Prow's Edge Best Cruise Lines
After a recent, month-long investigation collecting the opinions of thousands of our readers, regular cruise writers at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine and various experts in the cruise industry, Prow’s Edge is pleased to announce their findings as to “the best” in various categories.
The original goal was to pick the best single winner of each award, but it proved almost impossible finally to pick only one cruise line in each division. Just as it is impossible sometimes to chose the best film at the Oscars because they are all so different and so good for very different reasons, it is equally impossible to chose just one cruise line to top the list of each category.
For this reason, and to be fair, our awards are handed to the top three cruise lines in each winning category.
Best Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
Taking in a variety of aspects of a cruise line’s vessels and itineraries, the Best Cruise Line Award takes into consideration a number of aspects including ease of booking and prices, the quality of the cabins, food, entertainment and service, as well as the choice of itineraries and ports of call on the cruises. The Best Cruise Lines here are those offering a wide range of the best in cruising.
The three winners of the Best Cruise Lines Award for 2012/2013 are:
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Crystal Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Luxury Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
The best luxury cruise lines offer something a little more than just the best in the quality of the cabins, food, entertainment and service. Many concentrate on making sure all the extras charged for on regular cruise lines are all included, from cocktails and wine with dinner and more, and they all ensure that everything from shore excursions to a wider range of dining opportunities and the highest level of service on board are of a calibre that is unmatched by other cruise lines .
The three winners of the Best Luxury Cruise Line Award 2012/2013 are:
Seabourn Cruise Line
Oceania Cruises
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Best Exclusive Boutique Luxury Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
A step even further up the luxury ladder from the already almost decadent luxury cruise lines, exclusive boutique luxury cruise lines provide the best of everything – and more – from extraordinary levels of personalized service, (usually at least nearly one member of staff member per guest) to gourmet cuisine and itineraries to the most desirable of locations.
The three winners of the Best Exclusive Boutique Luxury Cruise Lines Award 2012/2013 are:
Hebridean Island Cruises
SeaDream Yacht Club
Silversea Cruises
Best Contemporary Cruise Line - 2012/2013
Making up the largest segment of the cruise line market, the best of the contemporary cruise lines and their usually large, mega ships offer not only the most attractive cruise prices, cabins, food, entertainment and service in this category, but also a wealth of onboard activities and entertainment at an affordable budget.
The three winners of the Best Contemporary Cruise Lines Award for 2012/2013 are:
Norwegian Cruise Line
MSC Cruises
Costa Cruises
Best River Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
Taking in a variety of aspects of a cruise line’s vessels and itineraries, the Best River Cruise Line Award takes into consideration a number of aspects including ease of booking and prices, the quality of the cabins, food, entertainment and service, as well as the choice of itineraries and places of call on the cruises offered by these cruise lines specializing in river cruises.
The three winners of the Best River Cruise Line Award 2012/2013 are:
AmaWaterways
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Viking River Cruises
Best Cruise Lines for Families - 2012/2013
Apart from offering the usually expected high standard of everything from the quality of the cabins, food, entertainment to service and entertainment, the best cruise lines for the family also offer a huge selection of onboard activities, from entertainment and activities to food offerings and restaurants specially geared towards families and children in particular. Cruise lines in this category also offer a wide selection of accommodation for families, a variety of activities for children of various ages, and even entertainments for children on their own while the older members of the family can follow their own enjoyments.
The three winners of the Best Cruise Lines For Families Award 2012/2013 are:
Disney Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean International
Carnival Cruise Lines
Best Food Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
It is hardly surprising that the best cruise line food is to be found on the ships of the more luxury cruise lines. This does not necessarily mean, however, that the more luxury cruise lines offer what is considered to be the best food by all cruise travelers. Families with young children to satisfy and tempt would argue that their choices of which cruise lines offer the best food are much better than the choices put forward by gourmet food lovers and would-be food fanatics. For this reason, the awards for Best Cruise Line Food are divided into two categories:
The three winners of the Best Cruise Line Food aboard Luxury Cruise Lines 2012/2013 are:
Crystal Cruises
Oceania Cruises
Windstar Cruises
The three winners of the Best Cruise Line Food aboard Other Cruise Lines 2012/2013 are:
Holland America Line
Celebrity Cruises
Costa Cruises
Best Adventure Cruise Lines - 2012/2013
Not all cruise lines are about a week in the Caribbean sun with plenty of cocktails and Captain’s parties. Apart from the usual need for quality of cabins, food, entertainment to service and entertainment, an increasing number of cruise lines are now concerned with unusual destinations catering to cruise lovers for whom the whole point of a cruise is to experience the adventures of new and exotic locations just as much as it is about being pampered with gourmet food and onboard entertainment.
The two winners of the Best Adventure Cruise Lines 2012/2013 are:
Lindblad Expeditions
Orion Expedition Cruises
Best Cruise Lines for Senior Travelers – 2012/2013
Not all cruises are for children, families or those after an adventure in far away exotic locations. For many, a cruise, while still about quality of cabins, food, entertainment, service and entertainment, is more about relaxing, without the noise of children around every corner, with amenities appealing to the older generation, like afternoon tea, flexible dining options and special dietary alternatives.
The three winners of the Best Cruise Lines for Senior Travelers 2012/2013 are:
Holland America Line
Crystal Cruises
Regent Seven Seas
Best Cruise Lines for Single Cruisers - 2012/2013
The days when cruises were practically out of bounds because of entertainments and costs for single travelers were too high are long over. Instead of seemingly punishing travelers who want to cruise alone, many cruise lines now offer a stack of offers, from markedly more affordable single supplements to cabins developed purely for single occupancy.
The three winners of the Best Cruise lines for Single Cruisers 2012/2013 are:
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line (Norwegian Epic)
Best Cruise Lines for Romance – 2012/2013
While a lot to do with the ideal romantic cruise is in the destinations and ports of call, some cruise lines feature elements to highlight the romance of a cruise. Whether it be in combination with the ideal location to make that all important proposal, or the perfect place for the wedding of a lifetime, some cruise lines offer a variety of special romantic packages offering everything from rose petals on the bed and vow renewals at sea, to wedding packages including all one needs for a wedding from orchid boutonieres to a photographer.
The three winners of the Best Cruise Lines for Romance 2012/2013 are:
Princess Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Cruise Lines for Entertainment – 2012/2013
The larger cruise ships become, the more elaborate the entertainment on offer with everything from Broadway shows to big-name concerts. That is not to say that their offerings are more wonderful than those on the smaller, even more luxurious cruise lines - just more obvious. The top three cruise lines that have garnered the most votes for Best Cruise Lines for Entertainment are the larger cruise lines, obviously garnering more votes, who now offer staggeringly impressive lineups of entertainment to suit all ages and all tastes onboard.
The three winners of the Best Cruise Lines for Entertainament 2012/2013 are:
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
Carnival Cruise Lines
