Ranking Premium Cruise Lines. Ready for an adult cruise? See which is right for you!  

Couldn’t believe you gave Virgin & Celebrity a tie for first place! Those are my two favorites, very different, but I love them both. But just returned from my first Princess cruise, 27 nights on Royal Princess, and absolutely loved it. Food & entertainment at least as good as on Celebrity, and enrichment talks, activities even better.

I have four main interests. Food, alcohol, live music, and a world to gaze upon. A quality drinks package is essential to me. Big Celebrity fan.

Took my first ever cruise a few weeks ago: Princess 7 nights to Canada/New England from NYC. Loved it. No criticisms. Can't compare with other lines, obviously. All I can say is that the staff was superb, the itinerary perfect for me, my interior room very comfortable and organized brilliantly to maximize storage space, the ship beautiful, embarkation and disembarkation quick and well organized, and I found many beautiful and quiet spaces (what I wanted) both inside and out. Excellent choice of wines and top shelf liquors with my premium package. Superb specialty dining. Diverting entertainment. Superb song and dance talent. Decent food in main dining room and buffet. The only things I could imagine better would all cost more-- higher quality ingredients in the buffet and other included dining and more elevated/sophisticated entertainment. I thought Princess gave excellent value for the money and I would likely stick with Princess in the future because I really can't imagine better value for the price and was very happy with what I had. As a music lover, I am tempted by the HAL music walk, however. I suspect I would enjoy cruises on any of the lines reviewed on this video and would likely choose a particular trip based on itinerary, convenience, and price. I do wonder if Virgin is a bit too raunchy for my taste.

Great video. It's been years since I cruised. We set sail on Saturday for a 10 day cruise on HAL Koningsdam to the Mexican Riviera and Sea of Cortez. We upgraded to Club Orange. It was so worth the $25 per person per day. We were upgraded to an aft cabin (we had a choice between that and a midship cabin with a higher ranking) . Other perks are breakfast and dinner in the Club Orange dining room with a slightly expanded menu and dedicated kitchen, priority boarding and disembarkation, priority on and off at port, free mimosas and espresso or cappuccinos at breakfast, fresh fruit, hordouvres and a tote bag. We were very lucky to find out about this upgrade when we did as they sold out quickly. Some people in the Facebook group complained about missing out. In the spring, we sail on the brand new Sun Princess in the Mediterranean. We're really looking forward to that too. Bon voyage!

Our very 1st cruise was on Celebrity and loved it. The food, decor, service and overall vibe were perfect. The only complaint was we felt if our voyage was longer than 7 days, which we always do, we would get bored. We tried Princess this year and found it a GREAT option for other Celebrity fans. The food was good, just a smidge below Celebrity's and the decor was not as trendy and a little too conservative/gradious and flashy for me, but the vibe was the same and the actives were in full swing. Going to try Virgin next. Cunard and HAL are way to conservative for my blood, so those 2 are not an option, and I'll rather row a boat than cruise Royal or Carnival, but try Princess, you might be surprised. We were.

HAL Neptune Suite is the only way we sail today. Hard to look back after being in that class and all the perks that come with it. Thanks for sharing.

Recently sailed on beautiful QM2 in july and here's my comprehensive review. Your video hits on all of the major aspects perfectly! Cunard is a brand that intimately knows it's identity. It does not try to be all things for all people. This is refreshing as competition seems to blend together, failing to differentiate. Stepping onboard a Cunard vessel says that you appreciate maritime history, tradition, and class. This is where their ships endearing nature, charm, and magic stems from. Every hallway, corridor, and stairwell beckons passengers to explore the littered artwork and fabled tapestries of Cunard's legendary past. There is a sense of nostalgia onboard (even for someone as young as myself) which makes one feel special, as if you're a part of the history itself. The styling onboard is ornate with burl wood lining the elevators (lifts for you brits) and all of the china is Wedgewood. These attention to details is so appreciated. With regard to QM2 specifically, she looks the best as ever. Every single public space is nothing short of immaculate. Rust spots on the exterior is not a concern, as she is an ocean liner, not a cruise ship. Even so, I've seen more ugly oranged decaying metal on leisure cruise ships before so it comes down to how well any ship's crew stays on top of it. Well done to the QM2's painters! Queens Grill stateroom: our Q5 cabin (11130) was extremely spacious for myself and 3 others and suited our needs adequately. Crisanto (our butler) did a phenomenal job catering to our requests for extra pillows, drinks, canapes, robes, etc. Queens Grill dining: This was simply the best dining experience that I've ever experienced on land or sea. Period. Osman, Shafiek, Jugal, Brendo, Joey, and Antony specifically never failed to impress with their personalities and flare. The magic of Queen's Grill is the ability for the chefs to conjure up anything from your imagination. Safe to say my family and I threw the 'kitchen sink' at them ordering off menu meals such as Osso Buco, Penne Arrabiata, Escargot, Caviar, to name a few and each one was prepared tableside by the maître d' (often with flambe). None of these items were on the menu and we had to order at least by lunchtime. Simply spectacular...

Seems fair. My choice would be Holland America with their amazing destinations, but that’s just my personal perspective. Good job!

A very good, well presented video! Of these cruise lines I have only been on Celebrity and would definitely sail with them again. Sailed on Viking Ocean last year and have 2 more booked, loved everything about it! Want to try Holland too! Thanks for the comparison 👍

I had only sailed on Viking and Oceania before. Last trip I tried Holland and was pleasantly surprised. Food is a big issue for me and HAL didn’t disappoint except for a couple. Of overdone fish dishes. We upgraded to Club Orange and felt it was worth it. The service in the CO dining room was worth 25:36 it. The filet mignon in the steak house was way better than I ever had on Oceania or Viking.

Enjoyed your video, but was surprised at the high rating of Celebrity. I sailed on the Celebrity Summit this month and was disappointed with three things: bars/lounges didn’t have waitstaff and we had to get in line at the bar for our drinks; waitstaff wasn’t the friendliest with the exception of a few; and disembarkation was a nightmare. I also cruised with Holland America this month and they greatly outperformed Celebrity in all three of these areas. I wasn’t surprised when Cruise Critic Editor’s Pick awarded them Best Service for 2023.

Great video!, I am interested in your ranking of the smaller luxury cruise line’s also.

The one category that you did not address and hopefully you will include in a future video is the solo cruiser experience. The number of individuals that like to sail on these premium cruise lines who have either lost their spouses, or for one reason or another sail solo is growing. Also, I just want to make sure I understood what you said at the end of the video, did you say that you have never cruised with Princess?

Here is a reason for Princess--the Medallion. Phone apps do not enable servers to deliver food and drinks to your location. The Medallion means "order and forget": whatever you ordered will come to you. It is not perfect; sometimes the wait is long, but so is the wait at the bars and restaurants at other ships. I do not understand why some cruise commenators act like this is not a big advantage. It is, or at least it has been for us. PS--we like Celebrity a lot, too. We are not Princess-only cruisers. Both are great. We have never cruised on Virgin or Holland America.

Hello! I enjoyed your video. My husband and I are cruising with Celebrity for the first time, in a couple of weeks. We normally sail with Royal Caribbean. I am concerned about the new changes on Celebrity. We booked a Sky Suite for our Ultimate Carribean Cruise for 10 nights. Time will tell!!

Very informative information. Big Celebrity cruiser here & I was just on the Beyond for 11 nights in the Mediterranean with Captain Kate. It was incredible but we did notice the "lack" of food options in the main dining. So Celebrity being the great company they are, took note of their customer feedback & will be going back to the "classic" dining, which I guess means more options in the theme main dining rooms. Also they are going back to chocolate on the menu every night! We're going on the Ascent in January & can't wait, Thanks for sharing your information with us.

Firstly - thanks for your insight and POV. End of the day its horses for courses. From your list, Sailed with Cunard, princess and celebrity multiple times over the years, going on Appex this year, so that will be a new experience for us concerning the class of ship. However as a middle ground cruise line i like Princess. They offer both a mix of formal and smart casual, so doesn't become a core to dress up and as you mentioned various aged groups. Im in my 60s now and enjoy younger cruisers rather than crusty old farts with a billion cruise loyalty points who think they own the ship😂 i also like Royal, however their ships have become so big now, they have become a bit off putting to me. Anyhow their is plenty off variety in the cruise market, you just need to find the one that suits you. Happy sailing👍

Your review and assessment is on point. We have sailed on all of the Premium cruise lines. Being committed Celebrity cruisers we became disenchanted due to the quality and selection of food. Their specialty dining is expensive compared to other Premium lines. We sailed on QM2 in its inaugural year in Queen's Grill because my DH emigrated to Canada on the original Queen Mary. At this time, in our 70s, we want a longer cruise so opted to choose HAL for all that you mentioned. The only thing I'm disappointed in with HAL is that, while we cruised on Carnival Corp. lines....Princess, Cunard and return cruisers on HAL, they will only give us credit for our HAL cruise in 1998, which other cruise lines will honour past cruises AND all of our cruises were owned by the Carnival Corp. Great video as always! Thank you.

Great review although I had expected you to also include "price" as both Virgin and Celebrity have a slightly higher price point etc.

I love Virgin bc it's not your run of the mill antiquated cruise line. No nasty buffets, no aggravating photographer in your face and no kids running around. No nickel and diming for every little thing. This cruise line is not just for couples but there are a lot of solo cruisers as well. The ages that I seen are more in the range of 40-65. Virgin is not a raunchy cruise line. Most of the cruisers are chill and just want to have some down time. But when it's time to party, its on. #1 on my list.

Thanks! We're fans of Celebrity. We tied HAL (not good on wine matching and that shower curtain...) Good video but we're very concerned that the new Celebrity president is turning Celebrity into an overpriced "just-another-cruise-line"

I just got off a Royal Caribbean cruise, the food has gone downhill. Worst food ever. Had to fill up on sweets to stay full.

My favorite is Holland America. Used to like Celebrity, but we had a bad experience with shortages, and don't care for some of the cuts and current prices. We've booked our first Princess Cruise, because the price and itinerary fit our schedule. Hopefully we like it for an expansion of options. I like a lot of what I see from Virgin Voyages, but the standard beds sound like they're low quality, and the nightlife is a bit risqué for my taste. We fly from Las Vegas, and often stay at the Virgin Hotel post-cruise, so there's still a sprinkle. I really want to squeeze a few ultra premium cruises in, but only when they're the most affordable.

Love Celebrity also

Booked my first Virgin cruise for later this year. As to your rankings, I was surprised to see that each one was rated for couples. Nothing for solos or friend groups?

So how about Viking and Oceana. Princess will always have a place in my heart, as they were the first cruise (Alaska of course) my wife and I took >20 years ago. Currently doing NCL but after our Hawaii cruise thinking about upgrading.

Just found your videos. Do you have a travel agent business?

I'll be crlusing on Celebrity the first time in 2 months. Seeing all these negative comments about the decline on their food quality, I am very concern as food was the main reason I chose to cruise with their line. Since you have sail with Celebrity many times, can complimentary lunch take place at speciality restaurants or does it have to be at the MDR?

Awesome video!!!! But celebrity is legit #1. They literally are a luxury resort at sea. Virgin, while fun, just doesn’t have the luxury feel. Celebrity guests are just as fun as Virgin guests. Just different experiences. Virgin is amazing…celebrity just a bit better. ❤

So you have never sailed on Princess, but put it in last place anyway?

Which cruise is less crowded or less kids lol

So I am big on these various channels. Your up front imformative approach is very welcome. It would also be helpful if you did more individual aspects to things. Now I want to say something real, and not try to be provative. So there are several done buy gay cruisers, or perhaps being older I can not get the lingo. No biggie and certainly no offence. So we have Ben and David, my favorite. Funny, informative, highlighting dinning, haveing great excursions. Just fun. Then JJ cruises tgat does a bit of the same but are just finding their way. Not as much into food, but giving an overall. Certainly much less production values then Ben and David. Tips for Travelers is another more in a narritive manner. He does not highlight the relationship, as neither do you. He is extremely well spoken , does decent food reviews, and yet is traditional enough so most would hardly notice. I am glad that we have it so some, like myself, could care less. So then you. Where do you fit in? You do a remarkable job with the narration and informative aspect to your reviews. That actually may be enough. I loved your comparison video you just provided mostly cause I thought it was very real. So Ben and David are also very honest. They also provide a high level of entertainment. Where do you see yourself going? If I have a suggestion it would be to wait. You do such a great job now starting out. I really like the straight foward approach. You may see aspects you may want to highlight. So Ben and David, and JJ Cruises highlight the relationship in their reviews. Tips for Travelers do not. You have only hinted so. As you are the star so far I would wait. He may need to be nudged into a greater role, or be better otherwise. Long winded but as a new fan of you, and long term fan of cruise videos, I wanted to touch base. If you don't respond certainly no offense, though although I may be a fan, I would not venture to be so bold again! Good luck going way foward.