There is no one "Best" cruise. It all depends on what YOU and YOUR WIFE want out of a vacation. Modern cruise ships are a destination in itself so think of it as your one destination that just so happen visit other places too.

If you want a great bargain, I would consider Royal Caribbean or Carnival. They are both GREAT cruise lines for the price you are paying. You may hear people bash one cruise line over the other but what it comes down to is both are really great and have a slightly different focus.... for example, the food and entertainment on Carnival is alot better than that on Royal Caribbean but on the flip side, Royal Caribbean is for the more active type as it have way more activities. The two lines are GREAT for first time cruisers as they have all the basic cruise ship offerings but offers a bit more at a great price. I think Royal Caribbean and Carnival are both great starter cruises. Just watch out and try and stay away from older ships as they do not have as much as the amenities offered on newer ships. If cabin size is important, go with Carnival as they do offer larger cabins for about the same price.

If you want to spend alittle more and go a bit more upscale, I would recommend Celebrity or Princess... Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean and Princess is owned by Carnival... both offer everything Carnival and Royal Caribbean offers but alittle bit more upscale.

If you want freedom to do what ever you want and stray away from tradation, there is always Noreweigin Cruise Line which specialize in "Freestyle" Cruising which allow guest to do what ever they want when ever they want. (well, not really, but more freedom than other cruise lines.)

If you want to be a bit more traditional for your cruise and visit exotic places, I would recommend Holland America and Cunard (both are owned by Carnival).

If you want the up most luxury, theres always seabourne and silversea along with other ultra luxury cruise lines.

Basically, what I am getting at is what is best for you WILL NOT BE the best for me, your friend, your neighbor, etc... There is no one unversal answer to what is the best cruise line out there, they are all best in what they cater in and every cruise line cater to different type of people. What I tell my friends when they want to go on a cruise is to list off everything they want to do on their vacation and than find out what cruise line matches the most of those, if not all.

If you need any advice, I would recommend visiting CruiseCritic.com.. its like FlyerTalk but for frequent cruisers. Just be aware that on their messageboard, everyone tend to defend the cruise line they are loyal too and bash those they prob never even been on. If you do visit cruise critic, just go in with an open mind and try and find something that both you and your wife will enjoy.