P&O Cruises named the 'Best Cruise Line of
the Year' in the Mainstream Category; Explora, Viking and HX
(Hurtigruten Expeditions) also receive the top honour in their
respective categories
LONDON, 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 U.K.'s
best cruise lines and destinations of the year, based on expert
insight and traveller 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 team of editors and writers has cruised to just about every
corner of the globe this year," shares Adam
Coulter, Executive Editor of Cruise Critic UK. "From the
Arctic and Galapagos, to the Caribbean and Alaska. On cruises with family, to couples'
getaways and solo adventures. And one thing that we can say with
absolute confidence is that there's never been a better time to
find a cruise ship to suit your needs – and this year's awards
highlight just that."
2024 Award Highlights
Mainstream Awards
- Best Mainstream Cruise Line: P&O Cruises
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "P&O Cruises are by
far the biggest U.K. cruise line, but it's not a position the line
takes lightly, constantly striving to up their game. This is a line
that 100% knows its guests, and does not miss a beat in terms of
delivering what they want – time and again."
- Best New Ship: Cunard's Queen
Anne
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "Cunard's first new vessel
in 14 years, Queen Anne is an
undeniably beautiful ship that strikes the perfect balance to
achieve a timeless yet modern cruising experience. Queen Anne's wellness programme is among the
best at sea, the Pavilion pool feels like a chic resort, and dining
includes a partnership with Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr."
River Awards
- Best River Cruise Line:
Viking Cruises
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "The choice of rivers, the
quality of cuisine, the consistency of service, the depth of
enrichment and the inclusivity when it comes to drinks and shore
excursions, makes Viking a clear winner for us when it comes to
river cruises."
- 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: HX Hurtigruten
Expeditions
According to Cruise Critic's Editors: "With five dedicated
expedition ships, including two new-builds and three recently
refurbished, HX offers expedition travel to both Poles,
Spitsbergen, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and the Galapagos. The line also
places a strong emphasis on environmental and scientific discovery,
backed up with outstanding expedition teams."
- 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."
2024 Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards
Mainstream Category
Best Mainstream Cruise Line: P&O
Cruises
Best New Ship: Cunard's Queen
Anne
Best Cabins: Celebrity Cruises
Best Dining: Virgin Voyages
Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International
Best for Families: P&O Cruises
Best for Romance: Princess Cruises
Best for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Virgin Voyages
Best Nightlife: MSC Cruises
Best Service: Holland America
Line
Best for Solo Travelers: Fred. Olsen
Cruise Lines
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: Marella
Best App: MSC Cruises
Best U.K. Departure Port: Southampton
Best U.K. Port of Call: Liverpool
River Category
Best River Cruise
Line: Viking
Best New River Ship: Viking Hathor & Viking Sobek
Best for Active Cruisers: Avalon Waterways
Best Cabins: Avalon Waterways
Best Dining: Riverside Luxury Cruises
Best for Entertainment: Scenic
Best Enrichment: Viking Cruises
Best for Families: A-ROSA
Best for First-Timers: TUI River Cruises
Best for Romance: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best for Luxury: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Best Service: Viking
Best for Solo Travelers: Saga River Cruises
Best Value for Money: TUI River Cruises
Luxury Category
Best Luxury Cruise Line: Explora
Journeys
Best New Luxury Ship: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's
Ilma
Best Cabins: Silversea Cruises
Best Dining: Explora Journeys
Best Enrichment: Viking
Best for Families: Explora Journeys
Best for Romance: Emerald Yacht Cruises
Best Itineraries: Windstar
Best Service: Crystal
Best Shore Excursions: Oceania Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Hebridean Island Cruises
Best Spa: Viking
Best Value for Money: Seabourn
Expedition Category
Best Expedition Cruise Line: HX
Best for Adventure: Quark Expeditions
Best Cabins: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Dining: Scenic
Best Itineraries: Ponant
Best for Light Expedition: Viking
Best for Luxury: Silversea Expeditions
Best Science Offerings: HX
Best Service: Seabourn
Best Spa: Viking
Best Value for Money: Swan Hellenic
Best in Antarctica: National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Best in the Arctic: HX
Best in the Galapagos: National Geographic-Lindblad
Expeditions
Cruisers' Choice Category
Top-Rated Mainstream Cruise
Lines
1. Margaritaville at
Sea
2. Virgin Voyages
3. Celebrity Cruises
Top-Rated River Cruise Lines
1. Avalon
Waterways
2. Emerald River Cruises
3. Viking Cruises
Top-Rated Luxury Cruise Lines
1. Crystal Cruises
2. Explora Journeys
3. Viking Cruises
Top-Rated Expedition Cruise
Lines
1. Viking
Cruises
2. Quark Expeditions
3. National
Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
To view the full details of each category, visit the 2024 U.K.
Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards.
About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic® is an online cruise guide, offering a
comprehensive resource for cruise travellers, 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 travellers 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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helps millions of people each month** become better travelers, from
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to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been
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travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book
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Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor,
Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP). The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. own and
operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses,
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* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly,
November 2024
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Media Contact:
Aubrey Manzo
Dunn
aubrey@cruisecritic.com
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