Winners announced at the Cruise International Awards 2013
Cruise International Awards 2013The prestigious Cruise International Awards 2013 took place at London’s British Film Institute on Thursday afternoon, celebrating the best of the cruise industry and recognising achievements in cruise holidays, said in a press release.
Royal Caribbean International was named Best Cruise Line, and was also Highly Commended as Best Affordable Cruise Line, Best for Activities, Best for Families and Best Cruise Product or Service for the Royal Mums and Dads advice line.
Best River Cruise Line was awarded to Viking River Cruises, while Cunard was named Best Luxury Cruise Line and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection was awarded Best Luxury River Cruise Line.
Best New Ship went to Royal Princess, Princess Cruises’ new ship which made its debut in June and was named by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Carnival Cruise Lines was voted Best for Activities, while Best Innovation went to Vertigo waterslide on the new MSC Cruises ship, MSC Preziosa.
Disney Cruise Line won Best for Families and Best for Entertainment, and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines was awarded Best Affordable Cruise Line.
Celebrity Cruises won Best for Wellbeing, while Larry Pimentel, President and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award.
Best Onboard Restaurant went to Oceania Cruises for Red Ginger, while Best Specialist Cruise Line was awarded to SeaDream Yacht Club.
Titan Travel was awarded Best Cruise Product or Service for the Titan VIP Home Departure Service, and Iglu won Best Cruise Agent.
Stockholm was awarded Best Destination (Europe) while Alaska was voted Best Destination (Rest of World).
The Daily Mirror’s John Honeywell, aka Captain Greybeard, was named Best Cruise Blogger.
This year’s awards were hosted by TV presenter Jenni Falconer. Liz Jarvis, Editor of Cruise International, said:
“2013 has been a brilliant year for the cruise industry, with fabulous new ship launches and exciting new itineraries. The Cruise International Awards celebrate the best of the cruise industry, and because they’re voted for by the holidaymakers themselves, they’re an excellent benchmark of consumer opinion.”
A full list of the finalists and award winners is below. You can now pre-register for a copy of the awards digi-mag, here.
Finalists
BEST CRUISE BLOGGER
Jane Archer
John Honeywell, Captain Greybeard – WINNER
Danielle Fear, Cruise Miss – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Malcolm Oliver
BEST CRUISE AGENT
Go Cruise
Iglu – WINNER
Reader Offers – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Titan Travel
Virgin Cruises
BEST CRUISE PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Titan Travel, for the Titan VIP Home Departure Service – WINNER
Royal Caribbean, for the Royal Mums advice line – HIGHLY COMMENDED
MSC Cruises, for the MSC Yacht Club Butlers
Viator Shore Excursions
BEST INNOVATION
Vertigo on MSC Preziosa, MSC Cruises – WINNER
The Plank on Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Cruise Line
The Seawalk on Royal Princess, Princess Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
BEST DESTINATION (EUROPE)
Barcelona
Norwegian Fjords – HIGHLY COMMENDED
St Petersburg
Stockholm – WINNER
Venice
BEST DESTINATION (REST OF WORLD)
Alaska – WINNER
Hawaii
Jamaica – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Miami
St Kitts
BEST AFFORDABLE CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen – WINNER
P&O Cruises
Royal Caribbean – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Thomson Cruises
BEST FOR WELLBEING
Celebrity Cruises – WINNER
MSC Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
P&O Cruises
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE LINE
Azamara Club Cruises
Hurtigruten Cruises
SeaDream Yacht Club – WINNER
Voyages of Discovery
Voyages to Antiquity – HIGHLY COMMENDED
BEST FOR FAMILIES
Carnival Cruise Lines
Disney Cruise Line – WINNER
MSC Cruises
P&O Cruises
Royal Caribbean International – HIGHLY COMMENDED
BEST FOR ENTERTAINMENT
Disney Cruise Line – WINNER
Carnival Cruise Lines
P&O Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
BEST ONBOARD RESTAURANT
Qsine, Celebrity Cruises
Todd English, Cunard Line
Red Ginger, Oceania Cruises – WINNER
Ocean Grill, P&O Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Sabatini’s, Princess Cruises
BEST FOR ACTIVITIES
Disney Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Lines – WINNER
P&O Cruises
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International – HIGHLY COMMENDED
BEST LUXURY CRUISE LINE
Cunard Line – WINNER
Hebridean Island Cruises
Oceania Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Regent Seven Seas
SeaDream Yacht Club
BEST LUXURY RIVER CRUISE LINE
Ama Waterways
Avalon Waterways
Scenic Tours
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection – WINNER
Viking River Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
BEST NEW SHIP
AMAVida, from AmaWaterways
Celebrity Reflection, from Celebrity Cruises – HIGHLY COMMENDED
MS Europa 2, from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
MSC Preziosa, from MSC Cruises
Norwegian Breakaway, from Norwegian Cruise Line
Royal Princess, from Princess Cruises – WINNER
Queen Isabel, from Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Scenic Jewel, from Scenic Tours
Le Soléal, from Compagnie du Ponant
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Larry Pimentel, President and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises
BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE
APT
Avalon Waterways
Scenic Tours
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Viking River Cruises – WINNER
BEST CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Cunard Line
Disney Cruise Line
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – HIGHLY COMMENDED
MSC Cruises
P&O Cruises
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International – WINNER
Thomson Cruises
This year’s Cruise International Awards were supported by British Airways, Carnival Cruise Lines, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, SeaDream Yacht Club, the Caribbean islands of St Kitts and St Nevis, the Stockholm Visitors Board and The Spectator magazine.