Every Norwegian Cruise Line Ship Ranked Best to Worst (10/2026)

Best for: Cruisers who want NCL's newest hardware, especially Haven guests

Luna's the newest ship in the fleet, and it shows in the reviews. Cruiseline.com reviewers in particular were happy to be aboard, with a few mentioning that new-ship smell and the buzz of an inaugural season. The cabins and showers got regular praise for being roomier than people expected.

Cruise Critic was cooler on her. The low scores there mostly came down to the dining, with one reviewer calling the food bad enough to ask for the head chef, and a family who ran into account and payment setup headaches on day one. Those are fixable problems, not design flaws.

The upshot: if you want the newest hardware and you're okay with a crew that's still finding its rhythm, Luna's where reviewers were happiest this year. Haven guests in the duplex suites were especially smitten.

Best for: Hawaii travelers who plan to spend most of the day ashore

Pride of America's reviews are really Hawaii reviews with a ship attached. Most of the five-star writeups barely mention the vessel at all; they talk about renting cars at each port and seeing the islands on their own schedule.

When people do talk about the ship, it's usually to say she's showing her age. Several reviewers said she needs a refurb, and a couple felt the onboard experience didn't match what they'd paid. On the plus side, the dining room service got kind words, and nobody missed having to make dinner reservations.

She ranks high because the itinerary does the heavy lifting. If you're going for Hawaii and plan to be off the ship most of the day, the reviews say you'll be fine. If you're expecting a showpiece, you won't find one.

Best for: Haven guests and Caribbean or Panama Canal cruisers

Encore pulled a big gap between the two sites: middling on Cruise Critic, near the top on Cruiseline.com. The common thread on both is that people who stayed in The Haven came back very happy, with more than one calling it the best part of the trip.

The Alaska reviews are where the grumbling lives. Food was the main complaint, and one reviewer couldn't get over sailing to Alaska without a single salmon night. Several others simply said they'd book a different line next time.

For the Caribbean and Panama Canal sailings, the tone's warmer, with praise for the shows and staff. Book the Haven and you're in good shape. Book an inside cabin to Alaska and expect to have opinions about dinner.

Best for: Cruisers who value service over spectacle on a smaller ship

Jewel posted one of the best Cruise Critic scores in the fleet, which is a nice result for a 20-year-old ship. The reviews keep coming back to the crew, with plenty of shout-outs to individual staff members by name.

The complaints are fairly specific. The buffet takes the brunt of it, along with limited food variety outside it, and a couple of reviewers found the entertainment thin. One guest also had pointed words about how tight the slots were in the casino.

Her Bermuda run out of Philadelphia got good marks, including smoother embarkation than people feared. If you like a smaller ship and care more about service than spectacle, Jewel's a solid pick.

Best for: Alaska cruisers from Seattle, including solo travelers

Joy's reviews split neatly by itinerary. The Alaska sailings from Seattle drew most of the praise, with solo cruisers and repeat guests both saying they'd happily sail her again. The Beatles tribute at the Cavern Club gets mentioned like it's a port of call.

The short Bahamas runs are another story. One reviewer in a junior suite felt they'd paid for more than they got, and a few people felt nickel and dimed, including a couple who lost their More at Sea perks after upgrading.

There's even a couple who got married aboard and loved every minute. Take her to Alaska and the reviews say she delivers. Take her on a four-nighter and set your expectations a notch lower.

Norwegian Sky left NCL’s operating fleet in September 2026 after a career that began in 1999. Her final Norwegian sailing ended on September 9, 2026, ahead of a transition to India’s Cordelia Cruises under a long-term charter.

She also sailed as Pride of Aloha from 2004 to 2008, operating Hawaii cruises before returning to the Norwegian Sky name. This page covers her time with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Best for: Cruisers who want a beautiful new ship and don't mind waiting in line

Aqua is the most-reviewed ship in this window, and it's also the most argued about. The hardware wins people over: the cabins, the oversized showers and the shows (the Prince tribute, The Elements and the Fleetwood Mac show) got consistent praise.

The layout is the problem, and reviewers don't let it go. The theater's too small for the passenger count, so people line up an hour early and still get turned away. The buffet's undersized, you have to walk through it to reach the pool, and there's no jogging track. One September sailing even had the Aqua Slidecoaster closed for maintenance, which stung for people who booked for it.

Cruiseline.com reviewers on the Bermuda runs from New York were much kinder than Cruise Critic's crowd. She's a beautiful ship with real design flaws, and how much those flaws bother you depends on how much you like standing in line.

Best for: Port-heavy itineraries like Canada and New England in the fall

Gem scored well on Cruiseline.com and fell back to the pack on Cruise Critic. The good reviews are mostly about the itineraries, especially the fall foliage runs through Canada and New England, plus some warm comments about the dining crew.

The worst reviews were pretty damning, though. A Haven guest said the Haven on Gem just isn't the premium experience you get on the bigger ships, and a repeat guest said their second sailing was as disappointing as the first. Long drink lines also came up.

One reviewer out of Jacksonville lost their island stop entirely, which never helps a score. She's a fine pick for port-heavy itineraries. Just don't book her Haven expecting Prima-class pampering.

Best for: Cruisers who want a quieter, easy-to-navigate older ship

Jade's fans like her for the same reason her critics shrug: she's small and simple. Reviewers called her easy to get around and never crowded, and the Blazing Boots country show got a specific shout-out.

The bad reviews are about things going wrong, not about the ship's design. One cabin had a sewage smell for six days that housekeeping tried to fix with air freshener, and a long-time NCL family said their trip had a problem every single day.

The Miami to Lima reviewers loved the itinerary but felt the ship didn't hold up its end. If you want a quieter, older ship with a strong crew, Jade works. Check your cabin early if anything smells off.

Best for: Mediterranean cruisers who want a modern, easy-to-navigate ship

Viva's got the highest Cruiseline.com score of any ship in the fleet, and it isn't close. People found her easy to navigate, liked Palomar a lot and kept naming individual crew members who made the trip.

Cruise Critic reviewers were much tougher. Some of the harshest words came from Haven guests, with one calling the concierges and butlers mostly useless. Others felt the food was hit or miss and the entertainment didn't measure up to Royal Caribbean.

Her Mediterranean itineraries got plenty of love. A few reviewers said they almost skipped her because of bad reviews and were glad they didn't. She lands mid-pack here because she's got more Cruise Critic reviews pulling her average down.

Best for: Mexican Riviera regulars and Alaska cruisers who know what they're getting

Bliss lives in Alaska for much of the year, and Alaska reviewers are a tough crowd. Several said they'd go back to Alaska but not on NCL, and one longtime cruiser felt the line has cheapened the Ketchikan experience.

The harshest review came from someone who wrote it with three days still left on the sailing, which tells you how that week went. A dirty stateroom on a September Alaska trip also came up.

Her loyalists, though, are very loyal. Mexican Riviera regulars said she never disappoints, and returning guests specifically missed the Sugar Cane Mojito Bar and District Brew House when they sailed elsewhere. If you know what you're getting, Bliss is comfortable and fun.

Best for: Cruisers who want great cabins and shows and can overlook some wear

Prima's reviews read like a ship that's had a few years of hard use. Repeat guests noticed dirty, worn deck recliners and sections of seating taped off, which isn't what you expect on a 2022 build.

Embarkation lines got plenty of complaints, and one family sailing with a wheelchair user had a rough time getting around. Food and service came up often in both directions, so your mileage clearly varies by sailing.

Still, a surprising number of five-star reviewers opened by saying they'd read the bad reviews, booked anyway and loved it. The cabins and shows got consistent praise. She's a better ship than her Cruise Critic score suggests, but she needs some attention.

Best for: First-timers on quick Bahamas runs

Getaway got her best reviews from first-timers. Several said they were hooked after one sailing, with good things to say about the staff, the private island, the comedy and the food.

Experienced cruisers were harder on her. One reviewer said NCL seemed more interested in their money than their enjoyment, another was convinced the bingo games weren't on the level, and a few compared her unfavorably with Royal Caribbean. Another wished there were more adult pool space and fewer small kids.

She's a short-cruise ship, and the reviews reflect that. For a quick Bahamas run with a first-time crowd, she does the job. Just know her Cruiseline.com score here is based on summer 2026 sailings only, since that sample hit the 100-review cap fast.

Best for: Haven guests who want the upgraded experience on a big, busy ship

Escape's reviews swing wildly, and the deciding factor is usually where you slept. Guests in the Haven's two-bedroom suites wrote glowing reviews and said the upgrade was worth every penny.

Outside the Haven, the complaints pile up. Reviewers described two-hour embarkations, a chaotic New York disembarkation with crew yelling at passengers, overcrowding and at least one dirty cabin. Several called it their first and last NCL cruise.

There are happy retirees and solo cruisers in the mix too, so she's not a lost cause. But this is a big, busy ship, and the reviews say your experience will depend a lot on how much you paid.

Best for: Value-minded transatlantic, Barcelona and Bermuda sailings

Breakaway gets very different reviews depending on where she's sailing. The transatlantic and Barcelona reviewers had a great time, though one admitted the trip was more about the ports than the ship.

Her New England and Canada fall sailings didn't go as well, with cold, rainy weather and a ship that felt like the wrong fit for it. Others reported rusty, peeling pool chairs, mediocre food after a few days and long lines just to book specialty dining.

The Bermuda runs were mostly fine, with one reviewer calling her more affordable than Royal even if Royal's better. She's a value ship. Treat her like one and you'll probably be happy.

Best for: Repeat guests going for the Mediterranean ports, not the ship

Epic tied for the second-worst Cruise Critic score in the fleet, and wear and tear is the big reason. Reviewers mentioned worn railings, hard beds and a ship that's due for a refurb.

Pricing came up a lot too, with one reviewer saying everything onboard felt overpriced and their account charges were hard to follow. The quirky split bathrooms still get mentioned, even by people who liked the ship.

Her fans are repeat guests who like the freedom and don't need the newest thing, plus a lot of happy Mediterranean cruisers who praised the itinerary. If you're going for the ports, she's fine. If you're going for the ship, there are better choices.

Best for: Small-ship fans who plan their own shore time and pick cabins carefully

Pearl's small sample tells a clear story: the good reviews are from people who like smaller ships and plan their own shore time. One reviewer swore by private excursions on Jewel-class ships, and another enjoyed how smoothly she rode.

The bad reviews are about cabin location. One guest landed on the lowest passenger deck despite booking nine months out, and another in a balcony suite said the noise from the pool deck above was relentless and guest services didn't do much about it.

A Platinum-level NCL regular also said service has slipped noticeably over the last couple of years. Pick your cabin carefully and she's a pleasant ship. Pick badly and you'll hear about it all week.

Best for: Suite guests and first-timers on winter warm-weather runs

Star is showing her age, and reviewers noticed. One said she creaked constantly through rough seas, and several called her dated compared with newer ships.

Her biggest letdown this year was a Northern Europe sailing that some guests booked specifically for a total eclipse viewing, and they felt NCL didn't deliver what the ad promised. A British reviewer said the trip wasn't anywhere near what they'd paid for.

Suite guests and first-timers were much happier, with good things to say about the crew and the personal attention. She's a fine ship for a winter warm-weather run. Don't expect her to keep up with the new builds.

Best for: Port-focused cruisers who want to be ashore, not aboard

Dawn tied with Epic for the second-lowest Cruise Critic score in the fleet. The reviews keep coming back to her condition: tired public areas, dingy cabins and a bathroom drain smell that came up more than once.

Food and service didn't help. Cruiseline.com reviewers called the food ordinary and the staff poorly trained, and a few people said flatly that they'd never sail NCL again.

Her fans like her small-ship feel and her port-heavy itineraries, and a few repeat guests were very happy. One reviewer said the layout's a little disorienting but the ports made up for it. She's a ship for people who want to be ashore, not aboard.

Best for: Itinerary hunters heading to Asia and the South Pacific

Spirit's spent a lot of this window in Asia and the South Pacific, and those itineraries carry her reviews. Guests on the Japan and Korea sailings raved about the ports, and one Australia and New Zealand reviewer said they loved her.

The ship itself takes a beating. Reviewers said the refurb didn't bring her up to other ships' standards, the internet and TV kept dropping out, and one guest said amenities like deck chairs and conditioner were hard to come by.

One 15-cruise veteran called her the worst of the bunch. She's for itinerary hunters who don't mind an older ship. Her Cruiseline.com sample is small here, so take that half of the score with a grain of salt.

Best for: A last sailing before she leaves in 2027, booked for the ports

Sun finishes last, and her lowest reviews are some of the angriest in the whole dataset. One 16-cruise veteran called her one of the worst they'd taken, and another called her filthy with an unfriendly crew.

Her itineraries are ambitious, which cuts both ways. The Baltics reviewers loved the ports but grumbled that some docks were hours from the cities they were named for. A Mauritius to Cape Town guest was disappointed after booking a year out.

Her defenders say she's small, older and full of heart, and that the ports are the point. She's scheduled to leave the fleet in 2027, so if you want a last sailing on her, book it for the itinerary and keep your expectations modest.