Royal Caribbean Usurps Carnival as the Best Overall Cruise Line of 2025
Key Aspects:
Royal Caribbean has won the title of Best Overall Cruise Line of 2025.
This is the first time a brand besides Carnival Cruise Line has won this honor.
Carnival is now in a close second place behind the newly crowned victor.
Step aside, Carnival! There is a new “Best Overall Cruise Line” in town.
Royal Caribbean has been named the Best Overall Cruise Line of 2025, unseating Carnival Cruise Line from the top spot for the first time in the history of the Cruise Hive Awards.
But if it’s any consolation to Carnival, which came in second place, the competition was fierce.
Royal Caribbean won with 18.3% of the vote, which is only 1.1 points ahead of Carnival at 17.2%.
Third and fourth place is only separated by less than a percentage point (.2%), with the Royal Caribbean-owned Celebrity Cruises at 12.6% and MSC Cruises at 12.4%.
This is yet another feather in Royal Caribbean’s cap, as the brand has been sweeping the floor during this year’s Cruise Hive Awards. The brand has also won Best Cruise Line App of 2025 and Best New Cruise Ship of 2025 for Star of the Seas, the second Icon-class ship.
The title of Best New Cruise Ship previously went to the first Icon-class ship, Icon of the Seas, in 2024.
All the results and past winners can be found here.
For context, public voting took place from October 14, 2025, until December 19, 2025, and responses were screened to ensure they were legitimate (not AI or bots).
Royal Caribbean Gets the Edge
For the past several years (including 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021), Royal Caribbean has come in second place to Carnival for top honors. But now the tables have been turned.
While Royal Caribbean sailings generally come with a higher price tag than more budget-friendly Carnival cruises, they also offer some of the most innovative experiences on the high seas.
There is entertainment onboard for everyone, such as high-caliber production shows and stunt shows in the AquaTheater on Oasis and Icon-class ships.
Across the fleet, cruisers will also find ice skating rinks, escape rooms, surf simulators, rock climbing, and the Category 6 Waterpark on the Icon-class vessels, which is the biggest waterpark at sea.
And of course, the family-friendly brand doesn’t just prioritize the onboard experience, but also offers the most in-demand itineraries.
Royal Caribbean currently sails to over 270 destinations across more than 60 countries, including bucket-list destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Alaska.
Innovating On Land
Royal Caribbean is on track to be operating a total of seven private destinations by 2028, which is an impressive accomplishment.
In addition to the existing Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas and the private resort at Labadee, Haiti, the cruise line opened its brand new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau on December 23, 2025.
Royal Beach Club Cozumel is expected to open in 2026, while Perfect Day Mexico is coming to Costa Maya in 2027 – along with a record-breaking waterpark.
An additional beach club is coming to Greece (Santorini) in 2026, with plans also in the works to open a Royal Beach Club in Lelepa (Vanuatu) in 2027. This will make history as the first ever cruise line private island destination in the Southern Hemisphere.
Is Sentiment Changing Toward Carnival?
Considering Royal Caribbean’s lead over Carnival is narrow, the second-place cruise line shouldn’t be too worried just yet.
The lively “Fun Ship” vibes, no shortage of entertainment onboard, and affordability of many of these sailings make Carnival a popular brand for many.
However, the cruise line has met a lot of controversy this year – particularly regarding the announcement of the new Carnival Rewards Program, which goes into effect on September 1, 2026.
The biggest point of contention has been that the new program is doing away with lifetime loyalty status, which left many long-time Carnival cruisers feeling abandoned and disrespected.
It’s possible that this shift in public sentiment was just enough to turn the tides in Royal Caribbean’s favor.
Royal Caribbean Usurps Carnival as the Best Overall Cruise Line of 2025