Cruise Critic Names the World's Most Popular Cruise Destinations Based on Consumer Reviews

France's Avignon named the top cruise destination in the world; Quebec City named the top cruise destination in the U.S. and Canada for the third year in a row; Disney's Castaway Cay continues its reign as the best cruise line private island for the fourth year running

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Cruise Critic

Jul 17, 2019, 04:00 ET

EWING, N.J., July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic^®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its fourth annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's most popular cruise destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on Cruise Critic. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 18 regions worldwide. The awards also highlight the best cruise lines to visit each region.

Glacier Bay. (Photo Credit: Cruise Critic HBCcruiser)

"For most travelers, the decision of where to cruise is made before they think about all the other pieces of the cruise planning process," explains Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. "And for those looking for incredible cruise destinations, there's no better way to narrow your options than by seeing which destinations are rated most highly by cruisers who have already been there, done that.

"While the Caribbean continues to be the most visited cruise destination each year, there are a ton more off-the-beaten-path cruise destinations worthy of consideration -- everywhere from Avignon in France and Hobart in Australia, to Panama's Fuerte Amador and Huatulco in Mexico – all given top marks from cruisers themselves."

Highlighted Awards:

Avignon, located in France's Provence region, was named 2019's Most Popular Cruise Destination – receiving the highest ratings among cruise destinations across the globe. The city -- a port of call on river itineraries – was also named the Best European River Cruise Destination.

According to Cruise Critic member debrav523: "Truly a great stop. Loved the small little alleyway streets with many little discoveries. Loved the market we stopped at during the tour."

Glacier Bay in Alaska continues to be one of the world's most popular cruise destinations, named the top-rated destination in Alaska for the fourth year in a row. For those looking to sail the Inside Passage, it's considered one of the best locations for glacier and wildlife viewing, particularly with its famously photogenic Margerie Glacier.

According to Cruise Critic member rara3602: "Amazing scenery no matter where you turn. This is why we took this cruise!"

King's Wharf in Bermuda – named the Best Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda Cruise Destination – was also the highest-rated destination across the entire Caribbean, including islands in the Western Caribbean and Southern Caribbean.

According to Cruise Critic member J_Kepler: "WOW! What a great island with history, perfect beaches, tons of excursions."

Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay in the Bahamas remains the most highly-rated cruise line private island, scooping the award for Best Cruise Line Private Island for the fourth year in a row.

According to Cruise Critic member Flake0911: "[Castaway Cay] is still the best place on earth. Plenty to do for all ages. More than enough room for all to spread out so it seems very peaceful and tranquil."

Princess Cruises was the most awarded cruise line – placing in eleven categories, and winning top honors for cruises in Australia & New Zealand, the Baltic & Scandinavia and the U.S. & Canada.

In the river categories, Avalon Waterways was named the Best European River Cruise Line, and American Queen Steamboat Company was named the Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada.

The full list of first-place winners includes:

Top-Rated Overall Cruise Port: Avignon (Europe River)

Top-Rated Port in Alaska: Glacier Bay

Best Large Ship Line in Alaska: Holland America Line
Best Small Ship Line in Alaska: Lindblad Expeditions

Top-Rated Port in Asia: Singapore

Best Large Ship Line in Asia: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in Asia: Star Clippers

Top-Rated Port in Australia & New Zealand: Hobart

Best Large Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in Australia & New Zealand: True North Adventure Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Flam

Best Large Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Baltic & Scandinavia: Viking Ocean Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: King's Wharf

Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Disney Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda: Windstar Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Southern Caribbean: Bonaire

Best Large Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Southern Caribbean: Seabourn Cruise Line

Top-Rated Port in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Cozumel

Best Large Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Disney Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the British Isles & Western Europe: Kirkwall

Best Large Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Cunard Line
Best Small Ship Line in the British Isles & Western Europe: Viking Ocean Cruises

Top-Rated Port in the Eastern Mediterranean: Venice

Best Large Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Celebrity Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the Eastern Mediterranean: Star Clippers

Top-Rated European River Port: Avignon

Best European River Line: Avalon Waterways

Top-Rated Port in the Western Mediterranean: Villefranche

Best Large Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Royal Caribbean International
Best Small Ship Line in the Western Mediterranean: Azamara Club Cruises

Top-Rated Port in Hawaii: Honolulu

Best Large Ship Line in Hawaii: Carnival Cruise Line

Top-Rated Port in the Mexican Riviera: Huatulco

Best Large Ship Line in the Mexican Riviera: Holland America Line

Top-Rated Port in the Panama Canal & Central America: Fuerte Amador

Best Large Ship Line in the Panama Canal & Central America: Holland America Line

Top-Rated Port in South America & Antarctica: Stanley

Best Large Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Small Ship Line in South America & Antarctica: Hurtigruten

Top-Rated Port in the South Pacific: Bora Bora

Best Large Ship Line in the South Pacific: Royal Caribbean International
Best Small Ship Line in the South Pacific: Ponant

Top-Rated Port in the U.S. & Canada: Quebec City

Best Large Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Princess Cruises
Best Small Ship Line in the U.S. & Canada: Crystal Cruises
Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada: American Queen Steamboat Company

Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay

For full details on this year's winners, visit the 2019 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards.

Cruise Critic boasts the world's largest online cruise community, with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 700 cruise ships and over 500 worldwide ports. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken over the past year.

Key Elements:

Homepage: Full list of winners for each category, and consumer comments, available here.
Image Library: Photos of all top destinations for media use, available here.
Video: Highlights of winners and consumer reviews, available here.

About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic® is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travelers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 350,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest online cruise community where travelers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

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