Everything you need to know: World Cruise Awards 2023 (there are some surprising winners!)

Everything you need to know: World Cruise Awards 2023 (there are some surprising winners!)
By Dan lake


The World Cruise Awards serves to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in the global cruise sector through our annual awards programme.

It is the sister event of World Travel Awards, which was launched in 1994 to celebrate excellence in global travel and tourism.

This year’s event was held at Atlantis The Royal Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the winners! Share your thoughts via email editor@travelweekly.com.au or via Facebook.

Abu Dhabi and Mauritius (iStock)

World’s Best Cruise Destination 2023: Abu Dhabi (UAE)
World’s Best Cruise Destination Nominees: Alaska, Fiji, Jamaica, Madeira, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Philippines

World’s Best Cruise Terminal 2023: Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port (UAE)
World’s Best Cruise Terminal 2023 Nominees: Cape Town Cruise Terminal (South Africa), DP World Buenos Aires (Argentina), Male Commercial Harbour (Maldives), Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
Port of Falmouth (Jamaica), Port of Suva (Fiji), Port of Vancouver (Canada), Zadar Cruise Port (Croatia)

Image source: Norwegian Cruise Line

World’s Best Cruise Line 2023: Norwegian Cruise Line
World’s Best Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea

World’s Best Boutique Cruise Line 2023: Star Clippers
World’s Best Boutique Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: Azamara, Heritage Cruises, Ponant, Sea Cloud Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, Windstar Cruise

World’s Best Green Cruise Line 2023: Star Clippers
World’s Best Green Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Ponant, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Virgin Voyages

Eastern Europe detinations. (Viking Cruises)

World’s Best Cruise Line for Shore Excursions 2023: Viking Ocean Cruises
World’s Best Cruise Line for Shore Excursions 2023 Nominees: Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Royal Caribbean International, Silversea

Aurora Expeditions. (Supplied)

World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line 2023: Aurora Expeditions
World’s Best Expedition Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: Albatros Expeditions, Aqua Expeditions, Australis, Coral Expeditions, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, Nautilus Dive Adventures, Oceanwide Expeditions, Ponant, Quark Expeditions, Scenic, Seabourn, UnCruise Adventures

SeaDream II (Supplied)

World’s Best Small Cruise Ship 2023: SeaDream II
World’s Best Small Cruise Ship 2023 Nominees: Aqua Expeditions, Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Harmony, Evrima (The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection), Le Laperouse (Ponant)
MS Fridtjof Nansen (Hurtigruten), Royal Clipper, Safari Endeavour (UnCruise Adventures), Seabourn Venture, Silver Origin (Silversea), Ultramarine (Quark Expeditions)
Viking Orion, Wind Surf

Celebrity Solstice in Sydney (Richard Birch)

World’s Best Midsize Cruise Ship 2023: Celebrity Solstice
World’s Best Midsize Cruise Ship 2023 Nominees: Carnival Ecstasy, Celebrity Millennium, Celestyal Olympia, Disney Magic, Island Princess, Koningsdam (Holland America Cruises), Norwegian Sky
Oceania Regatta, Seabourn Sojourn, Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Star Legend (Windstar Cruises)

Wonder of the Seas (Supplied)

World’s Best Large Cruise Ship 2023: Wonder of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Large Cruise Ship 2023 Nominees: AIDA Nova, Carnival Panorama, Costa Smeralda, MSC Bellissima, MSC Meraviglia, MSC World Europa, Norwegian Bliss, Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Activities 2023: Scenic Eclipse
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Activities 2023 Nominees: Carnival Mardi Gras, Celebrity Apex, Disney Dream, Norwegian Encore, Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Queen Mary 2 (Cunard)
Scarlet Lady (Virgin Voyages)

Celebrity Edge (Supplied)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Dining 2023: Celebrity Edge®
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Dining 2023 Nominees: Azamara Quest, Carnival Horizon, Enchanted Princess, Evrima (The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection), Norwegian Dawn, Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Ruby Princess, Scenic Eclipse, Seven Seas Navigator, Valiant Lady (Virgin Voyages)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Entertainment 2023: Queen Mary 2 (Cunard)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Entertainment 2023 Nominees: Caribbean Princess, Carnival Breeze, Disney Magic, MSC Bellissima, MSC Meraviglia, Nieuw Statendam (Holland America Line), Norwegian Encore, Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Disney Dream (Creative Commons)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Families 2023: Disney Dream
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Families 2023 Nominees: Carnival Horizon, Costa Smeralda, Disney Wish, Disney Wonder, Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Marella Discovery 2, MV Britannia (P&O Cruises), Norwegian Joy, Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Gambling 2023: Carnival Vista
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Gambling 2023 Nominees: Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Azamara Journey, Celebrity Solstice, Enchanted Princess, Norwegian Epic, Queen Mary 2 (Cunard)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Romance 2023: SeaDream I
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Romance 2023 Nominees: Azamara Journey, Celebrity Apex, Emerald Azzurra, Le Commandant Charcot (Ponant), Oceania Riviera, Seabourn Odyssey, Seven Seas Explorer
The Gauguin, Viking Sky, Wind Surf (Windstar Cruises)

World’s Best Cruise Ship for Technology 2023: Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Technology 2023 Nominees: Celebrity Edge, Enchanted Princess, MSC Grandiosa

World’s Best Cruise Ship Suite 2023: The Haven 3-Bedroom Garden Villa – Norwegian Cruise Line
World’s Best Cruise Ship Suite 2023 Nominees: Duplex Suite – Le Commandant Charcot (Ponant), Grand Wintergarden Suite – Seabourn, Owners Suite – Oceania Cruises, Owners Suite – Viking Ocean Cruises, Regent Suite – Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Suite – Royal Caribbean International, Sky Suite – Princess Cruises

World’s Best River Cruise Destination 2023: Botswana
World’s Best River Cruise Destination 2023 Nominees: Brazil, Cambodia, Italy, Québec
World’s Best River Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: American Cruise Lines, Century Cruises 世纪游轮, Delfin Amazon Cruises, Zambezi Queen Collection

World’s Best Cruise Travel Agency 2023: Cruise118.com
World’s Best Cruise Travel Agency 2023 Nominees: Cruise Arena, Cruise Planners, Cruise Vacations, CruiseXplore, Ecruising.travel, Luxury Cruise Connections, Mason’s Travel, R11 Travel Viagens e Turismo

Oceania’s Best Cruise Destination 2023: Fiji
Oceania’s Best Cruise Destination 2023 Nominees: Auckland Island (New Zealand), Papua New Guinea, Perth (Australia), Sydney (Australia), Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu

Port of Suva (Supplied)

Oceania’s Best Cruise Terminal 2023: Port of Suva (Fiji)
Oceania’s Best Cruise Terminal 2023 Nominees: Port of Newcastle (Australia), Ports of Auckland (New Zealand), Sydney Harbour (Australia)

Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess (Supplied)

Oceania’s Best Cruise Line 2023: Princess Cruises
Oceania’s Best Cruise Line 2023 Nominees: Cunard, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea

Oceania’s Best Cruise Travel Agency 2023: Ecruising.travel
Oceania’s Best Cruise Travel Agency 2023 Nominees: Clean Cruising, Cruise Agency, Cruise Company, Cruise Holidays Australia, Cruise Megastore, Cruise Offers, Flight Centre Travel, House of Travel, Intrepid Travel, Knox Travel & Cruise, The Cruise Centre by Travelcall

Latest News

  • Food & Beverage
  • Hotels

Lee Ho Fook chef Victor Liong adds another chapter with new offering Singapore’s Quenino Artyzen hotel

Melbourne chef Victor Liong, of the two-hatted Lee Ho Fook, has added to his culinary storytelling with Quenino by Victor Liong, in Singapore’s Artyzen hotel, where contemporary Asian cuisine is served with a relaxed fine-dining flair. Artyzen Singapore emerged from an iconic Singapore heritage landmark that was once the sprawling tropical-garden mansion named “Villa Marie” […]

  • Food & Beverage

Tolpuddle Vineyard opens Tasting Room in Coal River Valley

Tolpuddle Vineyard is opening its Tasting Room at their Coal River Valley property in Richmond, Tasmania, this Friday, 13 December. The Tolpuddle Vineyard Tasting Room, managed by Pip Anderson, previously general manager of hospitality at Mona, will be open from Friday to Monday, 11am to 5pm with appointments available online. Visitors can taste a flight […]

  • Aviation

Air Tahiti Nui celebrates big wins with 2025 APEX awards and Cash & Miles Program

Air Tahiti Nui has again been recognised for service to travellers being honoured with the prestigious Five Star Major Airline title for the 7th consecutive year. Announced at the APEX/IFSA Awards 2025 ceremony, the ranking is based on passenger reviews of over one million flights and 600 airlines. The flagship carrier of The Islands of […]

  • Aviation

Qatar Airways’ Student Club marks four-year milestone with educate a child campaign

Qatar Airways’ Student Club program is marking its fourth anniversary by teaming up with the charity Education Above All that will see the carrier donate $10 for every booking made by a club member. Education Above All is the non-profit organisation founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson and founder of Education Above […]

  • Aviation

Qatar Airways surprises Melbourne passengers with upgrades to celebrate 15 years

Qatar Airways has celebrated its 15th anniversary in Australia by giving passengers Business Class upgrades at Melbourne Airport on Friday. The airline has flown over 9.7 million passengers in and out of Australia since starting its operation in 2009 with Australian operations commencing on 7 December 2009 with the Melbourne-Doha route. Since then, the airline […]