords
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4. Tui/Marella - 'Best Value', families, 81% review score
Marella muscled itself in our top 10 after winning the Best Value for Money award at the Cruise Critic Awards in 2024. They also won 'Best Value' at the Cruise International Awards 2018 and at the British Cruise Awards 2019.
Back in the day, Marella was known as Thomson Cruises but it's now run by TUI. I see it as a close competitor to P&O Cruises.
There are five cruise ships in the Marella fleet, making it one of the smaller cruise lines. However, they are a British company and are particularly geared up for UK cruisers. They also operate river cruises in the Nile, Rhine and Moselle under the TUI brand.
Marella ships have about 900 - 1000 cabins and about 8 - 17 restaurants. Most Marella cruises are very family friendly, but they also have some adults-only cruises.
Marella don't currently do no-fly cruises from the UK, but you can depart from France, Cyprus, Spain, Barbados and other locations. Bookings usually include the cost of your flight.
Reviews and awards:
Destinations and Departure Ports: Marella's Cruises cover the Canary Islands and Atlantic, Caribbean and the Mediterranean. If you go for an Eastern Mediterranean cruise then you'll probably visit ports in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Turkey. Western Mediterranean cruises visit France, Italy, Malta, Spain and Gibraltar.
Price: £4423 for a 14 night cruise with an outside cabin for two people in September 2025. The cruise includes flights to the departure port in Spain and called is Highlights of the Mediterranean onboard Marella Discovery. It includes stops in Spain, Italy and France. That works out as £158 per person, per night.
Back in the day, Marella was known as Thomson Cruises but it's now run by TUI. I see it as a close competitor to P&O Cruises.
There are five cruise ships in the Marella fleet, making it one of the smaller cruise lines. However, they are a British company and are particularly geared up for UK cruisers. They also operate river cruises in the Nile, Rhine and Moselle under the TUI brand.
Marella ships have about 900 - 1000 cabins and about 8 - 17 restaurants. Most Marella cruises are very family friendly, but they also have some adults-only cruises.
Marella don't currently do no-fly cruises from the UK, but you can depart from France, Cyprus, Spain, Barbados and other locations. Bookings usually include the cost of your flight.
Reviews and awards:
- Marella's average review score is 81%, which we calculated by adding together 3.7/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.3/5 on IGLU and 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com.
- Cruise Critic Awards 2024 - Best Value Cruise Line
- British Cruise Awards 2019 - Best Value Cruise Line
- Cruise International Awards 2018 - Best Value Cruise Line
Destinations and Departure Ports: Marella's Cruises cover the Canary Islands and Atlantic, Caribbean and the Mediterranean. If you go for an Eastern Mediterranean cruise then you'll probably visit ports in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Turkey. Western Mediterranean cruises visit France, Italy, Malta, Spain and Gibraltar.
Price: £4423 for a 14 night cruise with an outside cabin for two people in September 2025. The cruise includes flights to the departure port in Spain and called is Highlights of the Mediterranean onboard Marella Discovery. It includes stops in Spain, Italy and France. That works out as £158 per person, per night.
Marella regularly wins awards for 'best value' - and reviews are positive
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Marella is a UK brand and has lots of cruises that leave from English ports
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5. Saga - mid-priced, 50+, 82% review score
Don’t assume Saga Cruises are all digestive biscuits and crosswords – they get excellent reviews and win awards for value for money. Which? named them as the 2nd Best Cruise Line in 2018. In 2019, they were named as best for solo travellers at the British Cruise Awards.
Saga Cruises are only available to the over 50s, which means you won’t have your sunbathing ruined by a teenager diving in the swimming pool.
Saga cruise ships are smaller than most, with about 500 cabins typically. That does have its advantages and there is enough to do onboard once you’ve spent most of the day out on an excursion. There’s music onboard as well as bars and shopping but don't expect the non-stop noise and parties that you get from some cruise lines.
Reviews and awards:
Destinations and departure ports: Saga has a good choice of cruises from Portsmouth, Dover and Southampton. From the UK, you can visit Scandinavia, Europe, the British Isles or the Mediterranean. If you’re willing to fly first, you can tour the Caribbean. Saga also offer river cruises along the Danube, Italian Waterways and Rhine.
Typical price: £9260 for a 12 night Mediterranean cruise called Delights of France and Green Spain, for two people in September 2025. That includes a cabin/stateroom with a window and works out as £385 per person, per night.
Saga Cruises are only available to the over 50s, which means you won’t have your sunbathing ruined by a teenager diving in the swimming pool.
Saga cruise ships are smaller than most, with about 500 cabins typically. That does have its advantages and there is enough to do onboard once you’ve spent most of the day out on an excursion. There’s music onboard as well as bars and shopping but don't expect the non-stop noise and parties that you get from some cruise lines.
Reviews and awards:
- Overall score of 4/5 from customers (3.7/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.6/5 on IGLU - not many reviews).
- Cruisers Choice Awards 2017 - 3rd Best UK Small Cruise Ship (Saga Sapphire)
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - 2nd Best Small Cruise Line, winner in 2016
- Wave Awards 2019 - Best Value For Money Cruise Line, Best for Solo Travellers
- Which? - 2nd Best Cruise Line 2018.
- British Travel Awards 2018 - Best Small Ships Cruise Line.
- Cruise International Awards 2018 - Best for Solo Travellers
- British Cruise Awards 2019 - Best For Solo Travellers
Destinations and departure ports: Saga has a good choice of cruises from Portsmouth, Dover and Southampton. From the UK, you can visit Scandinavia, Europe, the British Isles or the Mediterranean. If you’re willing to fly first, you can tour the Caribbean. Saga also offer river cruises along the Danube, Italian Waterways and Rhine.
Typical price: £9260 for a 12 night Mediterranean cruise called Delights of France and Green Spain, for two people in September 2025. That includes a cabin/stateroom with a window and works out as £385 per person, per night.
6. Disney Cruise Line - mid-priced/Higher priced, family-friendly - 89%
Disney Cruises are a great choice if a) you can afford it and b) you can endure 10 days of Mickey Mouse ears and endless Disney niceness. If you tick both those boxes then Disney is certainly worth considering for a family holiday, as they get reviews which are amongst the best in the cruise business. They also do themed cruises which are based around Marvel and Star Wars, so it isn't all princesses with white teeth.
Cruises from the UK are a bit limited, but there's more choice if you fly first.
Onboard there’s a busy choice of things to do including live shows, kids’ clubs (as you’d expect), swimming pools with flumes, gyms and spa treatments.
Disney Cruise Lines typically have about 900 - 1200 cabins on each ship, which is about mid-sized compared to other cruise lines.
Reviews and awards:
Destinations: Loads of choice if you’re willing to fly first (Caribbean, Europe, Skandinavia, Alaska, USA). UK travellers can get a Disney cruise from Southampton.
Typical price: £2976 for a seven day cruise with an ocean view stateroom. This cruise is Western Europe cruise that leaves from Southampton and visits France and Spain in September 2025. Note that this price is for seven nights rather than 14, so the price per person, per night is £212.
Cruises from the UK are a bit limited, but there's more choice if you fly first.
Onboard there’s a busy choice of things to do including live shows, kids’ clubs (as you’d expect), swimming pools with flumes, gyms and spa treatments.
Disney Cruise Lines typically have about 900 - 1200 cabins on each ship, which is about mid-sized compared to other cruise lines.
Reviews and awards:
- Reviews are outstanding with an average of 89% from customers (4.2/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.7/5 on IGLU, 4.4/5 on Cruiseline.com).
- World Cruise Awards 2024 - World's Best Midsize Cruise Ship for Disney Magic and World's Best Cruise Ship for Families for Disney Dream.
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - Best Large Cruise Line
- Cruise International Awards 2017 and 2018 - Best Cruise Line for Families
Destinations: Loads of choice if you’re willing to fly first (Caribbean, Europe, Skandinavia, Alaska, USA). UK travellers can get a Disney cruise from Southampton.
Typical price: £2976 for a seven day cruise with an ocean view stateroom. This cruise is Western Europe cruise that leaves from Southampton and visits France and Spain in September 2025. Note that this price is for seven nights rather than 14, so the price per person, per night is £212.
Disney Cruise Line is the obvious choice with younger children
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Mickey taking a break from steering the ship to dance with the guests
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7. Oceania - luxury, mostly older adults - 83%
Oceania was named best cruise line by Which? in 2018 and it’s a popular choice with adults who are willing to pay for fine dining and a posher cruise experience.
Children are allowed onboard, but there’s not much for them to do so families tend to choose a cruise company such as P&O or Royal Caribbean International. Oceania often wins awards for its onboard food and drink with the larger ships having several restaurants to choose from and posh afternoon tea. A typical Oceania cruise ship has about 600 cabins, which is relatively small by modern cruise line standards.
Staff are eager to please, with a ratio of one member of staff for every 1.5 passengers on some ships. The company describes the dress code as ‘country club casual’. The larger Oceania ships have a wide choice of facilities and activities including lectures, wine tasting, art workshops, spa treatments, swimming pools and casinos.
Don’t come onboard looking for a knobbly knees competition…
Reviews and awards:
Destinations and departure ports: All over the world if you’re willing to fly (Asia, Africa, The Americas, Australasia). From Southampton you can visit the Mediterranean and Scandinavia.
Typical price: £7138 for 14 days onboard Nautica in September 2025 on an Athens to Valetta cruise. Includes an ocean view room and visits to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. That works out as £255 per person, per night.
Children are allowed onboard, but there’s not much for them to do so families tend to choose a cruise company such as P&O or Royal Caribbean International. Oceania often wins awards for its onboard food and drink with the larger ships having several restaurants to choose from and posh afternoon tea. A typical Oceania cruise ship has about 600 cabins, which is relatively small by modern cruise line standards.
Staff are eager to please, with a ratio of one member of staff for every 1.5 passengers on some ships. The company describes the dress code as ‘country club casual’. The larger Oceania ships have a wide choice of facilities and activities including lectures, wine tasting, art workshops, spa treatments, swimming pools and casinos.
Don’t come onboard looking for a knobbly knees competition…
Reviews and awards:
- Reviews are very positive, averaging 83% (3.8/5 CruiseCritic, 4.4/5 on IGLU, 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com).
- Which? 2018 - Best Cruise Line
- Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2017 - Best Mid Size Cruise Ship (Riviera)
- Cruise International Awards 2017 and 2018 - Best Cuisine
- Wave Awards 2017 - Best Food
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - 4th Best Cruise Line
Destinations and departure ports: All over the world if you’re willing to fly (Asia, Africa, The Americas, Australasia). From Southampton you can visit the Mediterranean and Scandinavia.
Typical price: £7138 for 14 days onboard Nautica in September 2025 on an Athens to Valetta cruise. Includes an ocean view room and visits to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. That works out as £255 per person, per night.
8. Cunard - luxury, couples and some families - 83%
Cruising with Cunard is the kind of thing middle class people boast about at dinner parties (“Geoffrey and I are treating ourselves to a suite on the Queen Elizabeth…”).
Cunard offer a traditional style of hospitality which capitalises on their reputation for luxury. Staff wear quaint little hats and white gloves and you’ll dine in a restaurant with people who have paid for a similar class of accommodation so you can compare notes on the quality of the bedding.
Onboard their small selection of large ships you can learn to tango, visit a spa, do some yoga or play shuffleboard. They also have guest speakers, bars, nightclubs and plenty of children’s activities amongst other things.
Despite all that, some Cunard cruises are not as expensive as you might imagine. Equally, reviews aren’t actually the best in the industry. Don’t get me wrong, Cunard reviews are decent but they aren’t quite as glowing as a handful of less famous cruiselines such as Oceania or Hurtigruten.
Cunard's cruise ships have about 1000 - 1400 cabins. That's comparable to Disney Cruise Lines on scale.
Reviews and awards:
Typical price: £4298 for two people, cruising for nine days in September 2025. The route is called Mediterranean and Greek Islands and departs from Southampton. In this case, the room had a balcony as the ocean view rooms had sold out. The price per person, per night is £239.
Cunard offer a traditional style of hospitality which capitalises on their reputation for luxury. Staff wear quaint little hats and white gloves and you’ll dine in a restaurant with people who have paid for a similar class of accommodation so you can compare notes on the quality of the bedding.
Onboard their small selection of large ships you can learn to tango, visit a spa, do some yoga or play shuffleboard. They also have guest speakers, bars, nightclubs and plenty of children’s activities amongst other things.
Despite all that, some Cunard cruises are not as expensive as you might imagine. Equally, reviews aren’t actually the best in the industry. Don’t get me wrong, Cunard reviews are decent but they aren’t quite as glowing as a handful of less famous cruiselines such as Oceania or Hurtigruten.
Cunard's cruise ships have about 1000 - 1400 cabins. That's comparable to Disney Cruise Lines on scale.
Reviews and awards:
- Average of 83% from customers (3.8/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.4/5 on IGLU, 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com)
- Cruise Critics Awards 2024 - Best New Ship for Queen Anne
- Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2017 and 2019 - 3rd Best UK mid-size cruise ship (Queen Victoria)
- Wave Awards 2017 - 2nd favourite passenger Luxury Cruise Line
- Telegraph Travel Awards 2017 - 6th Best Cruise Line
- Which? 2018 - 5th Best Cruise Line
- British Travel Awards 2018 - Best Luxury Cruise Line
Typical price: £4298 for two people, cruising for nine days in September 2025. The route is called Mediterranean and Greek Islands and departs from Southampton. In this case, the room had a balcony as the ocean view rooms had sold out. The price per person, per night is £239.
Cunard offers traditional and luxurious cruises
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9. Royal Caribbean International - budget/mid-priced, young at heart adults and families - 81%
Royal Caribbean is one of the world’s biggest cruise operators with loads of large ships, jam-packed with wild and wacky activities. You certainly won't be bored.
Their cruises are less about subtle sophistication, but are a chance to try a surf or skydiving simulator, roller disco, waterparks, rock climbing, zip lines or mini golf.
There are also posh shops selling expensive things, art auctions as well dance and fitness classes. Anyway, you get the idea…there’s a lot to do (although bear in mind that not every activity is on every ship).
They’re also one of the cheaper options with various cheap cruise deals and the kind of offers you’d usually find in supermarkets (buy one, get one half price etc).
Some Royal Caribbean cruise ships have almost 3000 cabins, meaning they are significantly bigger than a lot of rival ships.
Reviews and awards:
Typical price: £2626 for a nine night cruise for two people with an ocean view in September 2025. The cruise leaves from Southampton and includes stops in Spain and Portugal. Note that this is a shorter cruise than most we have included, so it works out as £145 per person, per night.
Their cruises are less about subtle sophistication, but are a chance to try a surf or skydiving simulator, roller disco, waterparks, rock climbing, zip lines or mini golf.
There are also posh shops selling expensive things, art auctions as well dance and fitness classes. Anyway, you get the idea…there’s a lot to do (although bear in mind that not every activity is on every ship).
They’re also one of the cheaper options with various cheap cruise deals and the kind of offers you’d usually find in supermarkets (buy one, get one half price etc).
Some Royal Caribbean cruise ships have almost 3000 cabins, meaning they are significantly bigger than a lot of rival ships.
Reviews and awards:
- Solid scores which average 81% from customers (3.9/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.2/5 on IGLU, 4.1/5 on Cruiseline.com).
- World Cruise Awards 2024 - World's Best Large Cruise Ship for Icon of the Seas and World's Best Cruise Ship for Activities for Quantum of the Seas.
- Cruise Critic Awards 2024 - Best Entertainment and Best Suites
- Wave Awards 2019 - Best Family Cruise Line and Best Ocean Cruise Line
- Cruise International Awards 2017 - 2nd Best for Families, Best for Onboard Activities
- Cruise International Awards 2018 - Best Cruise Line for Millenials
- Globe Travel Awards 2018 - Best Mainstream Cruise Company
- British Travel Awards 2017 - Best Large Ship Cruise Line
- Which? 2018 - 7th Best Cruise Line
Typical price: £2626 for a nine night cruise for two people with an ocean view in September 2025. The cruise leaves from Southampton and includes stops in Spain and Portugal. Note that this is a shorter cruise than most we have included, so it works out as £145 per person, per night.
Royal Caribbean is a big and fun cruise line
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10. P&O Cruises - mid-priced, family friendly and couples, 79% review score
You’ll frequently find P&O recommended as a good choice for first time UK cruisers. They visit loads of destinations, they win lots of awards and they're an all-rounder rather than aiming for a particular niche in the cruise market.
Most P&O cruise ships are big and family-friendly but they also have some smaller ones which are for adults only, so you can avoid noisy children…. Larger P&O ships, such as Britannia offer swimming pools, spa and fitness areas, seven different venues with things like theatre and comedy shows, more than 10 places to eat, dance classes, guest speakers and so on.
There are also lots of different children's and teenagers' activities across four different age groups.
First-timers may prefer to limit themselves to a two night cruise to Belgium, just in you’ll want to get off after the first 10 minutes.
P&O Cruise ships tend to be on the larger side with some having more than 1500 cabins.
Reviews and awards:
Destinations and departure ports: P&O is a popular choice with UK cruisers who want to avoid flying. When we searched there were nearly 300 no-fly cruises from Southampton including Canada, Caribbean, Central America, USA and Scandinavia. Of course, if you want to visit the Caribbean you’re going to spend a long time at sea… If you don’t mind flying first, P&O travel all over the world, including Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Far East.
Typical price: £4796 for a 13 night cruise from Southampton to Spain in late September 2025. That price is for two people and works out as £184 per person, per night.
Most P&O cruise ships are big and family-friendly but they also have some smaller ones which are for adults only, so you can avoid noisy children…. Larger P&O ships, such as Britannia offer swimming pools, spa and fitness areas, seven different venues with things like theatre and comedy shows, more than 10 places to eat, dance classes, guest speakers and so on.
There are also lots of different children's and teenagers' activities across four different age groups.
First-timers may prefer to limit themselves to a two night cruise to Belgium, just in you’ll want to get off after the first 10 minutes.
P&O Cruise ships tend to be on the larger side with some having more than 1500 cabins.
Reviews and awards:
- Customer reviews for P&O cruises are a decent 4/5 (3.4/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com, 4.2/5 on IGLU).
- Cruise Critics Awards 2024 - Best Cruise Line and Best for Families
- British Travel Awards 2018 - Best Family Cruise Line and Best Large Ships Cruise line
- Globe Travel Awards 2018 - Favourite Ocean Cruise Company
- Wave Awards 2017 - Passenger favourite Ocean Cruise Line
- Cruise International Awards 2017 - 2nd Best for First Time Cruisers and 2nd Best Overall Cruise Line.
- Cruise International Awards 2018 - 2nd Best Value Cruise Line, Best for New To Cruise, Best for Onboard Entertainment
- Which? - 8th Best Cruise Line 2018 (Oceania was 1st)
- British Cruise Awards 2019 - Best Value for Money Cruise Line (highly commended, which is second place)
Destinations and departure ports: P&O is a popular choice with UK cruisers who want to avoid flying. When we searched there were nearly 300 no-fly cruises from Southampton including Canada, Caribbean, Central America, USA and Scandinavia. Of course, if you want to visit the Caribbean you’re going to spend a long time at sea… If you don’t mind flying first, P&O travel all over the world, including Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Far East.
Typical price: £4796 for a 13 night cruise from Southampton to Spain in late September 2025. That price is for two people and works out as £184 per person, per night.
Arcadia is one of P&O's adults only cruise ships
Price per night - cheapest to most expensive
We only looked at one set of dates, but we calculated the price per person, per night to make for a fairer comparison. There is also some inconsistency in what is included and what sort of room you get.
From cheapest to most expensive for the cruises we looked at, based on two people sharing in September 2025:
From cheapest to most expensive for the cruises we looked at, based on two people sharing in September 2025:
- Princess Cruises - £145
- Royal Caribbean - £145
- TUI/Marella - £158
- Fred Olsen Cruises - £171
- P&O Cruises - £184
- Celebrity Cruises - £205
- Disney Cruises - £212
- Cunard - £239
- Oceania - £255
- Saga Cruises - £385
Princess Cruises performed well in our price comparison
What about other cruise lines?
If you’re a regular cruiser you’re probably shaking your fist and asking why we haven’t included your favourite cruise line in our top 10.
There are lots of other decent ones, including a couple which came very close to the top 10.
Here’s a brief summary of some other big cruise lines:
There are lots of other decent ones, including a couple which came very close to the top 10.
Here’s a brief summary of some other big cruise lines:
- Viking River Cruises and Viking Ocean Cruises both get outstanding reviews and very nearly made our list. Most travellers give rave reviews, averaging 90% (4.6/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.4/5 on Cruiseline.com). However, they don’t offer any cruises from the UK and they are expensive once you’ve included flights. Winner at Cruise Critic Awards 2024 in Best River Cruise Line category.
- First time cruisers might not have heard of Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten but they’ve got more than a dozen ships and reviews are amongst the best in the cruise industry. They’re one to consider if you like the idea of visiting lots of interesting places, but aren’t so bothered about putting on your best ball gown and sitting at the captain’s table. Reviews for Hurtigruten are well above average at 85% (4.2/5 CruiseCritic, 4.3/5 on IGLU, 4.2/5 on Cruiseline.com). Hurtigruten tends to be popular with couples looking for an adventurous bit of sightseeing, rather than lots of families (although there are some children onboard).
- Virgin Voyages is an adults-only cruise line. Reviews are positive and average 86% (4.3/5 on Cruiseline.com, 4.1/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.5/5 on IGLU) but it is a very small cruise line with far fewer ships than others. Winner at Cruise Critics Awards 2024 for Best Dining and Best for LGBTQ+ Travellers.
- MSC Cruises is a big name in the cruise market with more than a dozen ships. Prices are towards the budget/mid-price range. Reviews are a little way behind some other cruise lines, averaging 75% from customers (3.3/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.1/5 on IGLU, 3.8/5 on Cruiseline.com). Winner at Cruise Critic Awards 2024 in Best For Nightlife category.
- Norwegian Cruise Line is similar in size to MSC Cruises. Some ships get good reviews and prices are competitive, but overall customers reviews are 77% so they didn't quite make our list (3.6/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.1/5 on IGLU, 3.8/5 on Cruiseline.com). Winner of World's Best Cruise Line at the World Cruise Awards in 2024.
- Costa Cruises is a lively and affordable cruise line with a wide age range. Customer reviews aren't as good as most of its competitors, with an average of 68% (3/5 on CruiseCritic, 3.9/5 on IGLU, 3.3/5 on Cruiseline.com).
- Carnival is another lively cruise line with plenty of jolly entertainment. Customer reviews average 77% (3.8/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.1/5 on IGLU on 4/5 on Cruiseline.com)
- Hapag Lloyd Cruises is a smaller cruise line than most. It doesn't offer any cruises from the UK as far as I can tell. Customer reviews are very positive (4.6/5 on CruiseCritic), but there aren't many to go on.
- Holland America Line is popular with older cruisers, with traditional hospitality and entertainment. Average reviews from customers of 79% (3.8/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.1/5 on IGLU on 4/5 on Cruiseline.com). Winner at Cruise Critic Awards 2024 in Best for Service category.
- Crystal Cruises is a small luxury cruise line with reviews of 87% (4.3/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.4/5 on Cruiseline.com). It was winner at Cruise Critic Awards 2024 in Best Luxury Cruise Line Award.
- Regent Seven Seas is a luxury cruise line aimed at couples with average reviews of 84% (3.7/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.8/5 on IGLU - but not many reviews, 4.1/5 on Cruiseline.com)
- Seabourn is another luxury cruise line, which only carries a small number of passengers. Average reviews 86% (4.1/5 on CruiseCritic, 4.5/5 on IGLU - but not many reviews, 4.3/5 on Cruiseline.com
Cruise line ranking based on customer reviews
Next up, we looked at all the figures to come up with a ranking from the cruise line with the highest overall customer review score to the lowest.
We used scores from CruiseCritic, Cruiseline and IGLU - which are all excellent sites if you are researching a cruise. In some cases, the number of reviews was quite small so that may explain some anomalies.
Anyway, here's the ranking:
We used scores from CruiseCritic, Cruiseline and IGLU - which are all excellent sites if you are researching a cruise. In some cases, the number of reviews was quite small so that may explain some anomalies.
Anyway, here's the ranking:
- Viking Ocean Cruises - 90%
- Disney Cruises - 89%
- Crystal Cruises - 87%
- Seabourn - 86%
- Virgin Voyages - 86%
- Regent Seven Seas - 84%
- Hurtigruten - 85%
- Oceania Cruises - 83%
- Cunard - 83%
- Celebrity Cruises - 82%
- Saga Cruises - 82%
- Marella Cruises - 81%
- Royal Caribbean International - 81%
- Fred Olsen Cruises - 80%
- Princess Cruises - 80%
- P&O Cruises - 79%
- Holland America Line - 79%
- Norwegian Cruise Line - 77%
- Carnival Cruises - 77%
- MSC Cruises - 75%
- Costa Cruises - 68%
The Best Cruises Guide Dont-Blame-Us-Disclaimer: facilities, onboard activities and prices were correct when we checked, but things change all the time so please check details direct with cruise lines, rather than blaming us. Bear in mind that some cruise lines are more 'inclusive' than others, so will add extra charges later. We just looked for the basic price.
