Cruise Critic's picks for best cruise ships of the year
— -- Cruise Critic has announced the winners of its 8th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards – naming the most popular cruise ships of the year, based on consumer reviews shared on Cruise Critic over the past 12 months. The site boasts the largest online cruise community in the world with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 of the most popular cruise ships.
“What’s fun to see in this year’s list of winners is the wide range of ships awarded as the best of the best,” said Colleen McDaniel, senior executive editor of Cruise Critic. “You have two of the largest ships at sea, alongside luxury yachts and small expedition ships that sail to some of the most far-flung destinations across the globe. As different as these ships are, the common thread is the exceptional ratings they received from actual guests."
The winners of the Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards are awarded in four ship size classes, based on passenger capacity (Large: 2,000+ passengers; Mid-Size: 1,200 to 1,999 passengers; Small-Mid Size: 400- 1,199 passengers; Small: Fewer than 400 passengers). The rankings are calculated using ratings published with user-submitted reviews on Cruise Critic.
First-place winners include:
Best Cruise Overall
Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises
Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises
Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises
Best Cruise Ship Cabins
Harmony of the Seas (Large) – Royal Caribbean International
Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises
Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
Star Pride (Small) – Windstar Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Dining
Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises
Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises
Viking Star (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
National Geographic Explorer (Small) – Lindblad Expeditions
Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment
Allure of the Seas (Large) – Royal Caribbean International
Disney Wonder (Mid-Sized) – Disney Cruise Line
Viking Sky (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
L’Austral (Small) -- Ponant
Best Cruise Ships for Service
Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises
Amsterdam (Mid-Sized) – Holland America Line
Viking Star (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
Wind Star (Small) – Windstar Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Shore Excursions
Carnival Breeze (Large) – Carnival Cruise Line
Celestyal Crystal (Mid-Sized) – Celestyal Cruises
Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Value
Celebrity Silhouette (Large) – Celebrity Cruises
Celestyal Crystal (Mid-Sized) – Celestyal Cruises
Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises
Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises
For the full list of winners, visit the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards.
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