The Cruise Issue of  Signature Luxury Travel & Style magazine includes the 2017 Best-of-the-Best Luxury Cruise Awards, Australia’s first awards dedicated solely to luxury cruising.

Travel’s fastest growing sector in Australia is cruising, with a growth rate of 21% in the past year, according to the latest report from Cruise Lines International Association Australasia.

Last year, one in 19 Australians – 1.28 million – went on an ocean cruise, the highest per-capita rate in the world. As we become more seasoned cruisers, more of us – across all age groups – are seeking the best ships and the most inspiring itineraries.

To meet demand, there are more cruise lines, more destinations and itineraries catering for travellers, from polar expeditions to Caribbean island-hopping.

These five-star experiences are honoured in the awards that provide a guide for those seeking the best cruising has to offer.

The judges were 10 Australian and New Zealand luxury travel advisors with  knowledge of the cruise industry and an understanding both from personal and client experiences.

They voted across seven categories covering ocean, river and expedition cruising. The judges ranked their selections for each sub-category (including cabins, service, cuisine, shore excursions, value, itineraries and embarkation process, plus expedition team for the two expedition categories), which were then converted to points to determine the overall winners.

Full list of categories:

• Sea: Large Ships
• Sea: Small Ships
• Sea: Boutique Ships
• Sea: Tall Ships
• River Cruising
• Expedition: Luxury
• Expedition: Speciality

The winners are listed below, with more information online at www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au/cruise-awards-2017

THE WINNERS

LARGE SHIPS (751-2500+ passengers)

1. Oceania Cruises (Marina and Riviera)
2. Crystal Cruises
3. Viking Ocean Cruises
4. Cunard
5. MSC (MSC Yacht Club)

Signature congratulates all winners for their superior product and services. The winners are invited to celebrate at a presentation luncheon on Tuesday 8 August 2017.

SMALL SHIPS (251-750 passengers)

1. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
2. Seabourn
3. Oceania Cruises (Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena)
4. Silversea
5. Azamara Club Cruises
6. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
7. Ponant (L’Austral, Le Boréal, Le Soléal)

BOUTIQUE SHIPS (50-250 passengers)

1. Crystal Yacht Cruises
2. SeaDream Yacht Club
3. Ponant (Le Lyrial)
4. Windstar Cruises (Star Pride, Star Breeze, Star Legend)

TALL SHIPS

1. Ponant (Le Ponant)
2. Windstar Cruises (Wind Surf, Wind Spirit, Wind Star)
3. Sea Cloud Cruises
4. Star Clippers

RIVER SHIPS

1. RIVER SHIPS
   1. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

   =2. Avalon Waterways

   =2. Tauck

   3. Crystal River Cruises
   4. Belmond
   5. AmaWaterways
   6. Aqua Expeditions
   7. Sanctuary Retreats

EXPEDITION: Luxury Expedition

1. Ponant
2. Silversea Expeditions
3. True North Adventure Cruises
4. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

EXPEDITION: Four-star ship, five-star experience

1. Lindblad Expeditions
2. Quark Expeditions
3. Coral Expeditions
4. Aurora Expeditions
5. Aranui Cruises

The winter edition of Signature Luxury Travel & Style celebrates everything about travel’s fastest-growing industry: cruising.