Princess Cruises Named Best Megaship Line in 2026 Reader Awards
Condé Nast Traveler's annual survey saw nearly 800,000 votes cast, ranking cruise lines across various ship sizes.
Princess Cruises has earned the top spot for megaship lines in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, according to results from nearly 800,000 surveyed travelers. The cruise line achieved a score of 92.35 in the category, which encompasses vessels carrying more than 4,000 passengers.
Royal Caribbean International secured the second position with a score of 86.45, followed by MSC Cruises in third place. Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line rounded out the top five megaship lines.
Princess Cruises' recent entries, Sun Princess and Star Princess, launched in 2024 and 2025 respectively, can each accommodate up to 4,300 passengers, making them the largest ships in the Princess fleet. The publication noted that the cruise line operates nine of the world's largest cruise ships, with its largest vessels capable of holding up to 7,600 passengers and measuring nearly 1,200 feet.
In the "large ships" category, which covers vessels carrying between 2,500 and 3,999 passengers, Virgin Voyages ranked first with a score of 91. Disney Cruise Line followed in second place, with Holland America Line in third. Princess Cruises also appeared in this category, ranking fifth.
The annual awards also included rankings for medium and small ships, as well as river cruise lines. The Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards solicit votes from travelers on their preferences across various travel categories, including cruise lines.