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From the Arctic to the Med, I’ve been on over 200 cruises - these are the ONLY ones I recommend
Good Housekeeping's cruise expert gives an insider’s guide to the best mainstream ocean cruises
If you haven’t tried a holiday on water yet, then what are you waiting for? Cruising is the fastest-growing sector of the travel industry and for good reason. There are ships to suit everyone – from solo travellers to multi-generational families – as well as voyages to all seven continents. Plus 82% of those who’ve cruised say they plan to do so again, and who can blame them?
I first dipped my toe into cruising waters 20 years ago and genuinely haven’t looked back. I’ve been on more than 200 sailings since, to increasingly diverse destinations, during a time when the cruise industry has steamed ahead with ever more exciting ships. I’ve woken up in countless new ports without having to unpack and ticked off ‘world firsts’ including riding on a racing track and rollercoaster at sea (yes, really!).
Nearly 35 million people globally took a cruise last year, more than triple the number in 2005, and a record 2.4 million Brits set sail – a number that’s more than doubled over the same period.
The reason? Cruises have widened their appeal and developed a reputation for being great value when it comes to service, food and entertainment.
Some mega-ships resemble floating resorts, carrying thousands of passengers and packed to the funnels with glitzy thrills. They’re full of action and energy that appeals to families looking for non-stop fun or party animals wanting to turn up the tempo, while midsize ships still offer a decent spread of facilities, but life moves at a less frantic pace, with some being adults-only and better for solo travellers.
There are cruises that set sail from the UK to beautiful ports in Northern Europe and the Med, or you can choose to fly and join your ship in ports of call all over the world.
As a result, going on a cruise has quickly become one of the most exciting ways to travel. It’s no wonder more people than ever are discovering the joys of life aboard ships of all sizes and styles. The problem is knowing where to start and choosing the right voyage for you, which is where I hope I can help. I’ve used my many years of cruising experience to write this insider’s guide to all the best-known ocean cruise companies, so you’ll feel less at sea when you decide who to book with.
I've rounded up the best mainstream ocean cruises available, from Alaska's Inside Passage to voyages on the Med. Now there really is no excuse not to get on board...
What to consider
Weigh up the prices and any special offers that cruise companies may throw in, such as drinks packages or free credit. Another cost to factor in is gratuities, as these are generally charged per person per day. They vary between cruise lines, but are usually around £15pppd, meaning for a family of four this could add up to over £750 over the course of a fortnight.
If you don’t want to get caught out by extras like this, look for cruise companies that include them in special packages or offer all-inclusive options, which means drinks, gratuities and WiFi may be included in the fare.
Holland America Line
Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended For Alaska Cruise Product
The Fleet: 11 midsize ships which take from 1,400 passengers up to 2,700 on newer ships like the Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam.
The Vibe: Traditional Dutch with an American twist.
Food & Drink: Holland America Line is the first and only cruise line certified for using sustainable, wild-caught, and responsibly farmed fish in Alaska and prides itself on including locally-inspired dishes on its menus. Speciality venues include the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse, Italian fare in Canaletto and tasty French dishes in Rudi’s Sel de Mer.
Voyages: Worldwide, Holland America Line is noted for its Alaska voyages, Panama Canal crossings and itineraries in South America and the Caribbean, where it has its own private island.
Don't Miss: On each cruise, Holland America Line’s heritage is celebrated with a Dutch Day featuring a Royal Dutch Tea, Dutch dinner and an Orange Party where guests are encouraged to dress in Holland’s national colour.
Top Tip: Known for the quality of the live music onboard, there’s rhythm and blues in BB King’s Blues Club, hit songs drawn from six decades in the Rolling Stone Lounge, duelling piano sing-a-longs at Billboard Onboard as well as classical recitals.
Cost: ££££
You can enjoy a thrilling seven-night Holland America Line Alaska cruise and a two-night ride through the snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies on the iconic Rocky Mountaineer with GH Holidays.
Or you might be tempted by a 15-night Holland America Line Japan cruise during its famously beautiful cherry blossom season, taking in Sakaiminato, Kochi, Hiroshima and Toyama.
Princess Cruises
Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended For Customer Service
The Fleet: 17, varying from its smallest ships Coral Princess and Island Princess, which hold around 2,000 guests, to Sun Princess and Star Princs (the newest), which carry 4,300.
The Vibe: Contemporary American
Food & Drink: Princess’s main strength lies across its popular speciality haunts with the Crown Grill steakhouse (great surf and turf and excellent French onion soup), Italian Trattoria Sabatini’s, and on its two newest ships, Love by Britto with its imaginative romance-themed cuisine. Princess ships are renowned for their pizzas, and Alfredo’s is definitely worth stopping at for lunch or dinner.
Voyages: Global, but known for Alaska, Panama Canal transits, fly-med cruises and voyages around Japan, Australia and Hawaii.
Don't Miss: Speciality dining experiences such as Chef’s Table, which starts in the galley with champagne and canapes, plus balcony dining where dinner is served course by course.
Top Tip: Passengers are issued with an Ocean Medallion device, the size of a 10p piece, instead of a card key. This opens your cabin door and means you can order food and drink from an app wherever you are on the ship.
Cost: ££££
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended For Customer Experience of Itineraries
The Fleet: Three including former Holland America Line ships, Bolette and Borealis, as well as Balmoral.
The Vibe: Classic British style.
Food & Drink: Dining revolves around traditional first and second sittings in the main restaurants, where dishes include popular favourites, such as roast beef, to international fare that reflects the destinations on each voyage. Speciality restaurants serving Asian and Indian cuisine are keenly priced from £15pp.
Voyages: Itineraries are innovative with world cruises and long voyages to the Mediterranean, plus South America and Antarctica, Christmas market sailings, and voyages in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Fred Olsen also offers departures from more UK ports than virtually any other line.
Good Housekeeping Holidays has an exclusive Fred Olsen cruise aboard the stylish Bolette to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Don't Miss: If you like wildlife, then opt for the special ORCA sailings which have volunteers from the wildlife charity on board to observe marine life and give lectures.
Top Tip: While Fred Olsen usually appeals to more mature cruisers, during the school holidays there are children’s clubs on family-friendly sailings.
Cost: £££
GH Holidays offers a range of cruises with Fred Olsen, including a festive cruise from Liverpool to visit some of Europe's prettiest Christmas markets.
Cunard
The Fleet: The four Cunard ‘Queens’ are Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and the newest member, Queen Anne.
The Vibe: Stately British.
Food & Drink: Passengers in Grills Suites or Britannia Club staterooms have the luxury of their own restaurants in addition to the main dining venues. There are also speciality alternatives, including the impressive Sir Samuel’s steakhouse on Queen Anne (the cheesecake is to die for). The traditional Cunard bar is the Commodore Club (my favourite one is on the QM2) and the Golden Lion pub, a popular spot for quizzes and exuberant jazz band lunches.
Voyages: Cunard is known for its world voyages, grand voyages and regular transatlantic crossings – most of which depart from Southampton. Other notable sailings cover the Mediterranean and northern Europe, with short-break cruises too.
Don't Miss: There’s nothing like a signature Cunard afternoon tea, a daily ritual served by white-gloved waiters in the grand surroundings of the Queen’s Room to the lilting tones of a harp or violins.
Top Tip: Check out the Cunard Insights programme, which includes talks by authors, explorers, and sporting icons.
Cost: ££££
Norwegian Cruise Line
The Fleet: 20, with new ship Norwegian Luna joining the fleet in 2026. Ship sizes range from the smallest (Norwegian Sun at 1,870 passengers) to the largest (Norwegian Escape at 4,218 passengers).
The Vibe: Lively and laidback.
Food & Drink: NCL is known as the line that pioneered flexible dining and in addition to complimentary venues, there’s a gut-busting selection of speciality eateries, from French, Italian and Japanese to Brazilian steakhouse, Spanish and Thai.
Voyages: Worldwide, though it’s best known for its Hawaii sailings (NCL is the only mainstream line to have a ship based there year-round). Other regions include the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean, where it was the first line to have its own private island.
Don't Miss: Japanese restaurant Teppanyaki where exuberant chefs serve up an entertaining helping of songs, jokes and chit-chat as they slice, saute and sizzle with style.
Top Tip: If you’re a solo traveller, some NCL ships have Studio complexes of single cabins (so no expensive solo premiums) with their own lounge.
Cost: ££££
P&O
The Fleet: Seven strong, including two adult-only ships Arcadia and Aurora. The remainder are family-friendly, led by the newest ships, Arvia and Iona, holding 5,200 guests.
The Vibe: Modern British.
Food & Drink: P&O has a longstanding relationship with chefs it dubs ‘Food Heroes’, the most famous of which is Marco Pierre White, who hosts live cooking demos on board. Another notable name is wine critic Olly Smith, who curates wines offered in The Glass House wine bar.
Voyages: P&O is one of the leaders for ex-UK sailings with departures from Southampton, plus fly-cruises to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Other signature sailings include world cruises and long voyages, plus departures to Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
Don't Miss: Dancing to your own beat in the silent discos, which are great fun.
Top Tip: If you want to catch the cool late-night sounds of jazz musicians in the 710 Club on Arvia and Iona, get there early as this popular haunt fills up fast.
Cost: ££££
Celebrity Cruises
The Fleet: 15, including Celebrity Xcel, the latest of their Edge-class ships which launches this month (November), and Celebrity Flora, a 100‑passenger expedition vessel based in the Galápagos year-round.
The Vibe: Swish and sophisticated.
Food & Drink: Stylish main restaurants plus a wide range of speciality haunts including Murano for elegant French gourmet and Italian in the Tuscan Grille. For chic drinking spots, try the Martini Bar or enjoy al fresco cocktails on the Magic Carpet – a bright orange platform cantilevered off the side of all Edge-class ships.
Voyages: Worldwide, but notably the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Northern Europe (Celebrity bases one ship in Southampton every summer) as well as the Galapagos.
Don't Miss: For a fun-filled dining experience book Le Petit Chef – the only restaurant of its kind at sea – where technical wizardry brings 3D cartoon characters to life on your table.
Top Tip: For extra luxury, The Retreat suite-only complex on some Celebrity ships comes with a private deck, swimming pool, restaurant and butler service.
Cost: ££££
Marella Cruises
Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended For Customer Experience
The Fleet: Five, with ships holding around 1,800 and 1,900 passengers. They all formerly sailed for Royal Caribbean International and its sister line, Celebrity Cruises.
The Vibe: Fun package holiday at sea.
Food & Drink: Dining is good across the board, but speciality haunts like Kora La (pan-Asian) and Surf & Turf (steakhouse) are particularly notable, while Flutes Champagne bar is the place for fizz and you can even order by using the novel ‘Press for Bubbles’ buttons.
Voyages: Even though Marella is a UK brand, there are no departures from UK ports. Instead, it features fly-cruises/cruise-only in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and the Caribbean, and there’s a big emphasis on cruise-and-stay holidays, too.
Don't Miss: The opulent spas and remarkably spacious thermal suites, particularly on Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2, whose labyrinthine steam rooms and saunas are a pampering delight.
Top Tip: For a memorable evening on Marella Voyager, take a trip to The Exchange, a fun and frivolous speakeasy set behind a hidden door where you enter for an evening of entertainment led by a clutch of actors. It’s fun and it’s different, but you need to book and there is a charge.
Cost: £££
Ambassador Cruise Line
The Fleet: Three ships, Ambience at 1,400 guests, Ambition at 1,200 guests, and the newest arrival Renaissance at 1,100 guests.
The Vibe: Traditional good value
Food & Drink: The main restaurant and buffet are spiced up with speciality venues offering fine Indian and Mediterranean fare. There are tasting menus at Sea & Grass and a multi-course Chef’s Table experience that includes a tour of the galley.
Voyages: Ambassador has a wide choice of departures from seven UK ports, including Liverpool, Belfast and Dundee, though most voyages are from Tilbury. This winter marks Ambassador’s first season of fly-cruises to the Caribbean with departures from Barbados. Ambassador also sails predominantly to Northern Europe and Norway, plus the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands.
Don't Miss: As part of its themed sailings, Ambassador offers 'In Conversation With...' cruises featuring celebrities who join to give talks and meet guests.
Top Tip: The onboard arts and craft classes are great for learning new skills.
Cost: £££
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