Royal Caribbean named the 'Best Cruise Line of the
Year' in the Mainstream Category; Explora, AmaWaterways and
Lindblad also receive the top honor in their respective
categories
NEEDHAM,
Mass., Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise
Critic®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and
online cruise community, has named the winners of its
16th annual cruise awards in its new Cruise Critic
Best in Cruise Awards – naming the best cruise lines and
destinations of the year, based on expert insight and traveler
ratings. This year's awards are the site's most comprehensive
to-date, combining the highly coveted editor-selected awards with
the site's popular consumer-led Cruisers' Choice awards, which are
based entirely on ratings and reviews from cruisers over the past
year.
"Our editors have spent months at sea this year, collectively,
experiencing all the industry has to offer," shares Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise
Critic. "We've tried and tested ships of all shapes and sizes, in
regions across every corner of the globe, and these awards are
based on our collective insights to recognize which lines are
standing out above the rest."
"But what's really exciting is that, for the first time, we're
rolling out our editor-selected awards right alongside our
consumer-led awards, which are based on the reviews and ratings
submitted by cruisers over the past year." explains McDaniel.
"We've consistently heard from travelers that researching and
booking a cruise is a layered experience -- they want to hear
recommendations from experts, and they also want to hear what
fellow travelers have to say about their experiences."
2024 Award Highlights
Selected by Cruise Critic's
international team of cruise experts
Mainstream Awards
-
- Best Mainstream Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "To say 2024 has been a
marquee year for Royal Caribbean would be an understatement.
Welcoming both Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas – the
world's biggest- and second-biggest cruise ships – the cruise line
continues to cement its status as a leader in the
industry."
- Best New Ship: Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Icon of the Seas' massive
impact goes well beyond its size. Since debuting this year, Icon of
the Seas has been the hottest ticket in the cruise world. The
world's largest cruise ship takes Royal Caribbean's uber-popular,
family-friendly vacations to dizzying new heights."
- Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Carnival Cruise Line
offers great, fun ships and service at an affordable price, making
it the best value in the industry. Through its large staterooms,
impressive service and plethora of activities, Carnival continues
to offer more to cruisers than they might expect."
River Awards
-
- Best River Cruise Line:
AmaWaterways
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "In a crowded river field,
AmaWaterways comes out on top, thanks to its beautiful ships,
interesting itineraries and top-notch programming. With two new
ships set to sail on Colombia's
Magdalena River early next year,
AmaWaterways is firmly established as a trendsetter."
- Best New River Ship: Viking Hathor & Viking
Sobek
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Viking Hathor &
Viking Sobek offer a comfortable and stylish way to explore
Egypt. For those who know Viking,
they feel familiar with the line's hallmark Nordic decor and quiet
luxury. Yet they're clearly designed for the Nile, both offering an
immense top deck that provides shaded views of the scenery as the
ships pass by."
Luxury Awards
-
- Best Luxury Cruise Line: Explora Journeys
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Excellent dining,
fabulous pools and posh suites with delightful extras make a luxury
sailing out-of-this-world, and that's what Explora Journeys has
produced in just a few years on the water. Entering an Explora
Journeys ship is like walking into a luxury hotel, from an
eye-catching Lobby Bar to the Steinway piano and one-of-a-kind
shopping."
- Best New Luxury Ship: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's
Ilma
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Ritz-Carlton Yacht
Collection set the luxury bar high with first ship Evrima and has
taken it to the next level with second ship Ilma. Coming in at
roughly twice the size of its older sister, Ilma retains the
outstanding service levels, stunning accommodation and cuisine of
Michelin-star quality which defines this brand. We especially love
that in a second-in-class ship, Ritz-Carlton has refined the
original blueprint, to perfection."
Expedition Awards
-
- Best Expedition Cruise Line: National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "In an area with a lot of
newcomers, veteran expedition cruise line Lindblad still stands out
as the best. When you cruise with Lindblad, you know you will be
learning from dawn to dusk – with nighttime stargazing thrown in.
While newer ships have extras like an on-deck igloos, the older
ships have veteran crew who aim to make you feel at home, even when
you're far away."
- Best Itineraries: Ponant
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Ponant is always devising
new routes that will make you grab a map. From cruises that
traverse the North Pole to sailings that dive deep into
Indonesia, Ponant keeps developing
new routes, with a fleet that includes sailing ships, small
expedition ships and one of the industry's most powerful
icebreakers."
Cruisers' Choice
Based on the
reviews and ratings submitted by consumers over the past
year
-
- Top-Rated Mainstream Cruise Line: Margaritaville at
Sea
According to Cruise Critic Member Ray and Andy: "The entire
journey was filled with vibrant energy and impeccable organization.
From the moment we boarded, the warm, welcoming atmosphere set the
tone for a truly laid-back getaway"
- Top-Rated River Cruise Line: Avalon Waterways
According to Cruise Critic Member jmarkp: "What an incredible
experience: the crew, the itinerary, the stateroom, the food.
Everything seemed geared to making sure I had an incredible
voyage…and they succeeded."
- Top-Rated Luxury Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises
According to Cruise Critic Member docntx: "The best thus far.
Crew embodies the perfect blend of efficiency with playfulness and
a wonderful sense of humor. The food is as close to perfect as we
have experienced. The excursions were efficiently executed, and the
guides we had were all exceptional."
- Top-Rated Expedition Cruise Line: Viking Cruises
According to Cruise Critic Member SShadinger: "This was the best
cruise I have ever been on, it is definitely a once in a lifetime
experience. The ship was beautiful, clean and comfortable. The
expedition crew was friendly, knowledgeable and made the
experiences ashore most interesting and exciting."
2024 Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards
Mainstream Category
Best Mainstream Cruise Line: Royal
Caribbean International
Best New Ship: Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas
Best Cabins: Celebrity Cruises
Best Dining: Virgin Voyages
Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International
Best for Families: Disney Cruise Line
Best for Romance: Princess Cruises
Best for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Virgin Voyages
Best Nightlife: Royal Caribbean International
Best Service: Holland America
Line
Best for Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Spa: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Specialty Dining: Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites: Royal Caribbean International
Best Suite Complex: MSC Cruises' MSC Yacht Club
Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
Best App: Royal Caribbean International
Best North American Homeport: Long
Beach, California
River Category
Best River Cruise
Line: AmaWaterways
Best New River Ship: Viking Hathor & Viking Sobek
Best for Active Cruisers: AmaWaterways
Best Cabins: Avalon Waterways
Best Dining: Riverside
Best for Entertainment: Scenic
Best Enrichment: Viking Cruises
Best for Families: Adventures by Disney
Best for First-Timers: Emerald Waterways
Best for Honeymooners: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best for Luxury: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best Service: Tauck
Best for Solo Travelers: American Cruise Lines
Best Value for Money: Gate 1 Travel
Luxury Category
Best Luxury Cruise Line: Explora
Best New Luxury Ship: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's
Ilma
Best Cabins: Silversea Cruises
Best Dining: Explora
Best Enrichment: Viking Cruises
Best for Families: Explora
Best for Romance: Emerald
Best Itineraries: Windstar Cruises
Best Service: Crystal Cruises
Best Shore Excursions: Oceania Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Seabourn Cruise Line
Expedition Category
Best Expedition Cruise Line: National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Best for Adventure: Quark Expeditions
Best Cabins: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Dining: Scenic
Best Itineraries: Ponant
Best for Light Expedition: Viking Cruises
Best for Luxury: Silversea Expeditions
Best Science Offerings: HX
Best Service: Silversea
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Atlas
Best in Alaska: UnCruise Adventures
Best in Antarctica: National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Best in the Arctic: Ponant Cruises
Best in the Galapagos: National Geographic-Lindblad
Expeditions
Cruisers' Choice Category
Top-Rated Mainstream Cruise Lines
- Margaritaville at Sea
- Virgin Voyages
- Celebrity Cruises
Top-Rated River Cruise Lines
- Avalon Waterways
- Emerald River Cruises
- Viking Cruises
Top-Rated Luxury Cruise Lines
- Crystal Cruises
- Explora Journeys
- Viking Cruises
Top-Rated Expedition Cruise Lines
- Viking Cruises
- Quark Expeditions
- National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
To view the full details of each category, visit the 2024
Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards. For photos of this year's
winners, click here.
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
650,000 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
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Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor,
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operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses,
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* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly,
November 2024
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files
Media Contact:
Aubrey Manzo
Dunn
aubrey@cruisecritic.com
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