Royal Caribbean Has the Top 7 Overall Best Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean was the big winner in this year’s 2026 Member Choice Awards by Cruiseline.com, the 11th year the awards have been recognized.

Cruiseline.com has the world’s largest database of verified cruise reviews. Since their parent company, World Travel Holdings, owns several of the largest online travel agencies, their reviews are by community members who they know have sailed on the ship they are reviewing.

Royal Caribbean was the big winner this year by being named the Best Mainstream Cruise Line, Best Cruise Line for Service, and the Best Cruise Line for Activities and Entertainment.

In addition, the top seven, and eight out of 10, Best Overall Cruise Ships were all from Royal Caribbean. They were:

1. Utopia of the Seas
2. Wonder of the Seas
3. Star of the Seas
4. Oasis of the Seas
5. Mariner of the Seas
6. Symphony of the Seas
7. Icon of the Seas

Star of the Seas was named the Best New Cruise Ship of 2026 with Utopia of the Seas being named Best Cruise Ship for Food and Dining, Best Cruise Ship for Staterooms, and Best Cruise Ship for Service. Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, earned the title of Best Cruise Ship for Activities and Entertainment.

Recognition is based on reviews submitted to Cruiseline.com by community members who sailed and reviewed cruises between January and December 2025.

These honors provide valuable insights into the performance of cruise lines and ships, while also recognizing the contributions of community members who shared their reviews over the past year.

Cruiseline.com’s verified reviews are genuine reviews by real people. They cover every aspect of the cruise from dining to ports to entertainment.

It is done through a partnership with major cruise agencies. Cruiseline.com then gathers the real reviews from actual cruisers who have sailed on the ships they are reviewing, and uses the data to determine the best cruise lines and ships of the year.

Jamie Cash, Chief Operating Officer of Cruiseline.com, gave the following statement about these awards:

“We congratulate all the cruise lines, ships, and ports recognized in the 2026 Cruiseline.com Member Choice Awards. These awards would not be possible without the support of our community members who took the time to share their cruise experiences and insights with us over the past year.

“A special congratulations to Royal Caribbean, Viking Ocean Cruises, Crystal, and AmaWaterways for their remarkable performance in this year’s rankings, as well as to the other top cruise lines, ships, and destinations for earning exceptional recognitions from our members.”