The World's Top Cruise Destinations, According to Consumer Reviews on Cruise Critic

Budapest named the top cruise destination in the world; Europe's rivers named highest-ranked cruise region; Disney's Castaway Cay named Best Cruise Line Private Island for the second year in a row

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Cruise Critic

Jul 26, 2017, 06:36 ET

EWING, N.J., July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Critic^®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its second annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's top cruise destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on CruiseCritic.com. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 15 regions worldwide.

Alaska's Glacier Bay -- Photo Credit: Cruise Critic Member Sandalfoot

"Itineraries are incredibly important to today's cruisers who are more focused than ever on where they're going and what they can do while they're there," explains Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of Cruise Critic. "Cruise lines have focused on expanding their offerings to quench that thirst for exploration – and this year's list of winning destinations shows the wide array of adventures cruising offers. You can sail among the glaciers in Alaska's Glacier Bay, feel like a character on Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik or relax in a private island cabana in Castaway Cay – the options are endless."

Highlighted Awards:

Budapest – an itinerary stop on European river cruises – was named the Best Cruise Destination for 2017. Cruisers praised the city's history and beauty, with many passengers extending their stays pre- or post-cruise to explore the city even further.

European river cruise ports took the top spot as the highest-rated cruise region, with Budapest, Wurzburg and Vienna all listed within the top five overall cruise ports. Glacier Bay in Alaska and St. Petersburg were also named as top five cruise ports – claiming the number two and number four spots, respectively.

Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay was named the Best Cruise Line Private Island for the second year in a row. Highlights among cruisers include Serenity Bay – an adults-only beach – a complimentary barbecue lunch, and the ease of transportation around the island.

Castaway Cay was also ranked as the top-rated Caribbean island – edging out King's Wharf (Best in the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda), Curacao (Best in the Southern Caribbean) and Cozumel (Best in the Western Caribbean).

Quebec City was named Best in the U.S. & Canada, with cruisers comparing the city to a European experience. Kauai and Glacier Bay were named Best in Hawaii and Best in Alaska, respectively – both for the second year in a row.

First-place winners include:

Top-Rated Alaska Port: Glacier Bay
Top-Rated Asia & South Pacific Port: Singapore
Top-Rated Australia & New Zealand Port: Akaroa
Top-Rated Baltic & Scandinavia Port: St. Petersburg
Top-Rated Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Port: King's Wharf
Top-Rated Southern Caribbean Port: Curacao
Top-Rated Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya Port: Cozumel
Top-Rated British Isles & Western Europe Port: Amsterdam
Top-Rated Eastern Mediterranean Port: Dubrovnik
Top-Rated European River Port: Budapest
Top-Rated Western Mediterranean Port: Villefranche
Top-Rated Hawaii Port: Kauai
Top-Rated Mexican Riviera, Central & South America Port: Cabo San Lucas
Top-Rated U.S. & Canada Port: Quebec City
Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay

For the full list of winners, visit the 2017 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 500 cruise ships and over 300 worldwide ports. Awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken over the past year.

Key Elements:

Homepage: Full list of winners for each destination 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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