After a rough couple of years due to COVID-19, the cruise industry has recently started bouncing back. Earlier this month, the Center for Disease Control eliminated its pandemic-related Cruise Travel Health Notices, and also eliminated all risk warnings.
So if things aren’t fully back to normal for the industry, they’re at least heading in that direction.
As a sign that cruise fans are back on board in the new normal, Cruiseline.com has just released the results of its 2022 Member Choice Awards.
The awards come from review rankings submitted by more than 4,000 members of theCruiseline.com community who took a trip between June of 2021, when ships could cautiously restart, through the end of last year, which means they’re from the diehards that couldn’t wait to get back on the water.
The ratings reflect the safety and health procedures that were set in place before cruises could resume. And now that the results are in, Royal Caribbean International (RCL) has a lot to brag about.
Carnival Cruise Line (CCL), Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Disney Cruise Line (DIS) and Norwegian (NCLH) also all made strong showings. But you could, of course, argue that the real winners were cruise fans who were just happy to be reunited with their buffets, sea breeze and gigantic on-board swimming pools.
What Were The Categories?
The categories that cruise fans were asked to vote on include the overall mainstream cruise line, top premium cruise line, best river/luxury line, highest-ranked cruise line for first-timers, top cruise line for couples, and best line for families.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Lines.
So Who Won?
Here’s where all the cruises placed, in terms of the overall experiences, as well as their member ranking.
Best Mainstream Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean (4.471)
Disney Cruise Line (4.482)
Norwegian (4.431)
Carnival (4.388)
MSC (4.356)
Best Cruise Line for First-Timers
Royal Caribbean (4.563)
Carnival Cruise Lines (4.374)
Norwegian Cruise Line (4.274)
MSC Cruises (3.871)
Celebrity Cruises (3.740)
Best Cruise Line for Couples
Royal Caribbean (4.568)
Celebrity Cruises (4.558)
Holland America Line (4.520)
P&O Cruises (4.489)
Disney Cruise Line (4.485)
Best Cruise Line for Families
Royal Caribbean (4.448)
Carnival Cruise Lines (4.413)
Princess Cruises (4.376)
Silversea Cruises (4.350)
Disney Cruise Line (4.339)
Image source: Carnival.
What Cruises Won For Best Food and Activities?
Getting a little more granular and specific, cruise fans also voted on which ships had the best dining, onboard activities and service and staff. Here’s who won in those.
Best Cruise Line - Food & Dining
Celebrity Cruises (4.622)
Royal Caribbean (4.519)
Disney Cruise Line (4.468)
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (4.465)
AmaWaterways (4.451)
Best Cruise Line for Onboard Activities
Royal Caribbean (4.346)
Celebrity Cruises (4.284)
Princess Cruises (4.023)
Oceania Cruises (4.021)
Carnival Cruise Lines (4.019)
Best Cruise Line for Service & Staff
Princess Cruises (4.832)
Royal Caribbean (4.797)
Celebrity Cruises (4.778)
Oceania Cruises (4.760)
Silversea Cruises (4.751)
Overall, Royal Caribbean clearly dominated proceedings and have a hold on the hearts of cruise fans.
But it’s a new era now that things have fully opened back up, and there’s plenty of opportunity this summer for Carnival, Disney and everyone else to step it up and claim the title of the King of the Seas.
