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These Are the Best Cruise Lines for 2019

Nov. 15, 2018
2 min read
Celebrity Cruises
These Are the Best Cruise Lines for 2019
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If you're thinking about booking a cruise for 2019 -- look no further; US News and World Report has compiled its list of the top 8 best cruise lines to book for the value.

When devising its official ranking system, US News took a look at cruise ship quality, reputation, health assessments, price, itinerary and other offerings among 169 ships at the top 17 cruise lines. US News also made variations on this list, including rankings for the best cruise lines for families, the best luxury cruises, the best cruise lines for couples and more.

Topping the list of the best cruise lines for the money is Celebrity Cruises. US News praises Celebrity's "floating-city experience of larger ships (think: kids clubs and endless buffets) while maintaining the service standard and intimacy of smaller lines." Celebrity also held the No. 1 spot in last year's JD Power Study for best new cruises with "Celebrity Edge," which sails around the Caribbean.

Followed by Celebrity is Royal Caribbean, which currently holds the title for sailing the largest ship in the world.

Here is the rest of the ranking for US News' best cruises for the money:

  1. Celebrity Cruises
  2. Royal Caribbean International
  3. Norwegian Cruise Line
  4. Carnival Cruises
  5. Princess Cruises
  6. Holland America Line
  7. MSC Cruises
  8. Costa Cruises

For more of those "best of" lists, check out the landing page for all US News cruise rankings.

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