Smaller ship ocean cruise lines have been rated the best in a study by consumer group Which?
Viking came top with an 88% customer score as passengers were impressed by how much room they had on board its small, yet spacious, ships.
The Scandinanvian company was closely followed by Saga Cruises (87%), Noble Caledonia (86%) Hurtigruten (85%) and Azamara (84%).
The results prove the continued popularity of small ship cruise lines over traditional mega-ships, Which? claimed.
MSC Cruises was the lowest ranked (54%) while Cunard and P&O Cruises also struggled to perform for passengers against smaller ship rivals.
The study rated 20 cruise companies for elements including customer service, passenger-to-space ratio, description matching reality, cabins, food and drink, value for money, on-board entertainment and port excursions.
MSC Cruises passengers complained about long queues on boarding and disembarking, limited food and drink and being bombarded with sales promotions.
Which? said: “Historic cruise lines such as Cunard were beaten by the new wave of boutique liners offering intrepid itineraries and port excursions.
“Similarly, popular P&O failed to wow passengers. A lacklustre performance saw the British giant slump towards the bottom half of the table.
“The worst cruise line only scored two stars for customer service, cabins, on-board facilities and port excursions.”
Viking’s five-star on-board facilities and ‘friendly, knowledgeable service’ pushed it to the top of the table.
“Unlike larger, more congested ships, customers enjoyed the lack of queues and awarded the brand five stars for its passenger-to-space ratio,” according to Which?
“Noble Caledonia fans praised its five-star port excursions for stopping at ‘small towns and beauty spots not visited by large ships’. Local guides and intimate excursions were complimented, with travellers feeling well taken care of.
“Azamara’s affordable, all-inclusive luxury ranked higher than its high-end rivals, with customer service and social atmosphere on board giving it the edge.”
Cunard, with a four-star rating for matching its brochure billing and value for money, delivered what passengers expected.
“However, younger brands and smaller ships have successfully pushed Cunard down the rankings, into eighth place,” Which? added.
“Likewise, P&O failed to challenge the dominance of the smaller cruise ships in this year’s survey.
“Despite being one of the cheapest, and by far the most used cruise line, passengers gave it a mediocre three-star rating in most categories.
“Dozens of rivals felt less busy on board and this coupled with wi-fi that P&O customers felt was overpriced, saw the brand plummet to 13th place out of 20 cruise lines.”