Condè Nast Traveler, a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, announced the results of its 38th annual Reader’s Choice Awards, where hundreds of thousands of readers voted on their travel experiences worldwide, including their favorite cruise lines in service, food, accommodations, sustainability, and more.
Taking the top spot as the best cruise line for mega ships this year is Princess Cruises. The cruise lines are scored on a 100-point scale, and Princess Cruises received an 88.71. Following close behind is MSC Cruises with an 87.66, Norwegian Cruise Line with an 87.48, Royal Caribbean International with an 85.48, and Carnival Cruise Line with a 77.48. Mega ships are those carrying more than 4,000 passengers.
Not only did Princess Cruises take the top spot for best cruise line for mega ships, but its Sphere-Class ship, Sun Princess, also took the top spot for Mega Cruise Ship. This is the second consecutive year that Sun Princess has earned this prestigious honor. Since her launch in 2024, the 4,300-passenger Sun Princess has received several key accolades in dining, entertainment, and family experience.
With the debut of one of the world’s largest mega ships in Miami in April 2025, MSC World America, it is no wonder MSC Cruises claimed spot number 2 on the Reader’s Choice Awards. Not only is the cruise line further solidifying its position in the US Market, but with the launch of two more World Class ships, MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic, in 2026 and 2027, respectively, the cruise line continues to grow in North America and worldwide.
The magazine also surveyed readers for the best cruise line for large ships. Large ships are those that carry 2,500 to 4,000 passengers. Disney Cruise Line took the top honor in this category with a score of 89.24. The top ten included Holland America Line, Virgin Voyages, Cunard, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Carnival Cruise Line.
Which cruise lines and ships have you sailed on? Do you agree with these results?