Around 30 cruise ships clustered off Iceland in August just to watch the solar eclipse — a snapshot of how ambitious cruising has become, and how broad its appeal now runs. The 2026 Readers' Choice Awards from Condé Nast Traveller UK reflect that: more people, more generations, more styles of sailing. The results break down seven categories, from mega ships carrying over 4,000 passengers to boutique vessels under 500, plus river and expedition sailing.
Seabourn is the quiet overachiever of the year, taking first place in both small ships (score 98.73) and medium ships (98.12), and coming second in expedition. Its all-inclusive, caviar-on-the-beach approach clearly lands with readers. Viking also had a standout year, topping the river cruise category (97.31) ahead of Egypt specialist The Oberoi Luxury Nile Cruisers, and winning expedition cruises (98.34) — helped by a growing itinerary list that includes a new Japan route. Cunard claimed the large-ship crown (93.69), beating Celebrity Cruises and Holland America, with readers praising its traditional service.
Royal Caribbean wins mega ships outright (91.79), ahead of Princess and MSC — no surprise for a line that treats ships as resorts. Elsewhere, Virgin Voyages earned recognition for entertainment, including its beach club concept, while Explora Journeys picked up design praise. On the small-ship end, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection came second behind Seabourn, with Silversea third — proof that the luxury yacht-style segment keeps gaining ground.
The activities arms race is real, too. Celebrity, second in the large category, runs a three-deck Caribbean carnival at sea and has a yacht-rock-themed sailing planned for 2027. If that sounds like your thing, the mega and large categories reward spectacle; if you'd rather have fewer shipmates and more experts, the medium, small and expedition lists point somewhere quieter.
Why does this matter for trip planning? Because the categories are genuinely different holidays. A Nile sailing with Oberoi, an Antarctica-adjacent expedition with HX or Ponant, and a mega-ship Caribbean week with Royal Caribbean share almost nothing except water. Scoring the field this way helps you match the line to the trip you actually want — and the scores show which operators readers think deliver on their promise, whether that's service, food, design or pure entertainment.
