EWING, N.J., July 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its third annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's most popular cruise destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on Cruise Critic. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 18 regions worldwide. New in 2018, the awards also highlight the best cruise lines to visit each region.
"Our data regularly shows that whether you're a first-time cruiser or you've sailed dozens of times, destination is a top consideration when shopping for a cruise," explains Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of Cruise Critic. "While tropical destinations will always be popular among cruisers, what's really exciting to see is the rise in esteem of destinations more known for their immersive and experiential offerings – places like Havana, Edinburgh and Arles.
"By awarding top destinations and now the best lines that visit them, we're even better able to connect travelers with standout experiences available in the incredible places they're looking to explore."
Highlighted Awards:
Glacier Bay in Alaska was named the Most Popular Cruise Destination in 2018 – receiving the highest ratings among cruise destinations across the globe. Glacier Bay was also the top-rated destination in Alaska for the third year in a row. It's one of the best Inside Passage locations for glacier and wildlife viewing, with its Margerie Glacier considered one of the most photogenic glaciers.
Cuba's capital city of Havana was named the Best Cruise Destination in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya for the first time. While international cruise lines have long visited Cuba, U.S. travelers have only been legally visiting since 2016. Today, 17 cruise lines visit Cuba, and cruise travel is considered one of the best – and easiest – ways to visit the island as U.S. regulations continue to evolve.
Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay received the award for Best Cruise Line Private Island for the third consecutive year. The port also ranked as the top overall island in the Caribbean, across all three regions (Eastern, Western and Southern). The island is an all-ages hit with families, offering the same character experiences that Disney is famous for, while also including an adults-only retreat for those looking for some quiet time.
Celebrity Cruises was a big cruise line winner, receiving awards in nine of the 18 regional categories – including Best Cruise Line in Alaska, Australia & New Zealand and all three Caribbean regions.
Viking Ocean Cruises stood out among the small cruise lines, receiving four awards, including Best Cruise Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia, Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya, British Isles & Western Europe, and Western Mediterranean.
The full list of first-place winners includes:
Top-Rated Port in Alaska: Glacier Bay
- Best Large Ship Line in Alaska: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in Alaska: UnCruise Adventures
Top-Rated Port in Asia: Singapore
- Best Large Ship Line in Asia: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in Asia: Azamara Club Cruises
Top-Rated Port in Australia & New Zealand: Sydney
- Best Large Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: Coral Expeditions
Top-Rated Port in the Baltic & Scandinavia: St. Petersburg
- Best Large Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Viking Ocean Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: King's Wharf
- Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Island Windjammers
Top-Rated Port in the Southern Caribbean: Curacao
- Best Large Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Island Windjammers
Top-Rated Port in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Havana
- Best Large Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Viking Ocean Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the British Isles & Western Europe: Edinburgh
- Best Large Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Royal Caribbean International
- Best Small Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Viking Ocean Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Mediterranean: Dubrovnik
- Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Variety Cruises
Top-Rated European River Port: Arles
- Best European River Line: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Top-Rated Port in the Western Mediterranean: Villefranche
- Best Large Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises)
- Best Small Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Viking Ocean Cruises
Top-Rated Port in Hawaii: Kauai
- Best Large Ship Line in Hawaii: Carnival Cruise Line
Top-Rated Port in the Mexican Riviera: Huatulco
- Best Large Ship Line in the Mexican Riviera: Princess Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Panama Canal & Central America: Puerto Quetzal
- Best Large Ship Line in the Panama Canal & Central America: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in the Panama Canal & Central America: Windstar Cruises
Top-Rated Port in South America & Antarctica: Buenos Aires
- Best Large Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Australis
Top-Rated Port in the South Pacific: Mystery Island
- Best Large Ship Line in the South Pacific: Carnival Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in the South Pacific: Ponant
Top-Rated Port in the U.S. & Canada: Quebec City
- Best Large Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Pearl Seas Cruises
- Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada: American Cruise Lines
Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay
For full details on this year's winners, visit the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards.
Cruise Critic boasts the world's largest online cruise community, with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 cruise ships and over 300 worldwide ports. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken over the past year.
Key Elements:
Homepage: Full list of winners for each category, and consumer comments, available here.
Image Library: Photos of all top destinations for media use, available here.
Video: Highlights of winners and consumer reviews, available 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 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 600 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, 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 455 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 under 20 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com,www.bookingbuddy.com,www.citymaps.com,www.cruisecritic.com,www.familyvacationcritic.com,www.flipkey.com,www.thefork.com (includingwww.lafourchette.com,www.eltenedor.com,www.iens.nl andwww.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 andwww.viator.com.
* Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, October 2017
** Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2017
Media Contact:
Aubrey Manzo Dunn, Cruise Critic
aubrey@cruisecritic.com
609-583-0054
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SOURCE Cruise Critic
