U.S. News Names Best Cruise Lines for 2024 Cruises

U.S. News & World Report has announced the best cruise lines for 2024 that range from Best Cruise Lines for the Money to the Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean.

Viking, Disney Cruise Line, and Virgin Voyages were the big winners for best cruise lines in 2024. U.S. News & World Report compared 17 different cruises lines using a scoring system based on three elements: expert rating, traveler rating, and health rating.

30% of the overall score was based off of U.S. News & World Report’s editors who assigned each cruise line a rating between one and five. They used a cruise ship’s atmosphere, facilities, activities, cabins, cuisine, and service for their ratings.

50% of the overall score was based off cruise reviews from Cruiseline.com. Cruiseline.com offers cruise reviews from guests who were verified that they sailed on a particular ship. They have the largest collection of verified cruise reviews on the internet.

The 20% of the score was based off of the surprise inspections of each cruise ship that were done by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program. Each cruise ship that sails to or from the U.S. is given an unannounced inspection twice each year. U.S. News & World Report used the latest inspection report for each ship.

U.S. News & World Report ranks cruise lines just once each year and their Best Cruise Lines for 2024 are as follows.

Best Cruise Lines for the Money

1. Virgin Voyages (View Prices)
2. Celebrity Cruises (View Prices)
3. Princess Cruises (View Prices)

Best Cruise Lines for Families

1. Disney Cruise Line (View Prices)
2. Royal Caribbean (View Prices)
3. Carnival Cruise Line (View Prices)

Best Cruise Lines for Couples

1. Viking Ocean Cruises (View Prices)
2. Seabourn Cruise Line (View Prices)
3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises (View Prices)

Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean

1. Disney Cruise Line (View Prices)
2. Celebrity Cruises (View Prices)
3. Virgin Voyages (View Prices)

Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean

1. Viking Ocean Cruises (View Prices)
2. Seabourn Cruise Line (View Prices)
3. Celebrity Cruises (View Prices)

Best Luxury Cruise Lines

1. Viking Ocean Cruises (View Prices)
2. Seabourn Cruise Line (View Prices)
3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises (View Prices)

If you would like to see the complete rankings for the above categories, you can do so at this link on their website.

“This year has seen an enormous resurgence in the popularity of cruises,” said Nicola Wood, senior travel editor at U.S. News.

“After the unprecedented cruising shutdown during the peak of the pandemic, people are eager to sail the world’s oceans and tour multiple destinations in a single trip. The Best Cruise Lines rankings provide a variety of cruise recommendations, making it easy for cruisers to choose the best options for them.”

Viking was the top cruise line earning three awards, Best Cruise Line for Couples, Best Cruise Line in the Mediterranean, and Best Luxury Cruise Line.  Viking also won the three awards in 2023.

This is the second consecutive year that Virgin Voyages has earned the top spot for Best Cruise Lines for the Money. They are the only mainstream cruise line to include gratuities, WiFi, all dining, and basic beverages in all cruise fares. They are also adults only and guests must be 18 years or older to sail on one of their ships.

This is the 10th straight year that Disney Cruise Line was named the Best Cruise Line for Families.