13 October 2016 – Sydney, Australia – Cruise Critic®, the world's leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced its first-ever Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards exclusively for Australian cruisers. The awards name the best cruise lines of the year in more than 15 categories and are featured on Cruise Critic's dedicated Australian site.
 
“Australians love to cruise and we're seeing cruise lines send some of their best ships to our region, reflecting the increase in popularity,” explains Louise Goldsbury, Cruise Critic's Australia Editor. “With more selection than ever before, we launched our Australian Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards to highlight the top cruise lines and help travellers narrow down their options to plan their next cruise.”
 
Royal Caribbean was the big winner, receiving three awards including Best New Ship for its newest ship, Ovation of the Seas – launched in April 2016. The ship – the largest and newest to be based in Australia – was lauded for its numerous activities and amenities – including robotic bartenders, dodgem cars and Broadway-style theatre. Royal Caribbean was also named Best for Families and Best Entertainment.
 
P&O was awarded Best Itineraries for its dedication to expanding cruising to a wider range of Australian regions, convenient departures from seven local homeports and an impressive selection of overseas itineraries.
 
Carnival was named Best Value for Money for its two affordable Sydney-based ships, along with high quality offerings, pricing in Australian dollars and no tipping policy.
 
Sydney was named the Best Australian Homeport for its convenient location close to famous attractions and landmarks, and the well-loved sail-up past the Opera House and directly into the heart of the city.
 
Australian Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards Winners
 
Best New Ship: Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas
Best Ship Refurbishment: Pacific Aria/Eden
Best for Luxury: Regent Seven Seas
Best Dining: Celebrity Cruises
Best Entertainment: Royal Caribbean International
Best Cabins: Holland America Line
Best Suites: Celebrity Cruises
Best Itineraries: P&O Cruises
Best Shore Excursions: Azamara Club Cruises
Best for Adventure: North Star Cruises
Best for Romance: Princess Cruises
Best for Families: Royal Caribbean International
Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
Best Nightlife: Carnival Cruise Line
Best River Cruise Line: Scenic
Best Australian Homeport: Sydney
 
To view the full details on each category, visit the 2016 Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards.
 
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Note to Editors: This list of winners reflects the winners in Cruise Critic's Australian Editors' Picks Awards. To view the winners in the U.S. Editors' Picks Awards, click here. To view the winners of the U.K. Editors' Picks Awards click 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 160,000 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.
 
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), through its subsidiaries, manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, and www.virtualtourist.com. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million average monthly unique visitors*, and reached 385 million reviews and opinions covering 6.6 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions.
 
*Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q2 2016