Cruise Critic Names the World's Most Popular Cruise Destinations Based on Consumer Reviews

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17 Jul, 2019, 08:00 GMT

French river port, Avignon, named the top cruise destination in the world; Kirkwall, Orkney secures the Top-Rated Port Award for the British Isles and Western Europe for the very first time

LONDON, July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic^®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its fourth annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's most popular cruise destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on Cruise Critic. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 18 regions worldwide and additionally highlight the best cruise lines that visit each region.

Glacier Bay. (Photo Credit: Cruise Critic HBCcruiser)

Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor, Cruise Critic said, "Global holiday makers continue to regard the opportunity to visit many destinations all in one trip as one of the most compelling reasons to take a cruise, and destination choice consequently remains a key consideration when booking a cruise. Scotland continues to prove an attractive destination for travellers across the globe, with Kirkwall in Orkney securing the top spot in the British Isles & Western Europe category, for the very first time. We are continuing to see a growing trend in favour of destinations that offer a more immersive and educational experience overall, and Kirkwall is a great example of how travellers are choosing to visit the less well known ports, as well as more traditionally popular places of interest."

For the second year running, the awards also acknowledge the best lines that visit these top-rated destinations, so that holidaymakers can easily explore just how easy it is to experience these incredible destinations via cruise.

Highlighted Awards:

Avignon - Winning the Top-Rated Port Overall, this lovely city nestled in the heart of France's Provence region continues to be popular with cruisers – it also secured a Top-Rated European River Destination award, last year. Avignon is home to the largest gothic palace in the world – the Palais des Papes - and is also conveniently located about an hour outside of Marseille. This makes it a prime embarkation and disembarkation point for a number of cruises.

Kirkwall - Situated on what's known as the "Mainland" of the Orkney archipelago, Kirkwall is the capital of a group of about 70 islands north of Scotland. The town was founded around 1035, and was declared a Royal Burgh in 1486 by King James III. The richness of the Orkney's Neolithic past has also earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Bora Bora - This small, South Pacific island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia is surrounded by sand-fringed islets and a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral reef, and continues to be a popular destination for honeymooners, celebrities and luxury-seekers, as a result. The good news for cruise passengers is that it's often cheaper to visit Bora Bora by sea than on a land-based holiday - and you generally get a two-day call.

Glacier Bay – Named the Most Popular Cruise Destination in 2018, this astounding Alaskan port continues to prove popular with travellers by winning a top destination award for the fourth year in a row. It's one of the best Inside Passage locations for glacier and wildlife viewing, with its Margerie Glacier considered one of the most photogenic glaciers.

The full list of first-place winners includes:

Top-Rated Overall Cruise Port: Avignon (Europe River)

Top-Rated Port in Alaska: Glacier Bay

Best Large Ship Line in Alaska: Holland America Line
Best Small Ship Line in Alaska: Lindblad Expeditions

Top-Rated Port in Asia: Singapore

Best Large Ship Line in Asia: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in Asia: Star Clippers

Top-Rated Port in Australia & New Zealand: Hobart

Best Large Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: True North Adventure Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Flam

Best Large Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Viking Ocean Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: King's Wharf

Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Disney Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Windstar Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Southern Caribbean: Bonaire

Best Large Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Seabourn Cruise Line

Top-Rated Port in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Cozumel

Best Large Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Disney Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Regent Seven Seas

Top-Rated Port in the British Isles & Western Europe: Kirkwall

Best Large Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Cunard Line
Best Small Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Viking Ocean Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Mediterranean: Venice

Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Star Clippers

Top-Rated European River Port: Avignon

Best European River Line: Avalon Waterways

Top-Rated Port in the Western Mediterranean: Villefranche

Best Large Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Royal Caribbean International
Best Small Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Azamara Club Cruises

Top-Rated Port in Hawaii: Honolulu

Best Large Ship Line in Hawaii: Carnival Cruise Line

Top-Rated Port in the Mexican Riviera: Huatulco

Best Large Ship Line in the Mexican Riviera: Holland America Line

Top-Rated Port in the Panama Canal & Central America: Fuerte Amador

Best Large Ship Line in the Panama Canal & Central America: Holland America Line

Top-Rated Port in South America & Antarctica: Stanley

Best Large Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Hurtigruten

Top-Rated Port in the South Pacific: Bora Bora

Best Large Ship Line in the South Pacific: Royal Caribbean International
Best Small Ship Line in the South Pacific: Ponant

Top-Rated Port in the U.S. & Canada: Quebec City

Best Large Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Crystal Cruises
Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada: American Steamboat Company

Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay

For full details on this year's winners, visit the 2019 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards.

Cruise Critic boasts the world's largest online cruise community, with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 700 cruise ships and over 500 worldwide ports. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken over the past year.

Key Elements:

Homepage: Full list of winners for each category, and consumer comments, available here.
Image Library: Photos of all top destinations for media use, available here.
Video: Highlights of winners and consumer reviews, available here.

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 350,000 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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