A British operator has scored highest in a ranking of the best and worst lines by Which?
A travel company for over-50s has been named the best cruise line in a ranking by consumer association Which?
Saga Ocean Cruises was praised for its no-fly itineraries, “all-inclusive treatment” and brilliant service.
Which? asked 2,865 members and the general public about their cruises in the two years to October 2024. Its rankings are based on more than 3,800 experiences of cruise holidays. The research includes factors such as onboard dining and cabin quality and gives a rating out of five for each. Each line has also been given an overall customer score.
Saga scored five stars for food and drink, itineraries, cabin quality, passenger-to-space ratio, description matching reality and customer service. Among the benefits included in Saga’s fares and highlighted in the Which? report are complimentary transfer from passengers’ homes in the UK to the port and the unlimited luggage allowance. Its customer score was 87 per cent.
Low scoring lines
At the other end of the ranking was Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), followed by British cruise line P&O Cruises. NCL received two stars for the passenger-to-space ratio on its ships, on board facilities, port excursions, entertainment, its descriptions matching reality and value for money. Its overall customer score was 66 per cent.
Cruises from £111 per night
P&O Cruises’ two-star scores were for its passenger-to-space ratio, its port excursions and entertainment. It received three stars for value-for-money. The research includes a price-per-night for each line and P&O Cruises is at the cheaper end of the scale at £162.
No-fly sailings are part of P&O Cruises’ appeal, with many itineraries sailing from Southampton. Seven-day trips from the UK start from £499 for a Northern European cities cruise in 2027, on Iona.
For comparison, Saga’s cruises are around £375 per night, according to Which?
Its cheapest available seven-night sailing at the time of writing is a “Vistas of Norway” itinerary, which starts from £2,819pp.
Costa Cruises was among the highest scoring of the cheaper cruise lines. The Italian brand, one of several lines owned by Carnival Corporation, has sailings that cost around £111 per night.
The research pointed out that despite its large ships (6,000-plus passengers) and mediocre cabins and facilities, Costa was good value for money. It described the line as “truly no-frills, but at a rock-bottom price”.
All-inclusive cruises
The lowest starting prices on cruises tend to be for inside cabins and the highest scoring line, Saga, does not have these.
Most cruise fares include meals at standard restaurants and some drinks. However, Saga’s fares include cocktails and meals at specialty restaurants. This all-inclusive model helped it to score so highly.
Marella is another line that has an all-inclusive approach. Sodas, wine, beer, cocktails, gratuities (typically around £160pp for a week-long cruise), transfers and flights are included in Marella’s fares, as well as all meals. Which? says its typical price per night is £224. The average price for most of the other lines included in the research does not include flights.
No-fly cruises
Fred Olsen is another cost-effective line and it scored four stars for value for money. The research says it is a “traditional all-singing, all-dancing cruise that won’t break the bank.”
No-fly itineraries are available through Fred Olsen with sailings from Southampton, Dover, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Rosyth.
Fred Olsen’s ships are mid-sized with around 1,300 passengers. One way to ensure a cheaper starting price is to opt for a line with big ships. Royal Caribbean’s biggest ship by passenger capacity is Wonder of the Seas (5,734). The indicative price per night of its cruises is £110 and it scored four stars for value for money.
Low-cost sailings from UK ports are also available through Ambassador Cruise Line, which launched in 2021. It has eight departure ports in the UK and its price per night is around £116. Ambassador didn’t receive any five-star scores across the categories included in the research, but it secured four stars for customer service, description matching reality, its itineraries and value for money. Its overall customer score was 74 per cent.