Dear Justin,

I always find it interesting to hear what leisure cruisers have to say about the various cruise lines, and I equally await the professionals views regarding these same cruise lines. Recently a group of leisure cruisers were surveyed by the Cruise Lines Luxury Customer Experience Index and they said Radisson Seven Seas, now known as Regent Seven Seas, delivers the best customer experience and received top honors, with Disney Cruise Lines second and Celebrity Cruises third. This survey only rated America’s top 11 cruise lines, and in my opinion not all were luxury. In the survey were the following lines: Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (now known as Regent Seven Seas), Royal Caribbean, and Windstar Cruises.

THIS JUST IN... Regent Seven Seas Cruises was recently awarded Best Cruise Line Spa in Conde Nast Traveler's Annual Readers’ Poll, AND, Best Large Ship Cruise Line by CruiseReport.com.

Now for the professionals take on cruising. Douglas Ward, founder of the Berlitz “Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships,” now in its 21st edition, is somebody to listen to when you want to know about the trends in cruising, which ships provide the ultimate in luxury, and best overall experience from someone who spends over 200 days a year cruising! Ward evaluates 269 ships, large and small, budget and luxury.

This year he awarded his coveted five-stars-plus rating on only one ship that is not well known in the U.S.: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europa, a 450-passenger ship with no casino. In fact, he has awarded this same ship with the five-stars plus rating for six consecutive years.

"Details, details, details, that's what Europa cruising is all about," wrote Ward, citing such amenities as personal e-mail addresses, proper cloth doilies beneath drinks, "simply superb" food and a deck steward to mist poolside guests.

Seventeen other ships were named this year to the Berlitz Five-Stars Club: SeaDream I and II; Seabourn's Legend, Pride and Spirit; Silversea's Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Hanseatic, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind; Queen Mary 2 (Grill Class only); Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II; Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony; and Seven Seas' Mariner and Voyager.

As we should all know, you get what you pay for!