Alaska's Glacier Bay (Photo Credit: Cruise Critic Member Sandalfoot)
Budapest named the top cruise destination in the world; Europe’s rivers named highest-ranked cruise region; Disney’s Castaway Cay named Best Cruise Line Private Island for the second year in a row.
EWING, N.J. – Cruise Critic, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its second annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's top cruise destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on CruiseCritic.com. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 15 regions worldwide.
"Itineraries are incredibly important to today's cruisers who are more focused than ever on where they're going and what they can do while they're there," explains Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of Cruise Critic. "Cruise lines have focused on expanding their offerings to quench that thirst for exploration – and this year's list of winning destinations shows the wide array of adventures cruising offers. You can sail among the glaciers in Alaska's Glacier Bay, feel like a character on Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik or relax in a private island cabana in Castaway Cay – the options are endless."
Highlighted Awards:
Budapest – an itinerary stop on European river cruises – was named the Best Cruise Destination for 2017. Cruisers praised the city's history and beauty, with many passengers extending their stays pre- or post-cruise to explore the city even further.
European river cruise ports took the top spot as the highest-rated cruise region, with Budapest, Wurzburg and Vienna all listed within the top five overall cruise ports. Glacier Bay in Alaska and St. Petersburg were also named as top five cruise ports – claiming the number two and number four spots, respectively.
Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay was named the Best Cruise Line Private Island for the second year in a row. Highlights among cruisers include Serenity Bay – an adults-only beach – a complimentary barbecue lunch, and the ease of transportation around the island.
Castaway Cay was also ranked as the top-rated Caribbean island – edging out King's Wharf (Best in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda), Curacao (Best in the Southern Caribbean) and Cozumel (Best in the Western Caribbean).
Quebec City was named Best in the U.S. & Canada, with cruisers comparing the city to a European experience. Kauai and Glacier Bay were named Best in Hawaii and Best in Alaska, respectively – both for the second year in a row.
First-place winners include:
- Top-Rated Alaska Port: Glacier Bay
- Top-Rated Asia & South Pacific Port: Singapore
- Top-Rated Australia & New Zealand Port: Akaroa
- Top-Rated Baltic & Scandinavia Port: St. Petersburg
- Top-Rated Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Port: King's Wharf
- Top-Rated Southern Caribbean Port: Curacao
- Top-Rated Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya Port: Cozumel
- Top-Rated British Isles & Western Europe Port: Amsterdam
- Top-Rated Eastern Mediterranean Port: Dubrovnik
- Top-Rated European River Port: Budapest
- Top-Rated Western Mediterranean Port: Villefranche
- Top-Rated Hawaii Port: Kauai
- Top-Rated Mexican Riviera, Central & South America Port: Cabo San Lucas
- Top-Rated U.S. & Canada Port: Quebec City
- Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
