Getting cruise fans to agree on the best cruise line is never easy!
Some passengers want waterslides and enough entertainment to keep them busy for a week. Others would happily trade half those attractions for a good dinner and a comfortable spot overlooking the ocean.
Then there are the loyal cruisers who already know their favorite. Good luck changing their minds.
So when nearly 800,000 votes help shape a new set of travel awards, the cruise results deserve a look. Especially when the winner finishes ahead of some very big names.
Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards drew 798,867 votes across the full range of travel categories.
This countdown focuses on the megaship category, covering ships carrying 4,000 passengers or more, starting with the lowest-ranked finalist and working toward the favorite.
The numbers are published reader scores, rather than individual vote totals.
And the top spot? It went to a line whose appeal goes well beyond what’s sitting on the pool deck.
5. Norwegian Cruise Line
Reader score: 80.30
Norwegian opens the countdown in fifth place. That still puts it among the category’s top five, even if its most devoted fans would probably prefer to see it a few places higher.
One of Norwegian’s biggest selling points is flexibility, particularly around food.
Its Freestyle Dining approach means no fixed dining times or preassigned seating, giving passengers more freedom to decide how their evenings unfold.
Stayed ashore a little longer? Want dinner early, then something else later? That kind of flexibility can make a vacation feel easier.
There’s a practical side to choosing Norwegian, though: look closely at the actual ship.
Attractions and dining venues vary, and the experience that caught your attention in a video may belong to a completely different ship.
It’s an easy detail to overlook when everything is being sold under the same cruise line name.
For passengers who like having choices without planning every evening around an assigned dinner sitting, Norwegian has a clear attraction. Fifth place won’t change that.
4. Carnival Cruise Line
Reader score: 81.05
Carnival edges ahead of Norwegian, and anyone whose ideal sea day includes casual food and something fun to do on the top deck can probably see the appeal.
Sometimes a great cruise lunch really is just a burger, fries, and the knowledge that there’s nowhere urgent to be.
Guy’s Burger Joint is one of Carnival’s familiar favorites, serving poolside burgers and hand-cut fries.
BlueIguana Cantina adds tacos and burritos to the mix on ships where it’s available, with both venues listed among Carnival’s included dining options.
Those little everyday pleasures matter. A spectacular restaurant might be the meal passengers photograph most, but an easy lunch they enjoy several times can leave just as strong an impression.
Carnival makes sense for cruisers who want a vacation that feels casual from the start. No need to turn every meal into an occasion.
Of course, a lively atmosphere won’t suit every passenger. Someone picturing long, quiet afternoons should give the ship and sailing a careful look before booking.
But for the cruiser who wants to relax, eat well, and join in when something fun is happening, Carnival’s fourth-place finish gives its fans something to smile about.
3. MSC Cruises
Reader score: 85.23
MSC takes third. It’s a result worth noticing, particularly for cruisers who tend to compare only the same two or three familiar brands before booking.
With MSC, the accommodation you choose can also shape a surprisingly large part of the experience.
Its MSC Yacht Club offers a separate suite area with butler service and dedicated spaces, including a restaurant, lounge, pool, and sundeck.
That creates an interesting option for passengers who like the idea of a huge ship but also want somewhere more private to retreat.
A busy afternoon exploring the ship, followed by time in a quieter lounge, sounds like a pretty reasonable compromise.
Still, Yacht Club is a particular product within MSC. Its features shouldn’t be treated as something every passenger receives.
That’s part of what makes cruise comparisons a little messy. Two people can sail on the same ship, book very different accommodations, and come home describing noticeably different vacations.
Still… MSC’s third-place finish puts it firmly in the conversation. And it leaves just two lines ahead.
2. Royal Caribbean International
Reader score: 86.45
Royal Caribbean takes the runner-up position.
For anyone who judges a ship partly by how often it makes them say, “They actually put that at sea?” this placement will feel fairly natural.
Royal’s biggest ships lean heavily into activities and entertainment, with features such as waterparks and major stage productions.
Exactly what’s available depends on the ship, but the ambition is hard to miss.
These are the sorts of ships where a sea day can require decisions. Pool first, show later, or the activity everyone wanted to try yesterday?
For families and groups with different interests, that choice is a big part of the appeal. Nobody has to want exactly the same vacation every hour of the day.
There’s a small catch, naturally. Having plenty to do can tempt passengers into trying to do all of it. Suddenly, a relaxing week has a rather full calendar.
Still, Royal Caribbean finishing second is hardly a disappointing result.
The more interesting part is which line managed to finish above it.
1. Princess Cruises
Reader score: 92.35
Princess Cruises takes the top spot, finishing 5.90 points ahead of Royal Caribbean in the megaship category. That’s a clear lead among these five finalists.
And yes, Princess belongs in this category. Sun Princess and Star Princess each carry around 4,300 passengers, putting them firmly into megaship territory.
Their dining and social spaces give passengers plenty to explore.
Star Princess, for example, lists 30 restaurant and bar venues, while the glass-enclosed Piazza forms a central gathering place aboard the ship.
Some dining experiences carry an additional charge, so having more choice doesn’t mean every meal is included.
That combination may help explain the appeal: a large ship can offer an eventful evening while still leaving room for a slow dinner or a drink with a view.
The rankings don’t tell us precisely why each reader gave Princess its score. But the result does suggest that, for these voters, a winning megaship experience involved more than the longest list of headline attractions.
Cruisers remember smaller things, too. Whether dinner felt rushed. Whether they found a favorite place to sit. Whether the evening was enjoyable without needing to check the schedule every ten minutes.
Those details rarely appear in an advertisement. Over a week at sea, though, they can matter an awful lot.
For a broader comparison, take a look at all major cruise lines ranked from best to worst.
Then, before settling on a cabin, check these tips for choosing the best cabins on a cruise ship. Finding the right ship matters, but where you sleep can make a surprisingly big difference, too.
