The Disney Destiny, Disney Cruise Line's newest ship.

When booking a cruise, picking a cruise line can be as important a decision as the destination.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Cruise Lines rankings offer a solid place to start. The media company rounded up the top brands across 10 categories, including operators catering to families, solo travelers and more.

"U.S. News Travel’s offerings are continuously evolving to meet consumers where they are as they consider new destinations, adventures and experiences," Nicola Wood, senior travel editor at U.S. News, said in a news release. "The 2026 Best Cruise Lines rankings recognize the top cruise lines in a variety of categories, allowing travelers to compare features, amenities and itineraries across multiple lines. Now, four brand-new ranking lists give even more comprehensive choices for cruisers to create their ideal experiences at sea."

The list is based on U.S. News editors’ expert ratings, health ratings based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program inspection scores and traveler ratings under license from Cruiseline.com and (with other criteria and cutoff points to identify qualifying lines and ships).

Here are the top three from each category.

Best Cruise Lines for Families

  1. Disney Cruise Line
  2. Royal Caribbean International
  3. Norwegian Cruise Line

Best Cruise Line for Couples

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Explora Journeys
  3. Seabourn

Best Cruise Lines for the Money

  1. Virgin Voyages
  2. Celebrity Cruises
  3. Royal Caribbean International

Best Luxury Cruise Lines

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Explora Journeys
  3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean

  1. Disney Cruise Line
  2. Virgin Voyages
  3. Explora Journeys

Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Explora Journeys
  3. Silversea Cruises

Best Cruise Lines for Dining – Mainstream

  1. Virgin Voyages
  2. Celebrity Cruises
  3. Disney Cruise Line

Best Cruise Lines for Dining – Luxury

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Explora Journeys
  3. Oceania Cruises

Best Cruise Lines for Wellness

  1. Celebrity Cruises
  2. Explora Journeys
  3. Virgin Voyages

Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers

  1. Crystal
  2. Norwegian Cruise Line
  3. Oceania Cruises

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best cruise lines for families, couples and more according to US News & World Report

Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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