Methodology

How we rate ships

Selvague awards neither stars nor a single mark. We assess every ship criterion by criterion, and we publish a figure only when we can defend it, line by line.

Most cruise media reduce a ship to a single mark — an average that blends the cuisine, the service and the upkeep into one reassuring figure. That figure says nothing. An excellent restaurant does not redeem a poorly soundproofed cabin; flawless service does not erase a tired hull.

We made the opposite choice: six criteria, scored separately, on a scale of 0 to 5. No average, no overall mark. It is for you to weigh them by what matters for your voyage — the table, the quiet, the space, the care given to the ship.

The six criteria

  • Spaces & design

    The shared volumes, the flow, the light. What you sense before you have even unpacked.

  • Cabins & comfort

    Sleep, soundproofing, the bathroom, the balcony. The real quality of the hours spent in your cabin.

  • Dining

    The included restaurants as much as the paid tables. Consistency counts here as much as the peaks.

  • Service

    Presence without weight — anticipating the need without ever lying in wait for it.

  • Upkeep

    The real condition of the ship: what the finishes give away, beneath the brochure's varnish.

  • Life on board

    The rhythm of days at sea: entertainment, quiet, and the places you want to linger.

Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5, independently of the others. We never average them.

The rating scale

  • 5.0

    Documented without reservation

    Nothing to fault — and we looked.

  • 4.5–4.9

    Exceptional

    A benchmark in its category.

  • 4.0–4.4

    Very good

    Keeps its promises, and a little more.

  • 3.5–3.9

    Decent

    No notable fault, no particular relief.

  • 3.0–3.4

    Passable

    Acceptable, but we expected more.

  • 1.0–2.9

    Insufficient

    Shortcomings the price does not justify.

  • 0

    Not assessed

    Criterion set aside for a reason we document.

  • Under review

    Insufficient sources

    Not yet enough gathered to score.

The publication rule

A figure appears only when the criterion is fully documented: observed on board, cross-checked, verified. Until that threshold is met, we would rather show nothing than offer a defensive score. No precautionary average, no asterisk, no footnote to qualify a figure we do not stand behind.

That is the trade-off of the method: if we publish a 4.2, it is because we can explain it line by line.

Under review, or not assessed

Under review

The criterion will be scored — but we have not yet gathered enough. A single crossing, an unrepresentative season, a restaurant closed for refurbishment. It is a wait: the score will come as soon as we can defend it.

Not assessed · 0

The criterion does not apply, or we have chosen to set it aside for a reason we document — a ship near the end of its service, an area not open to the public. It is a decision, not a lack of information.

We never score to reassure. We score so you can decide with full knowledge.