Cruise Critic Names the World's Most Popular Cruise Destinations Based on Consumer Reviews
French river port, Avignon, named the top cruise destination in the world; Kirkwall, Orkney secures the Top-Rated Port Award for the British Isles and Western Europe for the very first time
LONDON, July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its fourth 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 and additionally highlight the best cruise lines that visit each region.
Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor, Cruise Critic said, "Global holiday makers continue to regard the opportunity to visit many destinations all in one trip as one of the most compelling reasons to take a cruise, and destination choice consequently remains a key consideration when booking a cruise. Scotland continues to prove an attractive destination for travellers across the globe, with Kirkwall in Orkney securing the top spot in the British Isles & Western Europe category, for the very first time. We are continuing to see a growing trend in favour of destinations that offer a more immersive and educational experience overall, and Kirkwall is a great example of how travellers are choosing to visit the less well known ports, as well as more traditionally popular places of interest."
For the second year running, the awards also acknowledge the best lines that visit these top-rated destinations, so that holidaymakers can easily explore just how easy it is to experience these incredible destinations via cruise.
Highlighted Awards:
Avignon - Winning the Top-Rated Port Overall, this lovely city nestled in the heart of France's Provence region continues to be popular with cruisers – it also secured a Top-Rated European River Destination award, last year. Avignon is home to the largest gothic palace in the world – the Palais des Papes - and is also conveniently located about an hour outside of Marseille. This makes it a prime embarkation and disembarkation point for a number of cruises.
Kirkwall - Situated on what's known as the "Mainland" of the Orkney archipelago, Kirkwall is the capital of a group of about 70 islands north of Scotland. The town was founded around 1035, and was declared a Royal Burgh in 1486 by King James III. The richness of the Orkney's Neolithic past has also earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
Bora Bora - This small, South Pacific island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia is surrounded by sand-fringed islets and a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral reef, and continues to be a popular destination for honeymooners, celebrities and luxury-seekers, as a result. The good news for cruise passengers is that it's often cheaper to visit Bora Bora by sea than on a land-based holiday - and you generally get a two-day call.
Glacier Bay – Named the Most Popular Cruise Destination in 2018, this astounding Alaskan port continues to prove popular with travellers by winning a top destination award for the fourth 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.
The full list of first-place winners includes:
Top-Rated Overall Cruise Port: Avignon (Europe River)
Top-Rated Port in Alaska: Glacier Bay
- Best Large Ship Line in Alaska: Holland America Line
- Best Small Ship Line in Alaska: Lindblad Expeditions
Top-Rated Port in Asia: Singapore
- Best Large Ship Line in Asia: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in Asia: Star Clippers
Top-Rated Port in Australia & New Zealand: Hobart
- Best Large Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: Princess Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: True North Adventure Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Flam
- Best Large Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Princess 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: Disney Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Windstar Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Southern Caribbean: Bonaire
- Best Large Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Seabourn Cruise Line
Top-Rated Port in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Cozumel
- Best Large Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Disney Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Regent Seven Seas
Top-Rated Port in the British Isles & Western Europe: Kirkwall
- Best Large Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Cunard Line
- Best Small Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Viking Ocean Cruises
Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Mediterranean: Venice
- Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Star Clippers
Top-Rated European River Port: Avignon
- Best European River Line: Avalon Waterways
Top-Rated Port in the Western Mediterranean: Villefranche
- Best Large Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Royal Caribbean International
- Best Small Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Azamara Club Cruises
Top-Rated Port in Hawaii: Honolulu
- 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: Holland America Line
Top-Rated Port in the Panama Canal & Central America: Fuerte Amador
- Best Large Ship Line in the Panama Canal & Central America: Holland America Line
Top-Rated Port in South America & Antarctica: Stanley
- Best Large Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best Small Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Hurtigruten
Top-Rated Port in the South Pacific: Bora Bora
- Best Large Ship Line in the South Pacific: Royal Caribbean International
- 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: Princess Cruises
- Best Small Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Crystal Cruises
- Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada: American Steamboat Company
Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay
For full details on this year's winners, visit the 2019 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 700 cruise ships and over 500 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.
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