Celebrity Edge is Best New Ocean Ship; U by Uniworld
Scoops Best New River Ship for The A and The B
LONDON, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic, the
world's largest cruise reviews site and online cruise community,
has announced the winners of its 10th annual UK Editors'
Picks Awards. The awards are selected by a global panel of
impartial cruise experts from Cruise Critic, to highlight the best
ocean, river and luxury cruise lines across dozens of
categories.
"The cruise industry is experiencing a real boom at the moment
and cruise lines are capitalising on this popularity by investing
in fantastic new ships, well-thought out refurbishments and a host
of amazing, new onboard innovations and destination itineraries to
keep British holiday makers coming back for more," explained
Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor,
Cruise Critic. "These awards combine our editors' impartial cruise
expertise, based on first-hand experiences and industry knowledge,
to help travellers select the best cruise choice for them from an
increasing number of options, which will include over 20 completely
new ships from next year."
The Ocean's Most Outstanding
The award for 'Best
New Ship' on the ocean went to Celebrity Edge which debuted on
21 November, 2018. With
ground-breaking innovations such as the 'Magic Carpet', which
transforms from tender platform to alfresco sushi restaurant; and
the Infinite Veranda that changes the shape and size of a cabin at
the touch of a button, Cruise Critic Editors felt that Celebrity
has really set a new standard for cruise ship design. Celebrity
Cruises also secured the 'Best Dining' award for its gourmet
innovations fleetwide.
Royal Caribbean International secured four awards this year,
including the coveted 'Best Refurbishment' award for
Independence of the Seas, a multi-million upgrade that marked the
start of Royal's massive ship-wide refresh programme. New features
on Indie included a headline-grabbing VR trampoline Sky Pad; a
puzzle break room; Observatorium, a laser tag arena; two new
waterslides; a new kids' splash park and innovative, new dining
areas. The line also scooped awards for 'Best Entertainment',
'Best for Families' and 'Best Suites'.
For the second consecutive year, Marella Cruises, whose fares
include all tips and service charges, as well as alcoholic drinks
on some of its ships, was awarded 'Best Value for
Money'. Celestyal Cruises also won the 'Best for
Service' award for the second year in a row.
For the fourth year running, Fred. Olsen
Cruise Lines won the 'Best Itineraries' award for the
wide range of destinations offered – including far flung regions
like Africa, Asia and the Middle
East – and was also awarded 'Best Shore Excursions'
for the first time.
Also for the first time, Saga Cruises bagged the 'Best
for Solo Travellers'; whilst Hurtigruten held on to its
'Best for Adventure' award for the seventh year
running.
River's Cream of the Crop
Winning the 'Best
River Cruise Line' award for the
fourth year running, the judges felt that Uniworld's Boutique River
Cruise Collection brought the atmosphere of luxury hotels with
individually designed vessels to new heights. The line also secured
the 'Best Ship Refurbishment' accolade for S.S. Beatrice
which was radically overhauled to create a beautiful ship on par
with is newer fleetmates. It additionally held on to the 'Best
for Service' award. It's sister line U by Uniworld took the
'Best New Ship' award for The A and The B which
impressed the judges for well-appointed cabins, trendy decor and
its digital daily schedules - all geared towards a younger
traveller.
Crystal River Cruises secured the 'Best Cabins' accolade
for having some of the most spacious cabins on the rivers. It
additionally took the 'Best Dining' and 'Best for
Luxury' awards.
Viking River Cruises was named 'Best Itineraries' and
'Best Enrichment' both for the third year; and Emerald
Waterways secured awards for 'Best Value for Money' and
'Best for First-Timers'.
Luxury's Finest
In the luxury awards, Crystal Cruises
won the accolade for 'Best Luxury Cruise Line' for its fleet
of stunning ships and its constant innovation and investment in the
updating of ships with modern touches, such as: open-seating
dining, new casual eateries, enhanced Wi-Fi and beautifully
appointed suites. The line also took the 'Best Enrichment'
award.
Seabourn Ovation took the 'Best New Luxury Ship' award
for its impressive level of service, accommodation, dining, and
overall ambiance. The line also won the award for 'Best
Service'.
The 'Best Dining' award went to SeaDream Yacht
Club for its imaginative menus and quality range of
offerings.
Viking Ocean Cruises was handed awards for 'Best Value for
Money' and 'Best Spa' for the third year in a row, and
also secured this year's award for 'Best Itineraries', with
a wide range of options, including a 245-day world cruise coming in
2019.
Award-winning Ports
London secured the 'Best UK Departure
Port' for the fist time; whilst Guernsey took the award for
'Best UK & British Isles Port of Call' for the second
year in a row.
Please find the full list of all winners, below.
2018 Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards (Ocean):
Best New Ship: Celebrity Edge
Best Ship Refurbishment: Independence of the Seas
Best for Adventure: Hurtigruten
Best Cabins: Cunard Line
Best Dining: Celebrity Cruises
Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International
Best for Families: Royal Caribbean International
Best Itineraries: Fred. Olsen Cruise
Lines
Best Nightlife: MSC Cruises
Best Service: Celestyal Cruises
Best Shore Excursions: Fred. Olsen
Cruise Lines
Best for Solo Travellers: Saga Cruises
Best Suites: Royal Caribbean International
Best Value for Money: Marella Cruises
Best UK Departure Port: London
Best UK & British Isles Port of Call: Guernsey
2018 Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards (River):
Best River Cruise Line:
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Best New River Ship: The A and The B – U by Uniworld
Best Ship Refurbishment: S.S Beatrice, Uniworld Boutique
River Cruise Collection
Best for Active Cruisers: AmaWaterways
Best Cabins: Crystal River Cruises
Best Dining: Crystal River Cruises
Best Enrichment: Viking River Cruises
Best for Families: Tauck River Cruising
Best for First-Timers: Emerald Waterways
Best Itineraries: Viking River Cruises
Best for Luxury: Crystal River Cruises
Best Service: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Best Shore Excursions: Scenic
Best for Solo Travellers: Riviera Travel
Best Value for Money: Emerald Waterways
2018 Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards (Luxury):
Best Luxury Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises
Best New Luxury Ship: Seabourn Ovation
Best Ship Refurbishment: Silver Spirit
Best for Adventure: Silversea Cruises
Best Cabins: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Dining: SeaDream Yacht Club
Best Enrichment: Crystal Cruises
Best Itineraries: Viking Ocean Cruises
Best for Romance: Windstar Cruises
Best Service: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Shore Excursions: Azamara Club Cruises
Best for Solo Travellers: Noble Caledonia
Best Spa: Viking Ocean Cruises
Best Value for Money: Viking Ocean Cruises
For the full details of this year's winners, visit the 2018
Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards listing.
About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic® is an online cruise
guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travelers, from
first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features
more than 350,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest
online cruise community where travelers share experiences and
opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer
cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a
subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world's largest
travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of
every trip. With over 702 million reviews and opinions covering the
world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering
approximately 8 million accommodations, airlines, experiences, and
restaurants -- TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of
the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to
do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more
than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price
on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are
available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel
community of 490 million average monthly unique visitors**, all
looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know
better. Book better. Go better.
The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:
TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses,
including more than 20 travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com,
www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com,
www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com
(including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and
www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk,
www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com,
www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com,
www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com
and www.viator.com.
* Source: Jumpshot for TripAdvisor Sites,
worldwide, September 2018
** Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique visitors,
Q3 2018
UK Media Contact:
Laurena McKenna, Cruise Critic
lmckenna@cruisecritic.com
T: 07775 620 232
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/793757/Best_New_Ship.jpg