Cruise Critic Announces New Virtual Ship Tours and Multimedia Cruise Reviews

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08 Sep, 2015, 09:00 GMT

Site partners with Oyster.com to create virtual ship tours, showcasing thousands of photographs per ship

LONDON, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic^®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced two new photo products: virtual cruise ship tours – featuring thousands of photographs per ship, through a partnership with photography specialists Oyster.com – and new multimedia cruise reviews, collecting and showcasing photos directly from cruisers as part of the cruise review process. The products aim to give new-to-cruise and seasoned cruisers greater insight to help choose the right ship and prepare for upcoming trips.

Colleen McDaniel, managing editor of Cruise Critic, explained, "The new images bring the ships to life and give a real sense of what it will be like when you step onboard. Our aim is to provide a rich depth of content to help people find and plan the right cruise. Combining Oyster's photography expertise with new cruiser-submitted photos, we're able to deliver the best possible insights to help consumers feel more confident and informed when booking and planning a cruise."

Features of Cruise Critic's new virtual tours include:

Easy-to-browse, high-resolution photo libraries of thousands of images per ship
Real-life, unaltered photos of every onboard nook and cranny, taken by Oyster's photographers
Categorised folders, including: Activities and Events, Cabins, Family Amenities, Pools and Sundecks, Restaurants and Bars, Spa and Fitness and Ports of Call
Public spaces documented as they change over the course of the cruise -- for example: a bustling pool deck at night that becomes a tranquil scene when the ship is in port
New 360-degree panoramic imagery to make it easier to perceive public areas and cabins
Over 27,000 photos across 11 ships and six cruise lines, including Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Celebrity – with more ships and lines continuing to be added

Speaking on the partnership, Eytan Seidman, Co-Founder and General Manager of Oyster.com, said, "We share a common core principle with Cruise Critic to provide clear, unbiased information that will help people to choose the right vacation for their needs. Of course, cruise ships are a lot larger than the average hotel, so adapting the formula that has proved highly successful for hotels to cruise ships, meant lengthening the shoot, and taking more than five times as many images. It's a huge task but very rewarding, and we're incredibly pleased with the results."

Cruise Critic also launched photo collection as part of its cruise review process, enabling travellers to upload ship photos to create multimedia reviews and share their own first-hand views of the ships on which they've sailed. As the world's leading cruise reviews site, Cruise Critic features more than 150,000 consumer reviews representing nearly 500 cruise ships.

View an example of Cruise Critic's new virtual tours:

Norwegian Getaway Ship Tour
360 Panoramic View of Freedom of the Seas' Owners Suite

About Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.co.uk)

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 100,000 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.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, and www.virtualtourist.com. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 375 million unique monthly visitors*, and more than 250 million reviews and opinions covering 5.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions.