What is it about awards that we love?
Somewhere in your house, I bet you have a “perfect attendance” award, a “most popular” award, or “most improved” award like mine, from when attending the late Dave Murray’s summer ski camp at Whistler. The truth is I went from really bad to okay — not a big leap.
Just about every form of entertainment, sports, agriculture or crafts has some form of award. For cruising, I have regularly presented awards results from Conde Nast and Cruise Critic.
Today, I’m offering the views of people who live in the United Kingdom and who read the Daily Telegraph. Seventy-five thousand of them participated, the most since this poll started in 1998. It covers all forms of travel and Canada figures in the Brits’ likes and dislikes
Best Small Cruise Line: Seabourn, followed by another luxury brand, Silversea, with third place going to Hurtigruten, which spends a lot of time in Norway, Iceland and Greenland.
Queen Elizabeth, newest ship on the Brits’ No. 1 cruise line, Cunard
Best Large Cruise Line: Cunard…no surprise here; however, the man who founded it (Samuel Cunard) was Canadian. Next are Disney and Celebrity.
Best River Cruise Line: Scenic Cruises, the Australian line owned by Vancouver resident Glen Moroney. Second and third are Riviera Travel and Noble Caledonia, best known across the Atlantic.
Cruisers usually need a hotel and a plane to get to their ship. We all have our favourite port cities which in many cases are the best cities in the world. Voters thought the Canadian-created Four Seasons Hotel was tops.
Best Rail Operator: Orient Express, but right behind was the Rocky Mountaineer that travels between Vancouver and Banff.
Favourite City: Cape Town, with Vancouver second and Venice third.
Best Long Haul Airline: Singapore, Emirates and Air New Zealand, in that order.
How about your favourites? Let me know at portsandbows@gmail.com.
And while you’re at it, help me answer this question:
“Do entertainment, crafts or the quality of speakers play a role in your decision as to line and/or ship, or does it just come down to your favourite?”
Cruise lines think the answer is it’s entertainment.
Royal Caribbean has become “Broadway at sea” on several ships. It all started when the gigantic 6,000-passenger Oasis of the Seas was launched with the Broadway show Hairspray. Then Allure of the Seas launched with the hit show Chicago, Liberty of the Seas had with Saturday Night Fever and Quantum of the Seas — arriving next year — will have Mama Mia and the music of ABBA.
Holland America is bringing back ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in 2014 with an at-sea version. Passenger winners from all 15 Holland America ships will participate in a dance-off on the December 6 sailing of Westerdam in the Eastern Caribbean. Other cruises will feature performances by pro dancers from the televised Dancing with the Stars. There’s no B.B. King at sea, but his club-theme blues show can soon be seen on select sailings of Eurodam, Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam.
Carnival features George Lopez’s Comedy Club on many of its ships. Norwegian colours it up with the Blue Man Group. Cunard has a history of well-known speakers — popular author Bill Bryson will join the Queen Elizabeth on its New York-to-San Francisco cruise, departing January 18.
Boredom at sea is a non-starter.
Phil’s Deal of the Week
Lowest price I have seen on the iconic ship Queen Mary 2 across the Atlantic — $799 — and it’s for a balcony! The 7-day cruise leaves New York for Southampton on January 3rd.
See a cruise agent or go to cunard.com. The price is per-person, double occupancy and was available at time of writing.