The Wave Awards 2017

Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises and Cruise Nation were multiple award winners at last night’s Wave Awards, which reward excellence in the UK cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean took home the top prize for Best Ocean Cruise Line and also Best New Ship Launch for Harmony of the Seas in May last year. The line’s third award was for Best Family Cruise Line.

Azamara Club Cruises received a double honour, picking up both Best Specialist Cruise Line, as agreed by an independent judging panel, and Passenger Favourite Specialist Cruise Line, as voted by the public.

Swansea-based Cruise Nation triumphed with Best Online Travel Agent and Best Digital or Web-based Service or Platform.

In all, 34 awards were collected at the black-tie ceremony, which took place at Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel and was attended by 340 of the cruise industry’s movers and shakers.

It was the second annual Wave Awards – the event is owned by Real Response Media Cruise, publishers of World of Cruising, Cruise Trade News and Cruise Ports & Destinations. Apart from seven Passenger Favourite awards, the majority are based on rigorous assessment of submitted entries by a panel of cruise travel experts.

Celebrity host, the comedian Marcus Brigstocke, added his unique brand of humour, as the winners took to the stage. A prize draw was held in aid of floating hospital Mercy Ships, with top prizes a Cruise & Maritime voyage for two and a Thomson Cruise for two.

The awards kicked off with four Ports & Destinations categories, when ABP Southampton led the way with Best UK Departure Port.

In the seven Onboard categories, Oceania Cruises beat off the competition to pick up Best Cuisine, and Norwegian Cruise Line shone with Best Entertainment.

Next came Passenger Favourites and seven awards that were voted for by the readers of World of Cruising magazine. Bolsover Cruise Club was named Favourite Agent, Greece Favourite Destination, Viking Cruises Favourite River Cruise Line and P&O Cruises Favourite Ocean Cruise Line.

The seven Industry categories included an honour for Stacy Day, Readers Offers Cruise as Best Individual Cruise Consultant, with a High Commendation for Zoltan Biczo, Ponders Cruise & Travel. Titan Travel won Best Escorted & Specialist Tour Operator.

The night culminated with nine Cruise Line categories – Seabourn picked up Best Luxury Cruise Line, Princess Cruises Best Premium Cruise Line and Silversea Expeditions Best Adventure Cruise Line.

For a complete list of winners, see below:

PORTS & DESTINATIONS

Best UK Departure Port: Associated British Ports Southampton
HIGH COMMENDATION: Port of Tyne

Best Destination: Falkland Islands

Best UK Attraction or Excursion: Intercruises, Tower of London
HIGH COMMENDATION: Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh

Best International Attraction or Excursion: Celebrity Cruises, Chef’s Market Discoveries

ONBOARD

Best for Environment & Sustainability: Hurtigruten

Best for Cuisine: Oceania Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Europa 2

Best for Entertainment: Norwegian Cruise Line

Best for Wellbeing & Spas: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

Best for LGBT: Celebrity Cruises

Best for Enrichment: Voyages to Antiquity
HIGH COMMENDATION: Cunard

Best for Accommodation: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Cunard

PASSENGER FAVOURITES

Passenger Favourite Cruise Agent: Bolsover Cruise Club
HIGH COMMENDATION: Cruise Nation
HIGH COMMENDATION: Iglu Cruise

Passenger Favourite Airline: Emirates
HIGH COMMENDATION: British Airways
HIGH COMMENDATION: Thomson

Passenger Favourite Destination: Greece
HIGH COMMENDATION: Barbados
HIGH COMMENDATION: Croatia

Passenger Favourite Specialist Cruise Line: Azamara Club Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Silversea
HIGH COMMENDATION: Voyages to Antiquity

Passenger Favourite Luxury Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Cunard
HIGH COMMENDATION: Oceania Cruises

Passenger Favourite River Cruise Line: Viking Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Saga River Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Riviera Travel

Passenger Favourite Ocean Cruise Line: P&O Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Celebrity Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Royal Caribbean International

INDUSTRY

Best Digital or Web-based Service or Platform: Cruise Nation

Best Advertising, Marketing or PR Campaign: Cunard, Queen Mary 2. Remastered.
HIGH COMMENDATION: Thomson Cruises, #NotForMe social media campaign

Best Escorted & Specialist Tour Operator: Titan Travel

Best Transfer Service: Avalon Waterways
HIGH COMMENDATION: Ports Direct

Best Cruise Agent: World Travel Holdings
HIGH COMMENDATION: Imagine Cruising

Best Online Travel Agent: Cruise Nation
HIGH COMMENDATION: Iglu Cruise

Best Individual Cruise Consultant: Stacy Day, ROL Cruise
HIGH COMMENDATION: Zoltan Biczo, Ponders Cruise & Travel

CRUISE LINE

Best New Ship Launch: Royal Caribbean International, Harmony of the Seas
HIGH COMMENDATION: Holland America Line, ms Koningsdam

Best Specialist Cruise Line: Azamara Club Cruises

Best Value for Money Cruise Line: Saga Cruise

Best Family Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International

Best Adventure Cruise Line: Silversea Expeditions

Best Premium Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Oceania Cruises

Best Luxury Cruise line: Seabourn
HIGH COMMENDATION: Crystal Cruises

Best River Cruise Line: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
HIGH COMMENDATION: Avalon Waterways

Best Ocean Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International