Cruisers’ choice: Best cruise ships of 2017

It didn’t take long for Viking Ocean Cruises to crush the competition.

The company, which is already established in river cruising, launched its first ocean cruise ship in 2015 to wide acclaim.

The company dominated the 2017 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards, winning awards in 10 categories. 

Viking Sea won best overall ship in the small-mid size ship category, best entertainment, best service, best fitness, best public rooms and best shore excursions. Its sister ship Viking Star won for best dining, best cabins, best value and best for first-time cruisers in the same size category.

“The Cruisers’ Choice Awards are particularly important because they are based on reviews submitted to Cruise Critic over the past year and directly reflect the experiences people had on their cruise,” said Colleen McDaniel, Cruise Critic’s senior executive editor. 

“This means that you can not only see the ships that won, but also find out why. Reviews offer a really good starting point for planning a cruise, to help you to narrow down your choices.”

The awards are based on consumer reviews and ratings by members of the Cruise Critic website.

Disney’s appeal goes beyond children

Disney Cruise Line took eight awards this year, a drop from its dominating total of 11 awards in 2016. But the Disney awards demonstrated the appeal of the cruise line beyond child-centered travel.

Disney Magic did win the award for best overall ship for families, but most of the company’s awards were not for family appeal. Magic won for best overall ship in the midsize ship category, while the larger Disney Dream won for best overall large ship for the third year in a row.

The Dream also won for best service, best public rooms, best cabins and best shore excursions, while the Fantasy won for best fitness and recreation.

Celebrity Xpedition, the Celebrity Cruise Line ship based in the Galapagos, won six awards in the small ship category: best overall ship, best embarkation, best fitness, best public rooms, best value and best shore excursions.

The awards are given in four ship categories, based on passenger capacity. Large ships carry 2,000 or more passengers; midsize ships carry 1,200 to 1,999 passengers; small-mid size ships carry 400-1,199 passengers; and small ships carry fewer than 400 passengers.

2017 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards
Best Cruise Overall

Disney Dream (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Disney Magic (midsize) — Disney Cruise Line

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) — Celebrity Cruises

 
Best Cruise Ship Cabins

Disney Dream (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Marina (midsize) — Oceania Cruises

Viking Star (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Star Legend (small) — Windstar Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Dining

Celebrity Reflection (large) — Celebrity Cruises

Marina (midsize) — Oceania Cruises

Viking Star (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Wind Surf (small) — Windstar Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation

Celebrity Reflection (large) — Celebrity Cruises

Celestyal Crystal (midsize) — Celestyal Cruises

Pacific Princess (small-mid) — Princess Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) — Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment         

Allure of the Seas (large) — Royal Caribbean International    

Celestyal Crystal (midsize) — Celestyal Cruises          

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Silver Shadow (small) — Silversea Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Fitness & Recreation              

Disney Fantasy (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Marina (midsize) — Oceania Cruises

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) — Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Public Rooms

Disney Dream (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Marina (midsize) — Oceania Cruises

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) — Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Service

Disney Dream (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Marina (midsize) — Oceania Cruises

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Paul Gauguin (small) — Paul Gauguin Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Shore Excursions

Disney Dream (large) — Disney Cruise Line

Celestyal Crystal (midsize) — Celestyal Cruises

Viking Sea (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) — Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Value           

Norwegian Sky (large) — Norwegian Cruise Line

Celestyal Crystal (midsize) — Celestyal Cruises

Viking Star (small-mid) — Viking Ocean Cruises

Celebrity Xpedition (small) – Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruises for Families

Disney Magic — Disney Cruise Line

Best for First Timers

Viking Star — Viking Ocean Cruises