From luxury aboard the world’s grandest vessels to expeditions to the planet’s most secluded corners, navigating rivers and small boats along the way, the best cruise experiences of 2026 have been recognized, bringing together some of the most highly regarded names in the industry.
The Virtuoso Cruise Awards 2026 were announced in Las Vegas during the 38th edition of Virtuoso Travel Week. The winners were selected based on the votes of Virtuoso’s network of travel advisors, who evaluated factors such as service quality, innovation, guest satisfaction, and overall experience.
There are five principal categories dedicated to cruises: small-ship vessels, ocean luxury, contemporary and premium ocean cruises, river cruises, and expeditions. And here is who captured these domain-specific honors.
The recognition for the “best small-ship cruise experience” went to Aqua Expeditions, a company specializing in niche itineraries and journeys far from the mainstream routes.
Their itineraries guide travelers along the Amazon River in Peru, the Mekong through Cambodia and Vietnam, and along Indonesia’s coastlines—from Komodo National Park to the Spice Islands and Raja Ampat. The company also curates spectacular journeys to the Galápagos Islands aboard a superyacht. The hallmark is a highly personalized experience: ships provide a crew-to-guest ratio that ensures attentive service, onboard dining, shore excursions, and small-group activities guided by specialists.
Best ocean luxury cruise: Explora Journeys
The award for the “best ocean luxury cruise experience” went to Explora Journeys, a company emphasizing a more exclusive and contemporary way of traveling (which even offers voyages with Jannik Sinner). Its ships feature 461 seawater-facing suites, each with a private terrace, and they present eleven distinct culinary experiences.
Their offering stands out thanks to the itineraries, which pair well-known destinations with lesser-visited ports, with a goal of delivering a travel experience more closely tied to the places visited. Onboard, there is also an emphasis on marine technologies and eco-friendly solutions designed to minimize the environmental footprint.
For the category devoted to the “best contemporary and premium ocean cruise experience”, Virtuoso awarded Oceania Cruises.
The line operates seven ships, each with a maximum capacity of 1,250 guests, and offers a broad network of itineraries: more than 600 ports in over 100 countries, spread across seven continents. Passengers can choose voyages from one week to itineraries lasting more than 200 days, with a focus on two key aspects: destination discovery and cuisine. Onboard dining experiences are crafted to reflect the places visited, and itineraries mix major cities with smaller, lesser-known ports.
Best river cruise: AmaWaterways
The accolade for the “best river cruise experience” went to AmaWaterways, a family-owned company founded in 2002.
Today the fleet numbers 29 ships navigating rivers across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The journey is built around the destinations, with excursions included at every port, meals featuring local ingredients, and a notably personalized service. Onboard accommodations even offer double balconies and wellness programs.
A notable detail concerns gastronomy: AmaWaterways is the only river-cruise company that is a member of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the prestigious international culinary organization.
Best expedition cruise: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Closing the list is National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, winner in the “best expedition cruise experience” category. Here, a voyage aboard a ship becomes primarily a gateway to exploring some of the planet’s most remote environments.
The company, boasting a fleet of 24 ships, offers more than 100 itineraries across over 70 countries and territories, spanning all seven continents.
On board, the journey is accompanied by experts and naturalists, with programs designed to deepen understanding of the nature, culture, and ecosystems of the destinations visited. It is a way of travel geared especially toward those seeking a cruise that diverges from the traditional, where exploration sits at the very heart of the experience.
