The 2024 Cruise Index
Cruises offer the perfect balance between convenience and exploration, offering a hassle-free experience with accommodation, dining, and entertainment all conveniently located on the ship and allowing travelers a taste of different cultures and landscapes when visiting each port.
But which cruise destinations and cruise lines can be crowned the best in 2024?
To find out, the travel experts at Bounce have looked into the proportion of activities for couples and families, tourist sights and landmarks, restaurants, the number of beaches, and the weather in each cruise destination.
We’ve also looked into this year’s best cruise lines, considering the number of itineraries, social media following, YouTube subscribers, each cruise line’s fleet size, and the passenger capacity and number of cabins of the cruise line’s biggest ship.
The best cruise destinations
1. Santorini, Greece
Cruise Destination Score: 8.13/10
Taking the top spot as 2024’s best cruise destination is Santorini, with a score of 8.13 out of 10. The Greek island ranks relatively high across the board, especially in its proportion of romantic activities, taking second place at 1,839 per 100,000 people. Santorini also places second for its proportion of family activities, with 958 activities per 100,000 people.
2. Cartagena, Spain
Cruise Destination Score: 7.73/10
Cartagena takes second place. The southern Spanish city ranks in the top five for its number of beaches with a total of 80 and its proportion of sights and landmarks, with 489 per 100,000 people. It also places in the top 10 for 168 family activities per 100,000 people. Cartagena scores 7.73 out of 10 as a cruise destination.
3. Valletta, Malta
Cruise Destination Score: 7.55/10
Rounding off the top three is Valletta. The Maltese city scores 7.75 out of 10 thanks to its high proportion of sights and landmarks at a whopping 2,579 per 100,000 people, taking the top spot for the factor. Due to its small population, it also ranks first for its proportion of restaurants, at 31,045 per 100,000 people.
The destinations with…
The most restaurants - Valletta, Malta (31,045 per 100,000 people)
If you’re planning your cruise around all the exciting cuisines you can experience, you’ll be spoilt for choice if you hop off the ship in Valletta. Thanks to its population of only around 5,000 people, the Maltese capital has the highest proportion of restaurants at over 31,000 per 100,000 people or 1,601 in total.
The most romantic activities - Kotor, Montenegro (4,779 per 100,000 people)
Kotor is in the top spot as the city with the most romantic activities, at 4,779 per 100,000 people. The town offers couples plenty to see and do, from a romantic stroll around the old city to picturesque views of the Adriatic from Kotor Bay.
The most family activities - Kotor, Montenegro (4,191 per 100,000 people)
Kotor also boasts the most activities for families, at a whopping 4,191 per 100,000 people, thanks to its low population. Families can explore plenty the city has to offer, from the Kotor Cats Museum to hiking up to the Kotor Fortress.
The most beaches - Sydney, Australia & Lanzarote, Spain (100)
If relaxing on the beach is your ideal cruise holiday activity, Sydney and Lanzarote are the best destinations, sharing the top spot with 100 beaches each. Sydney is perfect if you prefer many amenities while lounging in the sun, with plenty of shops and cafes to explore right next to world-famous beaches like Bondi Beach.
If you prefer a quieter beach visit, Lanzarote is the perfect destination. The island boasts several black volcanic beaches, but if golden sands are more your speed, Lanzarote offers plenty, from the Playa de Papagayo to the Playa de Famara.
The most sights and landmarks - Kotor, Montenegro (4,265 per 100,000 people)
If you hop off the boat in Kotor, you’ll never run out of things to do. Because of its low population, Kotor has 4,265 sights and landmarks per 100,000 people. Attractions include the Church of Saint Luke, one of the town’s oldest buildings.
The hottest weather - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (42ºC)
When it comes to weather, Abu Dhabi leaves the rest of the destinations in the dust. Thanks to its desert climate, the capital of the United Arab Emirates averages a temperature of an incredible 42ºC over its hottest month, August.
The least rainfall - Abu Dhabi (20mm)
You won’t need to worry about rain ruining your cruise excursion to Abu Dhabi. It has the lowest average rainfall of all the destinations on our list. Rainfall usually hovers around 10 millimeters a month, only reaching 20mm in its wettest month, February.
The best cruise lines
1. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Score: 9.32/10
Royal Caribbean takes first place as 2024’s best cruise line, scoring 9.32 out of 10. The cruise line takes the top spot for six of the seven factors we looked at and takes second place for its biggest cruise liner capacity, at 7,600 passengers, for its newest ships, Star Of The Seas and Icon Of The Seas.
2. MSC Cruises Cruise Line Score 8.80/10
Up next is MSC Cruises. With a score of 8.80 out of 10, it takes second place. MSC Cruises ranks relatively well across the board, taking second place for its 5.2 million Facebook likes. It also ranks third for five factors we looked at and is in the top five for its over 76,000 YouTube subscribers.
3. Carnival Cruise Line Cruise Line Score 8.04/10
In third place is Carnival Cruise Line. The company scores highly for its number of cruise ships at 26. It also takes second place for its number of rooms at 2,641, shared by two ships, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Mardi Gras. It also has one of the largest followings on YouTube. With 115,000 subscribers, it takes second place for the factor.
The cruise lines with…
The most itineraries - Costa Cruises (1,768)
When it comes to cruise options, Costa Cruises is far ahead of the competition with an impressive 1,768 itineraries. Costa offers many choices, allowing you to embark and disembark at different ports rather than a fixed port like many other cruise lines.
The biggest Instagram following - Royal Caribbean (2 million followers)
With 2 million followers on the platform, Royal Caribbean is the king of Instagram regarding cruise lines. The company uses the platform to showcase its innovative ship design, amenities, and the exotic destinations you can travel to with their itineraries.
The biggest YouTube following - Royal Caribbean (133,000 subscribers)
Royal Caribbean also leads the pack in terms of YouTube subscribers with 133,000. Their channel gives a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and design of their cruise liners, from adding swimming pools to redesigning the crew’s quarters.
The most Facebook likes - Royal Caribbean (5,300,000 likes)
Royal Caribbean is the most popular cruise line on Facebook, with 5.3 million likes on the platform. The company uses the platform to interact with its 5.6 million followers, sharing praise and quickly responding to any issues its customers raise.
The most ships - Royal Caribbean (28)
The biggest cruise line in terms of ships, Royal Caribbean has 28 cruise liners, including one of the world’s largest, the Wonder of The Seas. The boat is ten stories high and home to more than 40 restaurants. Royal Caribbean currently has three more ships on order, too.
The highest cruise ship capacity - Royal Caribbean (7,600 passengers)
Two of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships, Star Of The Seas and Icon Of The Seas, have a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers, 818 more than MSC Cruises in second place. The company constantly strives to build the world’s biggest cruise ships, holding the title with each new ship since 2006.
The most rooms on board - Royal Caribbean (2,805)
Royal Caribbean once again takes the top spot. One of their newest ships, Icon Of The Seas, has 28 types of cabins to suit any family’s needs, ranging from inexpensive windowless cabins to huge suites across two floors with access to your own concierge.
Cody Candee, CEO and Founder of Bounce, comments:
“With an estimated 300 ships setting sail this year and Royal Caribbean's world cruise taking TikTok by storm, cruises have never been more popular.
Cruise lines are now offering trips to far-flung destinations, which can often work out cheaper than the soaring costs of flights and hotels. The best cruise destinations include three European locations. Greece’s Santorini, Spain’s Cartagena, and Malta’s capital, Valletta, are the top three cruise destinations to visit in 2024.
It’s important to choose the best cruise line to curate your perfect vacation. The best cruise lines to travel with this year are Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line. All of these cruise lines offer plenty of variety when it comes to itineraries, choice of cruise ship, and the number of cabins and passengers. They’re also the most popular on social media too.”
Methodology
Beginning with a list of cruise destinations, taken from sites including Royal Caribbean, we analyzed each destination on the following factors. We then gave each cruise destination a normalized score out of ten for each factor before taking an average across each score to reach our final overall score out of ten.
Restaurants per 100,000
The total number of restaurants in each destination, according to Tripadvisor, per 100,000 of the population.
Romantic Activities per 100,000
The total number of activities for couples in each destination, according to Tripadvisor, per 100,000 of the population.
Family Activities per 100,000
The total number of activities for kids in each destination, according to Tripadvisor, per 100,000 of the population.
Sights and Landmarks per 100,000
The total number of sights and landmarks in each destination, according to Tripadvisor, per 100,000 of the population.
Number of Beaches
The total number of beaches in each destination, according to Google Maps.
Average Temperature
The average temperature in the hottest month in each destination according to Holiday-Weather.
Average Rainfall
The average rainfall in the wettest month in each destination according to Holiday-Weather.
Population figures for each destination were taken from City Population.
To find the best cruise lines, we began with a list taken from Planetcruise and analyzed each on the following factors. We then gave each cruise line a normalized score out of ten for each factor before taking an average across each score to reach our final overall score out of ten.
Itineraries
The total number of itineraries each cruise line offers according to each company’s website.
Instagram Followers
The total number of followers on each cruise line’s official Instagram account.
YouTube Subscribers
The total number of subscribers on each cruise line’s official YouTube channel.
Facebook Likes
The total number of likes on each cruise line’s official Facebook page.
Number of Ships
The number of ships in each company’s fleet, according to CruiseMapper.
Capacity of Biggest Ship
The maximum capacity of the biggest ship in each company’s fleet, according to CruiseMapper.
Number of Rooms on Biggest Ship
The total number of cabins available on the biggest ship in each company’s fleet, according to CruiseMapper.
All data correct as of 25/04/2024.