U.S. News & World Report Releases 1st ‘Best River Cruise Line’ Ranking

Known for its Best Hotels, Best Vacations and Best Cruise Lines rankings, U.S. News & World Report announced the inaugural 2026-2027 Best River Cruise Lines, a ranking designed to guide travellers to top-performing operators that deliver exceptional service.

“River cruising offers travellers a unique and intimate way to explore the world’s most beautiful destinations,” said Nicola Wood, senior editor of Travel at U.S. News. 

“Our inaugural Best River Cruise Lines ranking provides a data-backed, comprehensive evaluation – combining expert analysis with traveller sentiment and a deep dive into crucial features like all-inclusive pricing and onboard amenities – to help travellers confidently select the perfect voyage for them.”

The 2026-2027 Best River Cruise Lines ranking evaluates 10 popular river cruise lines by factoring in seven elements, most heavily weighted toward overall traveller ratings and averaged expert ratings scored by U.S. News editors and industry panelists. 

Other factors include industry accolades, all-inclusive pricing, shore excursion inclusions, onboard amenities and itinerary diversity. Inclusion on this list signifies that each of the 10 cruise lines evaluated met the criteria to be considered among the “best” in the industry.

AmaWaterways secured the No. 1 position in the Best River Cruise Lines ranking, earning high praise from both travellers and experts. The line offers unique onboard amenities like spas and pickleball courts. A standout feature is the convenient “twin-balcony” stateroom design, which includes both a French balcony and a walk-out veranda.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises took the No. 2 spot. The line includes more than one complimentary shore excursion per port and provides an appealing staff-to-guest ratio of one crew member for every 2.4 travellers. 

Finally, Viking River Cruises landed at No. 3. Viking earned the highest average expert score among all 10 cruise lines and was recognized with six major industry awards in 2025 and 2026. 

In addition, each of the top three lines stood out for being fully or almost fully all-inclusive, and for sailing to numerous popular regions around the world.

The full Top Ten list of 2026-2027 Best River Cruise Lines includes:

AmaWaterways

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Viking River Cruises

Avalon Waterways

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Riverside Luxury Cruises

American Cruise Lines

Tauck

Emerald Cruises

CroisiEurope