World's Largest Cruise Site Names Best Cruise Ships Based on Passenger Feedback

PENNINGTON, N.J., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic^® (http://www.cruisecritic.com), the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of the 2014 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards. The awards reflect the best-of-the best in the industry, based entirely on ratings shared in member reviews posted to the Cruise Critic website.

This year's big winner was Disney Cruise Line, taking home 13 first-place awards, including Best Ship for  Disney Fantasy -- for the second year in a row -- and Disney Wonder, in the Large and Mid-Size categories, respectively. Disney Fantasy, Disney's newest ship, won nine first-place awards, including Best Cabins, Best Dining and Best for Families. Disney Fantasy is known for having "Magical Portholes," offering real-time sea views in inside cabins, extensive kids' club facilities for all ages and unique dining options such as the interactive Animator's Palate.

In addition to Best Ship, Disney Wonder also won Best Entertainment and Best Service in the Mid-Size Category. Disney Wonder's popular entertainment options include "Toy Story - The Musical," Pirate Night deck parties and onboard theatres screening popular films.

Seabourn Quest was awarded Best Ship in the Small Ship Category, along with Best Public Rooms and Best Value-for-Money. Seabourn Quest sails Northern European, Mediterranean, South American, Antarctic and Transatlantic itineraries, and includes drinks, dining, entertainment and gratuities in the cost of the cruise.

"The Cruisers' Choice Awards are a fantastic honor for cruise lines to receive as they're based on personal experiences shared by cruisers themselves," says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. "This list of winners truly reflects excellence in the industry, and serves as a seal of approval from consumers who have sailed on these ships over the past year."

The Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards are awarded in three ship classes, based on passenger capacity (Large: 2,000+ passengers; Mid-Size: 1,200 to 1,999 passengers; Small: 1,199 or fewer passengers) and are calculated using the ratings submitted with each Cruise Critic member review.

First-place winners include:

Large Ship Category

Best Overall Ship: Disney Fantasy
Best Cabins: Disney Fantasy
Best Dining: Disney Fantasy
Best Embarkation: Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Entertainment: Disney Fantasy
Best for Fitness: Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Public Rooms: Disney Fantasy
Best Service: Disney Fantasy
Best Shore Excursions: Carnival Freedom
Best Value-for-Money: Carnival Liberty
Top 10 Large Ships in Each Category

Mid-Size Category

Best Overall Ship: Disney Wonder
Best Cabins: Riviera (Oceania)
Best Dining: Riviera (Oceania)
Best Embarkation: Coral Princess
Best Entertainment: Disney Wonder
Best for Fitness: Norwegian Sun
Best Public Rooms: Riviera (Oceania)
Best Service: Disney Wonder
Best Shore Excursions: Island Escape (Thomson)
Best Value-for-Money: Norwegian Sun
Top 10 Mid-Size Ships in Each Category

Small Ship Category

Best Overall Ship: Seabourn Quest
Best Cabins: Seven Seas Navigator (Regent Seven Seas)
Best Dining: Crystal Serenity
Best Embarkation: Pacific Princess
Best Entertainment: Crystal Symphony
Best for Fitness: Crystal Serenity
Best Public Rooms: Seabourn Quest
Best Service: Crystal Symphony
Best Shore Excursions: Celebrity Xpedition
Best Value-for-Money: Seabourn Quest
Top 10 Small Ships in Each Category

Best for Families: Disney Fantasy
Top 10 Cruises for Families

Destination Categories

Best Cruises to Alaska: Rhapsody of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Cruises to the Bahamas: Disney Dream
Best Cruises to the Caribbean: Disney Fantasy
Best Cruises to the Mediterranean: Celebrity Silhouette
Best Cruises from Florida: Disney Fantasy
Best Cruises from the Northeast: Explorer of the Seas
Best Cruises from the West Coast: Sapphire Princess
Best Cruises from the U.K.: Celebrity Eclipse

Cruise Critic boasts the world's largest online cruise community, with more than 100,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 400 cruise ships. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken in 2013. For a complete list of winners, visit: 2014 Cruisers' Choice Awards.  

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 100,000 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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SOURCE Cruise Critic