The Winners Are In!

Cruise Critic picks Carnival Breeze as 2012’s ‘Best New Cruise Ship’

by: Arlene Satchell
Cruise reviews and news website Cruise Critic revealed its 2012 Editors’ Picks Awards earlier this week, which recognizes  the best in the cruise industry.

Among the winners were several Miami-based cruise operators and some of their ships that sail from PortMiami and Port Everglades.

Here’s a list of the winners and the reasons why they were chosen, according to Cruise Critic:

Best New Ship: Carnival Breeze : Carnival Breeze embodies a new breed of Carnival’s Fun Ship concept with a toned-down tropical feel and new-to-Carnival restaurants and entertainment, while also remaining true to its casual cruising roots.  

Best for First-Timers: Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Epic, Norwegian’s newest ship, and the line’s Jewel-class series of vessels offer the industry’s largest selection of restaurants, a massive spa and fitness complex, and a much-improved kids program. 

Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Lines - Carnival consistently offers solid prices and hard-to-beat value. As part of its fleetwide Fun Ship 2.0 overhaul, the line is adding burger, BBQ and taco dining venues to a number of ships, surcharge-free.  

Best Shore Excursions: Disney Cruise Line - Disney invests an enormous amount of time and money in creating unique “port adventures,” with tours created specifically for both adults and families.

Best New River Ship: Viking Cruise Line’s Longships  – The first six of Viking’s revolutionary Longships debuted this year, offering an airy ambience with plenty of big-ship amenities. And the ships are state-of-the-art when it comes to engineering, with hybrid engines and solar panels.

Best River Cruise Line: Uniworld River Cruises -  In addition to its excellent service, what really sets Uniworld apart from other river lines is its lavish décor, superb cuisine, interesting assortment of themed tours in addition to the usual, and innovative ship designs.

Best U.S. Port: San Francisco - San Francisco has long been a contender as one of the country’s best ports, but new efforts to redevelop its waterfront and build a state-of-the-art cruise terminal, combined with fantastic sightseeing and easy-to-access air service, put it over the top.

“Each year, our Editors’ Picks Awards reflect the cruise lines and ships that we feel best exemplify excellence in categories we consider the most important to people when choosing a cruise,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. “In the cruise industry, many lines go above and beyond, but our awards narrow down the list to those that stand out as the best of the best.” 

Other winners were:

Best for Luxury: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best for Families: Royal Caribbean International

Best Itineraries: Azamara Club Cruises

Best for Adventure: Lindblad Expeditions

Best Dining: Oceania Cruises

Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International

Best Suites: Oceania Cruises

Best Inside Cabins: Disney Cruise Line – Disney Dream & Disney Fantasy

Best Standard Cabins: Holland America Line

Best for Honeymoons: Windstar Cruises

Best Cruise Ship Bar: Carnival Cruise Line’s Alchemy Bar

To read more about the awards and winners, click here.