Leading digital cruise magazine Bon Voyage celebrated its first successful year in business with the unveiling of its debut Bon Voyage Awards. The lines were judged by a panel of expert cruise connoisseurs who dished out gold, silver and bronze awards across 35 categories.
“There are some exciting things going on in cruising right now, so we wanted to reward the lines that are really upping their game,” said Sherri Eisenberg, Editor-in-Chief at Bon Voyage. “The awards are an opportunity to explain our recommendations to readers in a very definitive way” she added in an interview with Yahoo Travel.
So which lines are the big winners? Let’s take a look…
Disney Cruise Line
As expected Disney took out the top honours, including Best Mainstream Line in the General Excellence category. But the sweepstake of gold awards didn’t stop there. The hugely popular line also won itself first prize in the Best for Multigenerational Families, Best Mainstream Cabin, Best Onboard Evening Entertainment, Best Services for Children Under 3, and Best Services for Children Age 3–12 categories. Well done Disney!
So why is Disney so successful? We take a closer look in this recent blog: 10 Reasons Why Disney Cruise Line is Head & Tails Above the Competition.
Celebrity Cruises
Taking out the silver crown for Best Mainstream Line was Celebrity Cruises, recognised for its award-winning luxury cruise holidays at amazingly affordable prices. Thanks to its itinerary of stunning destinations, indulgent cabins, luxurious Canyon Ranch SpaClub facilities and great value wine and beverage packages, the line was also awarded silver in the Best for Couples category. The Birds are currently marking their anniversary with a Celebrity cruise, praising the line for its “great ships, friendly staff, good food, and enjoyable excursions.”
Princess Cruise Line
Following closely behind Celebrity was Princess Cruise Line, which is awarded bronze in the Best Mainstream Line category. Servicing a range of breath-taking locations across the globe, Princess is renowned for its exceptional service and exclusive amenities such as adults only retreat, The Sanctuary and the ever popular Movies Under the Stars. Regal Princess, the newest addition to the fleet, was also awarded silver in the Best New Ship category.
Azamara Club Cruises
Servicing 70 countries across five different continents, Azamara is the go-to line for exotic cruise getaways. Thanks to its fabulous on-board dining options and luxurious suites and staterooms, the company took out the bronze award for Premium Line.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian is currently making waves in the industry, with exciting hull designs and innovative new on-board additions. Its exclusive singles cabins and lounges won it the gold award in the Best for Singles category. Eisenberg explains, “Ever since they launched on Epic, I’ve been a fan of Norwegian’s singles cabins. Instead of making singles feel like second-class citizens, the cabins are sleek, sexy, and feel special. There’s also a great lounge for meeting other people traveling alone. And, unlike some cruise lines that charge a singles supplement, making traveling alone costly, these studio cabins are a great solution.” The line also took out silver in the Best On-board Evening Entertainment, recognised for its first class stage productions such as Legally Blonde. The company continued to clean up, winning gold in the Best New Ship category, silver in Best On-board Daytime Activities and bronze in Best Water Parks.
Carnival Cruise Lines
If you’re a self-confessed foodie, you’ll love Carnival’s fleet which took the gold crown for Most Improved Food as well as Best Takeaway Fare for its Blue Iguana Cantina. The line also appreciates its single travellers, awarded silver in the Best for Singles category.
Cunard
With slashed supplements deals and specially allocated singles staterooms, Cunard Line was well deserving of the bronze award for the Best for Singles category.
Holland America Line
Thanks to its Signature of Excellence commitment, Holland America Line has been delivering its passengers exceptional value for over 140 years. With a huge range of inside passage itineraries, fantastic inclusive dining options and wealth of complementary on-board activities, the line won itself a gold award in the Best Value category. Its stylish yet functional accommodation also saw Holland America take home silver in the Best Mainstream Cabins category.
Royal Caribbean International
With its child friendly H2O Zones featuring fountains, waterfalls, geysers and water-squirting cannons, it’s easy to see why RCI was awarded gold in the Best Water Parks category. Additional on-board entertainment facilities such as ice skating rinks, carousels, sports courts, golf courses, rock climbing walls, bungee trampolines and surf simulators also secured it the gold crown for Best On-board Daytime Activities.
Travel With An Award Winning Cruise Line
Are you itching to book a cruise with one of these award-winning lines and experience the fantastic features for yourself? If so, look no further than the undisputed cruise experts at Cruise 1st. Boasting partnerships with all the mentioned lines, they’ll help you plan your dream cruise holiday at a cost that won’t break the bank! Give the friendly sales team a call now on 0808 2746 777.
Images via Royal Caribbean Press Center
