U.S. News & World Report Ranks Best Cruises

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, a nationally recognized publisher of consumer advice and rankings, today expanded its Travel franchise with the release of its inaugural rankings of the Best Cruises.

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U.S. News developed the Best Cruises rankings to help travelers – who might be wary of taking a cruise following highly publicized accidents and malfunctions – select a cruise line that consistently delivers a high-quality experience. Travelers can also search for ships and itineraries that suit their specific needs, so that ultimately they can find the cruise that is best for them.

The 2014 rankings evaluate 15 of the world's most popular cruise lines in five categories: Best Luxury Cruise Lines, Best Cruise Lines for the Money, Best Cruise Lines for Romance, Best Cruise Lines for Families and Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean. The top three cruise lines in each category were awarded a "Best" designation by U.S. News.

"There are excellent cruise deals to take advantage of right now, but many would-be travelers don't know where to start," said Liz Weiss, travel editor for U.S. News. "Our goal is to solve that problem by identifying cruise lines and ships that consistently meet the highest expectations of passengers and critics. From there, we help travelers narrow down their choices to find the cruise that's best for them, whether they are seeking a deal, a romantic getaway or a great family vacation."

Cruise lines were ranked using a methodology that factors in expert evaluations of cruise ship quality, reputation among travelers (as expressed through reviews and ratings collected by Cruiseline.com) and results from health evaluations conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. News editors analyzed this data for every ship within the 15 cruise lines (148 ships in total) and used it to determine which cruise ships offer the best experience. U.S. News also integrated tools that allow travelers to narrow down their options to find the precise ships and itineraries that work best for them.

U.S. News 2014 Best Cruise Lines
*See the full Best Cruise Lines rankings online

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis, which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Personal Finance, Education, Travel, Cars and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News & World Report's signature franchise includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its annual "Best" series of consumer Web guides and publications that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, health plans and more.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report