Cruise Critic's picks for best cruise ships of the year

— -- Cruise Critic has announced the winners of its 8th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards – naming the most popular cruise ships of the year, based on consumer reviews shared on Cruise Critic over the past 12 months. The site boasts the largest online cruise community in the world with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 of the most popular cruise ships.

“What’s fun to see in this year’s list of winners is the wide range of ships awarded as the best of the best,” said Colleen McDaniel, senior executive editor of Cruise Critic. “You have two of the largest ships at sea, alongside luxury yachts and small expedition ships that sail to some of the most far-flung destinations across the globe. As different as these ships are, the common thread is the exceptional ratings they received from actual guests."

The winners of the Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards are awarded in four ship size classes, based on passenger capacity (Large: 2,000+ passengers; Mid-Size: 1,200 to 1,999 passengers; Small-Mid Size: 400- 1,199 passengers; Small: Fewer than 400 passengers). The rankings are calculated using ratings published with user-submitted reviews on Cruise Critic.

First-place winners include:

Best Cruise Overall

Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises

Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises

Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises

Best Cruise Ship Cabins

Harmony of the Seas (Large) – Royal Caribbean International

Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises

Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

Star Pride (Small) – Windstar Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Dining

Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises

Riviera (Mid-Sized) – Oceania Cruises

Viking Star (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

National Geographic Explorer (Small) – Lindblad Expeditions

Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment

Allure of the Seas (Large) – Royal Caribbean International

Disney Wonder (Mid-Sized) – Disney Cruise Line

Viking Sky (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

L’Austral (Small) -- Ponant

Best Cruise Ships for Service

Celebrity Equinox (Large) – Celebrity Cruises

Amsterdam (Mid-Sized) – Holland America Line

Viking Star (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

Wind Star (Small) – Windstar Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Shore Excursions

Carnival Breeze (Large) – Carnival Cruise Line

Celestyal Crystal (Mid-Sized) – Celestyal Cruises

Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises

Best Cruise Ships for Value

Celebrity Silhouette (Large) – Celebrity Cruises

Celestyal Crystal (Mid-Sized) – Celestyal Cruises

Viking Sea (Small-Mid) – Viking Ocean Cruises

Silver Galapagos (Small) – Silversea Cruises

For the full list of winners, visit the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards.

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