Nearly 800,000 travelers just voted to name the absolute best cruise lines of 2026

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Travelers have named their favorite cruise lines for sailing aboard some of the biggest ships at sea.

Nearly 800,000 votes were cast inCondé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, which ranked cruise lines across several ship sizes.

The largest category covered “megaships” carrying more than 4,000 passengers, with Princess Cruises taking the No.1 spot with a score of 92.35.

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Princess entered the megaship category with Sun Princess and Star Princess, which launched in 2024 and 2025, respectively.Each can carry up to 4,300 passengers, making them the largest ships in the Princess fleet, according to the publication.

Royal Caribbean Internationalcame in second with a score of 86.45.

Tourists and sightseers photograph departing cruise ships at Port Everglades jetty.

Princess Cruises took the top spot among megaship cruise lines in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, earning a score of 92.35.(iStock)

The cruise line operates the nine largest cruise ships in the world, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Its biggest vessels can carry up to 7,600 passengers at full capacity and stretch nearly 1,200 feet, with onboard attractions ranging from water parks to live productions, the publication said.

MSC Cruises ranked third among megaships, followed byCarnival Cruise Lineand Norwegian Cruise Line.

MSC’s megaships can carry between 5,300 and 6,700 passengers, according to Condé Nast Traveler.Carnival’s larger ships include attractions such as a roller coaster at sea, while Norwegianoffers amenities includingwater parks, go-kart racing and virtual-reality gaming.

Crown Princess cruise ship sails on open deck at sea.

Nearly 800,000 votes were cast in the annual awards, which ranked cruise lines across several ship-size categories.(iStock)

Different cruise lines topped the rankings for slightly smaller vessels.

The awards’ “large ships” category covered vessels carrying between 2,500 and 3,999 passengers.

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Virgin Voyages took the No.1 spot in that category with a score of 91.

Disney Cruise Linefollowed closely behind in second place, while Holland America Line ranked third.

Passengers disembark from cruise ships at Costa Maya, Mexico.

The annual cruise rankings also included medium and small ships, along with river cruise lines, beyond the two largest categories.(Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises rounded out the top five, putting Princess among the highest-rated lines in both the megaship and large-ship categories.