MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

British cruisers name favorite cruise ships in 2014

Royal Caribbean rode the waves in the awards for the Large Ship class, with Serenade of the Seas

Cruise Critic has released its 2014 Cruise Critic U.K. Cruisers' Choice Awards, the cruise awards based entirely on reviews submitted by cruisers. Royal Caribbean rode the waves in the awards for the Large Ship class, with Serenade of the Seas, the third ship in the Radiance-class fleet, named Best Overall ship, Best Value-for-Money and Best Dining. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas took Best for Embarkation.

 British cruisers identified Celebrity ships as the top in 10 categories. In the Mid-Size ship awards, Celebrity Century won Best Overall ship, Best Dining, Best Fitness, Best Service and Best Value-for-Money. Within the Large Ship category, Celebrity Eclipse was commended for Best Cabins and Best from the UK, whilst Celebrity Equinox won Best Public Rooms and Best Service.

Azamara Club Cruises sailed away with 7 awards in the Small Ship class, with Azamara Journey taking Best Overall Small Ship, Best for Dining, Best Fitness, Best Entertainment and Best Public Rooms. Azamara Quest took two awards; Best Service and Best Value-for-Money.

The U.K. Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards are based on reviews submitted by U.K.-based cruisers for cruises taken during 2013. They are awarded in three ship classes, according to passenger capacity – small (1,199 passengers or fewer), mid-sized (1,200 to 1,999) and large (2,000+). The top 10 ships in each class are named in the following categories: Overall, Cabins, Dining, Embarkation, Entertainment, Fitness, Public Rooms, Service, Shore Excursions and Value-for-Money. Awards are also given to the top-ranked ships in popular cruise regions; Alaska, Bahamas, Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

This year's U.K. winners include:

Best Large Ships:
Best Overall Ship: Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Dining: Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Value-for: Money: Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best for Embarkation: Adventure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Fitness: P&O Cruises' Ventura
Best Shore Excursions: Queen Elizabeth (Cunard)
Best Cabins: Celebrity Eclipse
Best Public Rooms, Best Service: Celebrity Equinox
Best Entertainment: Carnival Sunshine

Top 10 Large Ships in Each Category

Best Mid-Sized Ships:
Best Overall Ship: Celebrity Century
Best Dining: Celebrity Century
Best Fitness: Celebrity Century
Best Service: Celebrity Century
Best Value-for-Money: Celebrity Century
Best Entertainment: Thomson Spirit
Best Shore Excursions: Thomson Island Escape
Best Embarkation: Norwegian Spirit (Norwegian Cruise Line)
Best Cabins: Riviera (Oceania)
Best Public Rooms: Riviera (Oceania)

Top 10 Mid-Size Ships in Each Category

Best Small Ships:
Best Overall Ship: Azamara Journey
Best Dining: Azamara Journey
Best Entertainment: Azamara Journey
Best Fitness: Azamara Journey
Best Public Rooms: Azamara Journey
Best Service: Azamara Quest
Best Value-for-Money: Azamara Quest
Best Embarkation: Braemer (Fred. Olsen Cruise Line)
Best Shore Excursions: Black Watch Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Best Cabins: P&O Cruises' Adonia

Top 10 Small-Size Ships in Each Category

Best for Families (all ship sizes): P&O Cruises' Azura

Top 10 Cruises for Families

Best Destination Cruises (based on global ratings)
Best Cruise to Alaska: Rhapsody of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Best Cruise to the Bahamas: Disney Dream
Best Cruise to the Caribbean: Disney Fantasy
Best Cruise to the Mediterranean: Celebrity Silhouette
Best from the U.K: Celebrity Eclipse

“Winning a Cruisers' Choice Award is a fantastic accolade for cruise lines, particularly as they're based entirely on review ratings submitted by cruisers over the course of the past year, rather than votes. These awards offer a great insight into British consumers' first-hand experiences and feedback of the cruises they have been on,” explained Adam Coulter, UK editor at Cruise Critic.