Readers’ Choice Awards name top cruise lines by ship size
Princess Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Viking and Regent Seven Seas Cruises led four passenger-capacity categories in voting by nearly 800,000 travelers.
Princess Cruises ranked first among megaship lines operating vessels for more than 4,000 passengers, according to the Readers’ Choice Awards results. The Carnival Corporation brand has a 17-ship fleet, including Sun Princess and Star Princess, each capable of carrying up to 4,300 guests.
Virgin Voyages took the top position in the large-ship category, which covers capacities of 2,500 to 4,000 passengers. Its four-vessel fleet consists of Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady.
Viking led the medium-ship category for vessels carrying 500 to 2,499 passengers. The company’s ocean fleet expanded to nine ships with the arrival of Viking Vesta in June 2025.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises placed first in the small-ship category, defined by the awards as vessels carrying fewer than 500 passengers. Nearly 800,000 travelers participated in the overall Readers’ Choice Awards voting.