Every Cunard Ship Ranked Best to Worst (10/2026)

Best for: Travelers who want a true ocean liner crossing of the North Atlantic

She takes the top spot, but don't read that as a victory lap. QM2 wins mostly because Cruiseline.com reviewers still love the crossing itself: the ship rides out rough North Atlantic weather like nothing else afloat, the promenade deck and the Queens Room still feel like the real thing, and themed voyages (literary weeks, theatre and symphony crossings) keep pulling five-star reviews. On Cruise Critic, where reviewers write longer and grade harder, she averaged a much cooler 3.16.

The complaints are consistent and they're about age and money. Reviewers on this year's sailings described rusty balconies, tired cabins and toilets that quit mid-voyage, plus Britannia and buffet food that swung from good to bland. The packed July 4 Sail 250 voyages drew a cluster of low scores for stretched service and slow drinks, and several longtime Cunarders said the drinks package and extras feel like nickel-and-diming on a line that sells itself as a cut above.

Our take: if you want an actual ocean liner crossing, there's still only one ship that does it, and most people who book her for that reason come home happy. Book a Grills or Britannia Club cabin if you can, keep your expectations for the buffet modest, and think twice about the big holiday event sailings.

Best for: Alaska with a touch of dress-up elegance, especially for first-time Cunard cruisers

Queen Elizabeth spent most of this window in Alaska out of Seattle, and that shows in the reviews. People loved the art deco interiors, the gala nights, afternoon tea and long port days in places like Glacier Bay. The crew got the most consistent praise of any Cunard ship we looked at, and she posted the highest Cruiseline.com average in the fleet at 4.20.

Then there's the food. Cruise Critic reviewers hammered the Britannia dining room again and again: limited menus, plates arriving lukewarm, and buffet lunches that felt more mass-market than premium. Billing disputes, a premium drinks package that didn't include the wines people expected, pricey internet and slow midship elevators round out the list. A long Pacific and Panama Canal repositioning that lost several ports to weather and mechanical delays also dragged down the fall numbers.

Bottom line: she's the prettiest way to do Alaska with a dress-up dinner or two, and first-time Cunard cruisers mostly came away charmed. Seasoned cruisers comparing her dining to Celebrity or Oceania were far less forgiving.

Best for: First-time Cunard cruisers who want a modern ship that still feels refined

The newest Queen is also the most argued-about. Her Cruise Critic average of 3.19 on 68 reviews is actually the best in the fleet on that site, and reviewers keep praising the same things: fast, painless embarkation, bright modern public spaces, solid Grills dining and a couple of very well-run solar eclipse sailings this summer. Her Cruiseline.com score looks great at 4.18, but it's only 10 reviews, so it can't carry her very far.

The knock on Queen Anne is identity. Plenty of longtime Cunarders said she doesn't feel like a Cunard ship at all, while first-timers sometimes found her too traditional. Specific gripes included tiny bathrooms in Princess Grill suites, a disorganized buffet, mediocre evening entertainment and cabins right under the late-night Bright Lights Society bar.

If you're new to Cunard and want something that feels current, she's the easy pick. If you're chasing the classic Cunard atmosphere, the older ships still do that better, even with their wear and tear.

Best for: Traditionalists who dance, read and dress for dinner on an intimate ship

Queen Victoria lands last, though only by a whisker. She tied Queen Anne on Cruise Critic at 3.19 but posted the fleet's weakest Cruiseline.com average at 3.76 across 12 reviews. Her fans still show up for the same reasons they always have: the two-deck library, ballroom dancing that's actually well attended, a proper afternoon tea and Grills dining that a few reviewers called outstanding.

The trouble is her condition and her itineraries. This year's reviews mention rust, worn finishes, slippery showers, and on one spring sailing, water dripping from public-area ceilings into buckets. Several Mediterranean and Norway voyages lost ports to weather or schedule changes, and shore excursions drew some of the harshest value complaints in the fleet. Food reviews ran from excellent in the Grills to repetitive in the buffet.

She's still the most intimate of the four Queens and the best fit for traditionalists who dance, read and dress for dinner. Just book her for the atmosphere, not for the hardware.