Which Cruise Ships do Brits Rate Best? Top Ships Revealed in 2017 Cruise Critic UK Cruisers' Choice Awards

- World's largest cruise review site reveals the high-scoring ships, according to passengers -

LONDON, Feb.15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic, the world's leading cruise review site and online cruise community, has named the winners of the 2017 Cruise Critic UK Cruisers' Choice Awards. The awards name the best cruise ships of the year, based entirely on UK reviews posted to the Cruise Critic website.

"Overall, the cruise industry excels in its offerings to travellers - from phenomenal entertainment to exceptional service - and these awards highlight the cruise lines that travellers rank as particularly outstanding, in order to assist those planning a cruise," explained Adam Coulter, UK editor Cruise Critic. "Travellers increasingly consult consumer reviews and photos for guidance when researching, and these awards aim to streamline this process further."

In the Large Ship category, Celebrity Cruises was the top-rated cruise line across the most categories, winning six awards. The line's newest, and largest ship, Celebrity Reflection won Best Overall, Best Cabins and Best Value. Celebrity Silhouette received Best Service and Best Public Rooms, while Celebrity Infinity, which offers sailings to destinations such as the Panama Canal, Africa and Colombia, was commended in the Best Shore Excursions category.

Once again, Oceania Cruise's Riviera scored highly in the Mid-Size category, with the line maintaining all of its six first place rankings from 2016, including Best Overall, Best Dining, and Best Service. Thomson Cruises' Thomson Spirit also took three Mid-Size awards for Best Entertainment, Best Shore Excursions, and Best Value.

In the Small Ship category, Viking Ocean Cruises has continued to impress cruisers, riding the waves with eight accolades. The line's first ship, Viking Star launched in 2015, followed by Viking Sea in 2016. Viking Star took awards for Best Overall, Best Embarkation, Best Public Rooms, Best Service and Best Value, while Viking Sea won Best Cabins, Best Entertainment and Best Fitness and Recreation. Voyages to Antiquity's Aegean Odyssey won Best Shore Excursions.

Royal Caribbean's 2016 launch, Harmony of the Seas, which is famed for its 10-story dry slide, The Ultimate Abyss, and currently the largest ship in the world, was rated Best for Families. The line's Freedom of the Seas took Best for First-Timers.

The UK 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: 1,200 or fewer passengers) and are calculated using the ratings submitted with each Cruise Critic member review.

This year's UK winners include:

Best Cruises Overall 

Celebrity Reflection – Celebrity Cruises (Large)

Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Cabins 

Celebrity Reflection – Celebrity Cruises (Large)

Riviera - Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Sea - Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Dining 

Norwegian Jade – Norwegian Cruise Line (Large)

Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Saga Sapphire – Saga Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation 

Harmony of the Seas – Royal Caribbean (Large)

Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment 

Norwegian Epic – Norwegian Cruise Line (Large)

Thomson Spirit – Thomson Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Sea – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Fitness & Recreation 

Ovation of the Seas – Royal Caribbean (Large)

Oriana - P&O Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Sea - Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Public Rooms 

Celebrity Silhouette – Celebrity Cruises (Large)

Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Service 

Celebrity Silhouette – Celebrity Silhouette (Large)

Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Shore Excursions 

Celebrity Infinity – Celebrity Cruises (Large)

Thomson Spirit – Thomson Cruises (Mid-Size)

Aegean Odyssey - Voyages to Antiquity (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Value 

Celebrity Reflection – Celebrity Cruises (Large)

Thomson Spirit – Thomson Cruises (Mid-Size)

Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small)

Best Cruises for Families 

Harmony of the Seas - Royal Caribbean

Best for First-Timers 

Freedom of the Seas - Royal Caribbean

For the full list of winners, visit the 2017 UK Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards. Cruise Critic boasts the largest online cruise community in the world with more than 160,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 of the most popular cruise ships.

For photos of the winning ships, please click here.

About Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.co.uk)

Cruise Critic^® is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travellers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 160,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest online cruise community where travellers 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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UK Media Contact:

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