If you're looking for inspiration for your next cruise holiday, then you're in luck; the UK's best cruise lines have just been revealed, and there's heaps to get excited about for next year.

TUI-owned Marella Cruises has been crowned the best firm for ocean cruises thanks to its plethora of onboard offerings, sun-soaked itineraries (they sail to popular destinations including Caribbean islands, Mediterranean hotspots and the Canaries), and the ship upgrades it's implemented in recent years.

It's already a firm favourite with Brits, offering everything from nostalgic Electric Sunset sailings, to itineraries that include a visit to the world's most beautiful cruise port.

Throw in the fact that its sailings are all-inclusive (meals, drinks, kids' clubs, cinemas, tips and service charges to name a few), and it can also offer some tempting deals to help you get the most bang for your buck.

One highlight onboard has to be Piccadilly's, the gastropub that can be found on the entire fleet. It launched earlier this year with a menu that includes the likes of a 'Great British Burgers' sharing plate, chips and gravy, soups, and of course full roast dinners so passengers can tuck into some of their favourites no matter where they're sailing.

Overall, Marella gets a decent 3.7 rating on Cruise Critic, with passengers generally praising the entertainment, service and itineraries. As for the ships themselves, although they're not the newest of vessels, the team behind the rankings said they "applaud the line's investment in fleet upgrades", including a renovation of Marella Discovery 2.

There are plenty of exciting ongoing updates too; just this month the brand launched its fourth a la carte dining experience on Marella Voyager, Umi Sushi, a Japanese inspired cuisine which will be available onboard from December 2025.

It's therefore no surprise that Marella Cruises has taken home the gold medal in Cruise Critic's annual rankings, which considers a series of factors including passenger reviews and cruise insiders' collective experience when looking at what makes a cruise line so great.

The team behind the list explained: "Marella Cruises is consistently innovating and evolving -- and this year was no different. The line introduced new dining concepts across the fleet, including a gastro pub and themed Afternoon Teas, along with musical-themed cruises and a solar eclipse cruise coming in 2026.

"The line also introduced brand-new destinations, including a winter cruise from Malaga. We also applaud the line's investment in fleet upgrades, including this year's bow-to-stern refurb of Marella Discovery 2 that brought cabin and public space upgrades, as well as a a large immersive interactive gaming wall. All this, along with all-inclusive fares and great value for money, makes Marella Cruises our pick for U.K. Cruise Line of the Year."

Marella wasn't the only winner in the rankings. Explora Journeys won best luxury cruise line, Avalon Waterways won best river cruise line, and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions won best expeditions cruise line.

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