11°c A few clouds
18°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Magazine announces awards for best cruise line
Above: The Royal Caribbean�s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Centre: the Viking River Cruises Viking Odin on Rhine River. At top: The Silver Seas Silver Spirit in Mexico. (POSTMEDIA)
The Royal Caribbean�s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas Florida 2011. (POSTMEDIA)
It's time for some cruise awards.
Travel + Leisure Magazine has announced its awards for the best cruise lines in three categories -- small ships, large ships and river cruisers.
I can pretty much guarantee you will not agree with all their choices. I say that because many of you are long-time cruisers and you have your favourite cruise line (or lines). From talking to people on ships, I know that many of them stick with one line, believing it is the best even though they haven't experimented by trying the competition.
Cruise lines often have parties for frequent customers and it's not uncommon to see people who have been on well over 100 cruises on the same line... and every line has its loyalists. And yes, it's true that loyalty programs and their perks play a part in the process -- just as they do with airlines.
But in some cases, it probably comes down to that first cruise. If your maiden voyage was a great experience, why change? Many cruisers have their favourite hotel director on a ship, or favourite cruise director. For example, Carnival's John Heald is so popular he has his own blog and even runs a couple of "John Heald Cruises" every year.
Oh yes, about the Travel + Leisure Awards.
They are based on surveys of readers conducted from January to March every year. The magazine editors run the questionnaire in four issues of the magazine, and also for iPad readers of online newsletters and for website visitors. T+L claims that the independent firm responsible for compiling and managing results screens respondents to protect the integrity of the survey, eliminating "travel industry professionals."
Good luck with that one.
At the end of the day, or the survey, here is what the readers of Travel + Leisure think
Cruise Lines
1. Crystal Cruises: This luxury line has held first place for 17 consecutive years and is the only cruise line, hotel or resort to win its category every year since Travel + Leisure started the awards in 1995.
2. Regent Seven Seas: a bridesmaid once again
3. Azamara Club Cruises: a jump from sixth place last year
4. Oceania Cruises: down one spot
5. Disney: also down one
6. Cunard: fifth in 2011
7. Celebrity
8. Holland America
9. Royal Caribbean
10. Princess
-- The seventh through 10th positions were the same as 2011.
Top 5 Small Ship Lines
1. Seabourn
2. Paul Gauguin: first time in the top five
3. Sea Dream Yacht Club
4. Lindblad Expeditions: newcomer to top five
5. Silversea: fell three places
Top 5 River Cruise Lines
1. Viking: leaped to first from fifth
2. Uniworld
3. Tauck: last year's winner
4. Abercrombie & Kent: first time in top 5
5. Grand Circle: another newcomer
-- Most cruisers will agree service and the quality of the food are the two key elements in cruise satisfaction. A few rankings changed when T + L readers ranked the top 3 cruise lines just for service.
Large Ships
1. Crystal
2. Regent Seven Seas
3. Disney
Small ships
1. Seabourn
2. Silversea
3. Sea Dream
River cruises
1. Uniworld
2. Tauck
3. Viking
Now, you're already steaming, right? So how do you really feel about the Travel + Leisure choices? Let me know at portsandbows@gmail.com and I will post your comments on my daily blog, portsandbows.com.
-- Postmedia News
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 14, 2012 D6
More Travel
- Back to Top
- Return to Travel
More Travel
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Family not giving up finding Toronto-area man in snowy mountains of Australia
05/21/2013 8:00 PM 0OTTAWA - Family members joined a frantic search Tuesday for a Canadian man with survival training missing for more than ...
Poll
Most Popular Travel
- Universal Orlando raises ticket prices; 1-day, 1-park pass is $92
- Saudi man jailed after pressure cooker found in bags at Detroit Metro Airport seeks bond
- B.C. mining museum features underground train ride, gold panning family fun
- These beaches have gone to the dogs; lucky pooches lap up the shoreline where they run free
- Brady Bunch kids to mark 40th anniversary popular episode shot at Kings Island
- Galveston's rising tide
- Family not giving up finding Toronto-area man in snowy mountains of Australia
- Eruption of Alaska volcano prompts cancellations of some area commuter, cargo flights
- Dive into your love affair with Belize
- Brown v. Board site to display black doll from race studies to mark ruling's 59th anniversary
- Brady Bunch kids to mark 40th anniversary popular episode shot at Kings Island
- Eruption of Alaska volcano prompts cancellations of some area commuter, cargo flights
- Saudi man jailed after pressure cooker found in bags at Detroit Metro Airport seeks bond
- Man breaks world record by riding Ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier for more than 48 hours
- Chefs serve fine food, wine at Fenway Park to raise money for Boston Marathon bombing victims
- Drug offences, kidnap coverage concerning
- Breakaway is a beauty
- 5 free things in South Dakota's Black Hills, from historic towns to famous monuments
- Galveston's rising tide
- 200 re-enactors present pageant Memorial weekend at Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City
- Nephew says arrest of Saudi uncle with pressure cooker at Detroit airport was misunderstanding
- Brady Bunch kids to mark 40th anniversary popular episode shot at Kings Island
- Eruption of Alaska volcano prompts cancellations of some area commuter, cargo flights
- Saudi man jailed after pressure cooker found in bags at Detroit Metro Airport seeks bond
- Trailer-park temptations
- Vacation in Iceland? Why not?
- Man breaks world record by riding Ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier for more than 48 hours
- Minnesota Bound
- Chefs serve fine food, wine at Fenway Park to raise money for Boston Marathon bombing victims
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after ship sinks near St. Lucia
- B.C. mining museum features underground train ride, gold panning family fun
- Brown v. Board site to display black doll from race studies to mark ruling's 59th anniversary
- Scenic Tours has unique take on river cruises
- B.C. mining museum features underground train ride, gold panning family fun
- Dive into your love affair with Belize
- Brown v. Board site to display black doll from race studies to mark ruling's 59th anniversary
- The true Cuba
- Scenic Tours has unique take on river cruises
- Brady Bunch kids to mark 40th anniversary popular episode shot at Kings Island
- ASK JOURNEYS: Don't mess with Air Canada's check-in times
- A big helping of Bellingham
- Vacation in Iceland? Why not?
- Dive into your love affair with Belize
- B.C. mining museum features underground train ride, gold panning family fun
- Air Canada's new check-in deadline: 45 minutes before domestic departures
- Buenos Aires' endless nights
- Japan's Mount Fuji poised to be recognized as World Heritage site
- Small batches, big flavour
- NEEPAWA: Lily Capital of the World; home of literary legend
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.