Cruise Critic Names the Best Ships in Every Category for 2015

See which cruise line really cleaned up.

ByABC News
February 23, 2015, 9:38 AM
Disney Dream was named the best overall large ship of 2015 by Cruise Critic.
Disney Dream was named the best overall large ship of 2015 by Cruise Critic.
Disney Cruise Line

— -- Do not book your next cruise vacation without consulting this list.

The experts at CruiseCritic.com have announced the winners of the 2015 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards. The awards name the best cruise ships of the year based entirely on consumer reviews posted to the Cruise Critic website.

For the third year in a row, Disney Cruise Line won the coveted “Best Overall” award, with Disney Dream winning in the large ship category and Disney Wonder in the mid-size category. In total, Disney’s fleet won 12 awards, including “Best Entertainment” and “Best Cruises to the Bahamas” for Disney Dream, and “Best Cabins,” “Best Service” and “Best for Families” for Disney Fantasy. The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.

A back-to-back win was also nabbed by Oceania Riviera, named “Best Cabins” and “Best Dining” in the mid-size category for the second year in a row -- "a nod to cabin furnishings by Ralph Lauren Home, a wide variety of restaurants and on-board culinary center," Cruise Critic said. Carnival Liberty was named “Best Value-for-Money” in the large ship category for the second consecutive year.

“Being named to this list of winners is one of the highest forms of praise cruise lines can receive,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. “The awards represent the compilation of thousands of reviews Cruise Critic received over the past year, so it’s truly representative of the experiences of those who have sailed on the ships firsthand.”

First-place winners include:

Best Cruises Overall

Disney Dream (Large); Disney Wonder (Mid-Size); Pacific Princess (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Cabins

Disney Fantasy (Large); Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size); Regent Seven Seas Voyager (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Dining

Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam (Large); Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size); Azamara Quest (Small)

Azamara Quest took the top spot for small ship cruise dining.

Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation

Disney Fantasy (Large); Disney Magic (Mid-Size); Crystal Symphony (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment

Disney Dream (Large); Disney Magic (Mid-Size); Pacific Princess (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Fitness

Celebrity Equinox (Large); Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size); Azamara Quest (Small)

The Oceania Riviera was named the best mid-sized ship for fitness.

Best Cruise Ship Public Rooms

Disney Dream (Large); Oceania Riviera (Mid-Size); Crystal Serenity (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Service

Disney Fantasy (Large); Disney Wonder (Mid-Size); Regent Seven Seas Voyager (Small)

Best Cruise Ship Shore Excursions

Norwegian Pride of America (Large); Coral Princess (Mid-Size); Silversea Silver Galapagos (Small)

Best Cruise Ships for Value

Carnival Liberty (Large); Holland America Zuiderdam (Mid-Size); Pacific Princess (Small)

The 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: 1,199 or fewer passengers) and are calculated using the ratings submitted with each Cruise Critic member review.

More winners and the complete list can be found at 2015 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards.