Cruise Line Categories Compared
Five kinds of cruise line, and what really separates them.
Get Side-by-Side Cruise QuotesThe cruise industry is often sorted into five broad categories. They are not official ratings, and individual lines sit between them, but they are the most useful first filter when you compare.
Mainstream Lines
Mainstream lines run the largest ships and carry the most passengers. Their strength is choice: many restaurants and bars, big production shows, water parks and sports areas on some ships, and children’s clubs divided by age. Fares can be low because the line expects you to spend on board — drinks, specialty restaurants, internet and excursions are typically extra, and gratuities are usually added daily. They suit families, first-time cruisers, groups of friends and anyone who likes a lively atmosphere.
Premium Lines
Premium lines sail large ships too, but aim for a more polished, grown-up feel: more attention to food and wine, more refined decor, and a slightly older average guest. Many offer drinks or Wi-Fi bundles that you can add to your fare. The step up from mainstream is noticeable in service and quiet spaces rather than in the size of the ship.
Luxury Lines
Luxury lines usually operate small and mid-size ships with high ratios of space and crew to guests, all-suite accommodation on many ships, and fares that bundle much of what other lines charge for. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for example, describes its fares as including unlimited shore excursions, beverages, pre-paid gratuities, specialty dining and Wi-Fi. Comparing luxury lines is a subject of its own — our sister site Cruising First Class covers it, including how to judge luxury cruise value.
Expedition Lines
Expedition ships are small, rugged and often ice-strengthened, carrying naturalists and inflatable landing craft so guests can go ashore where there is no pier. Destinations include Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galapagos and remote coastlines. Comfort ranges from simple to genuinely luxurious, but the focus is the landscape and wildlife, not the ship.
River Lines
River cruises sail Europe’s Danube, Rhine, Seine and Douro, Asia’s Mekong, Egypt’s Nile and America’s great rivers. Boats carry far fewer guests than ocean ships, dock close to town centers and often include a guided tour in many ports. Evenings are quiet and the scenery passes by the window all day. For every river line and itinerary, see the Official River Cruise Directory; for ocean lines, the Official Cruise Directory.
Using the Categories Well
- Pick the category first, then compare lines within it — comparing a mainstream fare with a luxury fare is rarely fair.
- Look one category up and one down; a premium line on sale can cost close to a mainstream one once extras are counted.
- Remember that brands within one category still differ a great deal; see line personalities.
Category Questions
What is the difference between premium and luxury cruise lines?
Premium lines refine the big-ship experience with better food and service; luxury lines usually sail much smaller ships with far more space and crew per guest and include more in the fare.
Are river cruises just small ocean cruises?
No. River boats are built to fit locks and low bridges, dock in the middle of towns and rarely face open-sea motion. Daily life on board is closer to a floating boutique hotel than to an ocean liner.
Not Sure Which Category Fits?
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