The cruising industry was hit hard this year. Despite more cancellations in recent news, we're hoping for a comeback in 2021. After all, more than 26 million passengers set sail in 2018 — a 3 percent year-over-year increase from previous years — so who's to say those numbers can't eventually return?
Carrying thousands of passengers on ships that are five times bigger than the Titanic, cruise lines have amped up the bells and whistles to convince travelers to ride the seas with them. From Broadway-worthy shows, to celebrity-inspired menus, to gigantic water parks and thrill rides, cruises can be an amazing vacation. However, with more than 300 cruise ships, not all of them can be winners.
Here, we take a look at the worst cruise ships to take, referring to leading cruise-review website CruiseCritic.com as a guide. The following are the lowest-marked of the bunch, with ratings of 3 stars or fewer (out of 5). See which of the ships you should skip — and which to sail instead (whenever that's allowed again).