Cruise Critic, the world’s leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, recently announced the winners of its 9th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards – naming the most popular cruise ships of the year, based on consumer reviews and ratings shared on Cruise Critic over the past year. The site boasts the world’s largest online cruise community with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 700 cruise ships across the globe.
The Disney Magic was the lone highlight of the fleet in 2018 according to Cruise Critic cruisers. The Magic jumped to #1 in the best for Family category after being out of top 10 last year. The Disney Dream managed to climb to 5th in the same category up one spot from last year. The Fantasy and Wonder did not make the top 10 after the 2nd and 9th places respectively last year.
While we are on the subject of Best for Families… In 2017, Disney Cruise Line came very close to taking the top for spots with the Magic, Dream, and Fantasy earning First, Second, and Third with the Wonder coming in Fifth. In 2018, the Fantasy took over the second position, but the rest of the fleet dropped with the Dream 6th, Wonder 9th, and the Magic out of the Top 10.
The annual awards name the best cruise ships in the world, based solely on ratings submitted with reviews published on the Cruise Critic website. Disney Cruise Line’s Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards rankings are sinking at a Titanic rate. In 2017, Disney Cruise Line earned 9 first place awards with 33 overall top 10 appearances. Then, in 2018, the first place accolades dropped to just 1 and 19 top 10 appearances. Now, this year, Disney Cruise Line maintained a #1 in arguably their most important category, Best for Families, but the overall number of top 10s sunk to 3.
The annual awards name the best cruise ships in the world, based solely on ratings submitted with reviews published on the Cruise Critic website.
“Since the initial launch of our awards, nine years ago, we’ve seen incredible growth in the industry,” explains Colleen McDaniel, Cruise Critic’s Senior Executive Editor. “As traveler needs and expectations continue to evolve, so do cruise options – as evident by this year’s list of winners, highlighting incredible options for travelers of all kinds. This year, we see winning ships with amazing offerings created especially for families, while others welcome adults, exclusively. And there are different definitions of value – from large-ship bells and whistles and a pay-as-you-prefer pricing structure, to more inclusive offerings on smaller ships. What’s really exciting, is the continued focus on destinations – with itineraries that span the globe, and ships specially designed for the regions they sail.”
The winners of the 9th annual 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 Cruises Overall
- Celebrity Equinox – Celebrity Cruises (Large)
- Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Silver Galapagos – Silversea Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ship Cabins
- Harmony of the Seas – Royal Caribbean International (Large)
- Marina – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Paul Gauguin – Paul Gauguin Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Dining
- Celebrity Equinox – Celebrity Cruises (Large)
- Riviera – Oceania Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Wind Spirit – Windstar Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation
- Regal Princess – Princess Cruises (Large)
- Oosterdam – Holland America Line (Mid-Size)
- Pacific Princess – Princess Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Paul Gauguin – Paul Gauguin Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment
- Symphony of the Seas – Royal Caribbean International (Large)
- MSC Sinfonia – MSC Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sun – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Paul Gauguin – Paul Gauguin Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Fitness & Recreation
- Allure of the Seas – Royal Caribbean International (Large)
- Coral Princess – Princess Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Orion – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Wind Surf – Windstar Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Public Rooms
- Celebrity Equinox – Celebrity Cruises (Large)
- Queen Victoria – Cunard Line (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Silver Galapagos – Silversea Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Service
- Celebrity Eclipse – Celebrity Cruises (Large)
- Grandeur of the Seas – Royal Caribbean (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Paul Gauguin – Paul Gauguin Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Shore Excursions
- Carnival Valor – Carnival Cruise Line (Large)
- Coral Princess – Princess Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Star – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Silver Galapagos – Silversea Cruises (Small)
Best Cruise Ships for Value
- Celebrity Equinox – Celebrity Cruises (Large)
- MSC Sinfonia – MSC Cruises (Mid-Size)
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises (Small-Mid)
- Silver Galapagos – Silversea Cruises (Small)
Best Cruises for Families
- Disney Magic – Disney Cruise Line
Best for First-Timers
- Viking Sky – Viking Ocean Cruises
Best for River Cruises
- Viking Vidar – Viking River Cruises
Disney Cruise Line’s Top 10 Rankings Summary
Cruise Critic categorizes the ships based on passenger capacity. The Disney Dream & Disney Fantasy are listed in the large ship (2,000+ passengers) category, while the Disney Magic & Disney Wonder are listed in the Mid-size ship (1200-1999 passengers) category. Keep this in mind while reviewing the following rankings. *The exceptions are the Best for Families and First Timers categories which are not broken out by ship size.
The 2018 ranking is included below in (#) for comparison. An – indicates the ship did not earn a top 10 ranking.
| Best… | Fantasy | Dream | Wonder | Magic |
| Cruise Experience | ||||
| Overall | – | – (8) | – (2) | – |
| Cabins | – | – (5) | – (2) | – |
| Dining | – | – (9) | – (5) | – |
| Embarkation | – | – (9) | – (7) | – |
| Entertainment | – | – (3) | – (1) | – |
| First Timers* | – | – (6) | – | – |
| Fitness & Recreation | – | – | – | – |
| Families* | – (2) | 5 (6) | – (9) | 1 (-) |
| Public Rooms | – | 5 (5) | – (2) | – |
| Service | – | – (9) | – (5) | – |
| Shore Excursions | – | – | – | – |
| Value | – | – | – (10) | – |
Visit the 2019 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards for a complete list of winners. These awards are based on review submitted by Cruise Critic’s readers who reviewed cruises sailed in 2018. To be included ships must have a minimum number of posted reviews and ratings in each category to be included in the top 10 list.
What do you think of the 2019 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards? To me, it makes me wonder how Disney continues justify the cruise fares when actual cruisers are not even sticking up for them in somewhat of a popularity content. I cannot wait to read DCL’s spin on the accolades, but in reality they can just bury this tomorrow by announcing a ship name or names at the annual meeting of shareholders.
I would say that it can’t be family friendly when none of the families that I know personally can begin to afford a cruise on the Fantasy. Even with first day rates it is still out of most price range for families.
I feel we’re beginning to see what many of us already know. Disney has priced out the average family and they are choosing to go to other cruise lines. Our family did 3 Disney cruises but can no longer afford the price of a Disney cruise, even on opening day.
I would be interested to find out the percentage of families that cruise with Disney that are repeat guests with multiple cruises. That’s who I believe is sailing with Disney. Dare I say an ‘elite’ clientele that can afford prices the general person cannot.
We love, love, loved our Disney cruises and would sail again a in a heartbeat, until I look at the cost and I just cannot justify it compared to what I would pay for a similar cruise with Royal Caribbean.
Friends have sailed with Disney twice and Royal Caribbean twice. While Disney does many things better they feel than RC, they do not do them that much better that it justifies paying almost double the price.
I know people that go on Celebrity cruises use Cruise Critic’s forums for Cruise meet ups where I use DisBoards and Facebook for cruise meetup information.
Cruise Critic isn’t a Disney site. I didn’t even know about this survey. I am a member of Cruise Critic but I rarely go on that site. Your information here for DCL is so much more robust than Cruise Critic’s.