A new set of cruise rankings are out, and it's clear Royal Caribbean is doing something right.
This year's Cruise Critic Best in Cruise Awards have been announced, and Royal Caribbean came away with a few important wins.
This is the 16th annual awards, and it's a reflection of rankings based on Cruise Critic’s editors and best-reviewed cruise lines of the past year "from real cruisers".
While there are different publications that put out awards, Cruise Critic specializes and dedicates more staff than anyone else to cruises exclusively.
There are 9 major categories, and a number of sub categories to give awards out to, and Royal Caribbean took home wins in a few important areas.
Best cruise line and ship
The top award is for Best Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean was the winner.
Cruise Critic chose among the lines based on, "number of awards, innovation, consistency across fleet, consumer feedback and inclusivity."
Between its new ships and highly-rated destinations, Royal Caribbean is referred to as, "a leader in the industry."
Moreover, the editors see a bright future with the launch of new beach clubs and private destinations around the Caribbean.
Another key win for Royal Caribbean was the naming of Icon of the Seas as the Best New Ship of 2024.
Icon of the Seas launched in January 2024 and immediately became a global sensation for evolving the mega ship experience further, and setting a new standard.
Cruise Critic said of the first Icon Class ship, "The world’s largest cruise ship takes Royal Caribbean’s uber-popular, family-friendly vacations to dizzying new heights."
While Royal Caribbean also launched Utopia of the Seas this year, it's clear the new class and innovations on Icon set it apart.
Read more: Icon vs Utopia of the Seas
Icon appeals to a wide range of cruisers, with a growing focus on the family cruise market. It was built to offer more for everyone than any other ship has before.
More wins for Royal Caribbean
Cruise Critic gave Royal Caribbean top honors in a few other categories as well.
Best Suites was a win, based on quality and range of choice in these cabins.
Their editors felt the suites on Royal Caribbean's newer ships especially stood out as being, "especially impressive." In particular they really liked the brand-new Solarium Suites found aboard Utopia of the Seas.
They compared the Solarium Suites to just about any luxury vessel offering.
Royal Caribbean was also the winner for the Best Entertainment category.
"Royal Caribbean continues to consistently push the boundaries of onboard cruise ship entertainment," the editors said in their review.
Piggy-backing on Icon of the Seas' win, the Aquatheater show on the new ship stood out in particular.
Cruise Critic also said Royal Caribbean had the Best Nightlife of any line.
"There’s simply always something to do," they said in reference to how much is going on after dark.
Part of this win is attributed to Utopia of the Seas being designed to offer the biggest party vibe of any ship since.
Another important win was Royal Caribbean being named as having the Best App.
"You can book shore excursions and dinner reservations well before your sail date, as well as peruse the daily planner and create your own schedule of activities. We love the chat feature that allows you to text fellow cruisers while on the ship’s Wi-Fi, without having to purchase a Wi-Fi package."
Not to be overlooked, Perfect Day at CocoCay was named Best Private Destination.
The award notes, "Perfect Day at CocoCay has set the bar for what a cruise line private destination should be," and it's clear based on how other lines are clearly basing their private island changes on what CocoCay has developed.
Award snubs
It wasn't a full sweep for Royal Caribbean, as the line lost out in a few categories to other lines:
Cruisers' Choice Best Ocean Cruise Line
- Margaritaville at Sea
- Virgin Voyages
- Celebrity Cruises
- Best Cabins: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Dining: Virgin Voyages
- Best Specialty Dining: Celebrity Cruises
- Best for Service: Holland America Line
- Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
- Best for Families: Disney Cruise Line
- Best for Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best for LGBTQ+: Virgin Voyages
- Best for Romance: Princess Cruises
- Best Spa: Norwegian Cruise Line
Awards are meant to be debated among cruise fans and cruise lines alike, so there's bound to be differing opinions.
