UK's Favourite Cruise Ships Named in 2015 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards

- Star position for Celebrity Cruises with 9 award wins -

LONDON, Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic® (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk), the world's largest cruise reviews site and cruise community, has released its 2015 Cruise Critic UK Cruisers' Choice Awards -- the cruise awards based entirely on reviews submitted by UK cruisers.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150220/176797

Celebrity Cruises stole the show in the awards for the Large Ship class, with Celebrity Equinox, the second of five Solstice-class sisters, named Best Overall ship, Best Dining, and Best Public Rooms. Celebrity Eclipse, the third Solstice-class ship, won Best Shore excursions, Best Fitness, Best Cabins, and Best from the UK. Celebrity Silhouette won Best-Value-for-Money, and Best Cruise to the Mediterranean went to Celebrity Reflection.

In the Mid-Size ship awards, Oceania's Riviera won Best Overall ship, Best Service, Best Embarkation, Best Cabins and Best Public Rooms. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines was successful in two Mid-Size, and three Small Ship categories, for Balmoral and Black Watch respectively.

Saga Holidays took four of the Small Ship class awards with Saga Sapphire taking Best Overall Ship, Best Dining, Best Embarkation and Best Cabins. Azamara Club Cruises won three awards in the same category with Best Entertainment going to Azamara Journey, while Azamara Quest was named Best Fitness and Best Public Rooms.

The UK Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards are based on reviews submitted by UK-based cruisers for cruises taken during 2014. They are awarded in three ship classes, according to passenger capacity – small (1,199 passengers or fewer), mid-sized (1,200 to 1,999) and large (2,000+). The top 10 ships in each class are named in the following categories: Overall, Cabins, Dining, Embarkation, Entertainment, Fitness, Public Rooms, Service, Shore Excursions and Value-for-Money. Awards are also given to the top-ranked ships in popular cruise regions; Alaska, Bahamas, Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

This year's UK winners include:

Best Cruises Overall
Celebrity Equinox (Large)
Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size)
Saga Sapphire (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Cabins
Celebrity Eclipse (Large)
Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size)
Saga Sapphire (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Dining
Celebrity Equinox (Large)
Disney Magic (Mid-Size)
Saga Sapphire (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation
P&O Aurora (Large)
Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size)
Saga Sapphire (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment
Norwegian Epic (Large)
MSC Lirica (Mid-Size)
Azamara Journey (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Fitness
Celebrity Eclipse (Large)
Holland America Ryndam (Mid-Size)
Azamara Quest (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Public Rooms
Celebrity Equinox (Large)
Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size)
Azamara Quest (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Service
Emerald Princess (Large)
Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size)
Fred. Olsen Black Watch (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Shore Excursions
Celebrity Eclipse (Large)
Fred. Olsen Balmoral (Mid-Size)
Fred. Olsen Black Watch (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Value
Celebrity Silhouette (Large)
Fred. Olsen Balmoral (Mid-Size)
Fred. Olsen Black Watch (Small)

Best Cruises for Families: Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas

Best Destination Cruises: (based on global ratings)

Best Alaska Cruises: Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas
Best Bahamas Cruises: Disney Dream
Best Caribbean Cruises: Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
Best Mediterranean Cruises: Celebrity Reflection
Best Cruises from the U.K.: Celebrity Eclipse

For the full list of winners, visit the 2015 Cruise Critic 2015 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards.

"The Cruisers' Choice Awards recognise the top cruise lines, according to the review ratings submitted by cruisers over the past year, and because they are based on first-hand experiences, provide valuable insight to anyone researching a cruise holiday," explained Adam Coulter, UK editor at Cruise Critic.

Cruise Critic boasts the largest online cruise community in the world with more than 100,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 of the most popular cruise ships. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken in 2014.

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

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UK Media Contact:
Vikki Bulbeck, Cruise Critic
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