Top 10 River Cruise Lines in 2025 According to Travel + Leis

Summary

How Voting Works
What Readers Loved
The Winner
The Full List

A river cruise might just be the best way to see the world. Though many well-traveled readers have yet to hop aboard a river ship, those that have return home with high praise for this unique style of exploring. It makes sense: river cruises allow for slow and thoughtful enjoyment of a destination, while onboard amenities offer the kind of luxury found in five-star hotels. Moreover, this year’s award winners have a global outlook, with operations not just in Europe but also in Egypt, Southeast Asia, South America, and even closer to home in the U.S.

How Voting Works

Every year, iBestTravel conducts a survey to engage readers on travel experiences around the globe—inviting them to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 readers completed the 2023 survey, which reflects a significant increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A memorable total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties.

For the cruise category, respondents rated individual ships, and results were separated by ocean cruises and river cruises.

Ships were rated on the following criteria:

Cabins/facilities
Food
Service
Itineraries/destinations
Excursions/activities
Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. Consequently, the final scores are averages of these responses.

What Readers Loved

No. 2 Tauck maintained a strong position this year, as voters praised the line for its impeccable service and intriguing itineraries. Its newest ship, Andorinha, launched in 2021 on the Douro River of Portugal, which is in high demand among travelers today. Furthermore, No. 4 Viking has been making headlines as it added a couple of fascinating river ships in 2022: Viking Osiris now sails Egypt’s Nile River, while Viking Mississippi transverses between St. Paul, Minnesota, and New Orleans. “We loved our trip with Viking,” said one satisfied traveler. “My husband had resisted going on a cruise for years, but now, after our sail on the Danube River, he’s hooked.”

Also moving up several spots from its 2022 ranking was No. 3 Grand Circle Cruise Line, catering to value-minded travelers. “My wife and I have been on seven of their ships on 10 different trips since 2004,” shared one loyal guest. “Like all of those ships, River Aria is comfortable, clean, serves fantastic food, and has a great crew.”

This year’s top river cruise line was a surprise: Aqua Expeditions ascended from the fourth spot in 2022 to claim the title of the world’s best river cruise line. Read on to discover what makes it so impressive.

The Winner

Aqua Expeditions

Aqua Expeditions operates three extraordinary river ships: Aqua Mekong offers incredible adventures in Cambodia and Vietnam, showcasing temple tours and rich history. Meanwhile, Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon navigate the Peruvian stretches of the Amazon River. Notably, all three vessels host no more than 20 suites, providing passengers a sense of privacy and exclusivity akin to chartering a yacht. “It was just amazing,” remarked one guest from their journey aboard the Aqua Nera, which began service in 2021. Food is a key focus for the brand, having partnered with renowned Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino to deliver culinary-minded voyages this year.