Platinum Cruises
 Planning an adventure at sea? Set sail on one of these standout ships that earned our readers’ raves this year.
BY ROBERT W. BONE
The cruise industry is sailing full speed ahead into the century’s second decade. The Readers’ Choice Platinum Award winners are prime examples of how the best fleets have responded to cruisers’ demands for still-better facilities and more amenities.
Leading the field this year are the 21 vessels guided by ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL. Despite its name, Royal Caribbean International has expanded beyond steel bands and limbo contests to make the whole world its oyster, including sophisticated operations in Asia and the Pacific as well as traditional itineraries in Alaska, Europe, and, yes, the Caribbean. Coming this December is the Allure of the Seas, sister ship of 2009’s spectacular 18-deck Oasis of the Seas, currently known as the world’s largest cruise ship.
Under the same corporate umbrella, CELEBRITY CRUISES keeps to equally high standards. New to the fleet is the Celebrity Eclipse, soon to be followed by two more ships. Celebrity features many onboard experiences, including culinary demonstrations and enrichment lectures. staff-to-guest ratio is about 2-to-1.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE continues to win accolades for its “Freestyle Cruising,” allowing guests to make decisions not always available on other cruises. NCL’s new Norwegian Epic will soon offer still more elaborate choices, including groundbreaking onboard entertainment such as Blue Man Group and Nickelodeon’s slime Time Live.
PRINCESS CRUISES and HOLLAND AMERICA LINE compete vigorously on their Alaska programs, where they have long been considered the leaders. As TV’s original “Love Boat,” Princess is still outstanding among the traditional cruises to the Mexican Riviera, popular ports on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Princess’s latest acquisition, the 113,000-ton Ruby Princess, debuted in 2009 and features a wedding chapel, among many other amenities. Meanwhile, Holland America continues to win considerable praise for its surprisingly innovative itineraries throughout the rest of the world. It will soon welcome the largest addition to its fleet, the Nieuw Amsterdam, which will first sail the Mediterranean.
Our Editors’ Mention for large ships, history-rich CUNARD LINE, has been winning accolades with the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary 2 (now that the QE2 has been retired). The highly anticipated Queen Elizabeth will be put into service this October. Although American-owned today, Cunard maintains a very classy British demeanor, which sets it apart from most other ships. Known mainly for its transatlantic voyages, Cunard also offers elegant cruising in Europe and the Caribbean and on an annual around-the-world adventure.
Many prefer to cruise in smaller (though no less stylish) ships, and CL readers have weighed in on their favorites. Midrange to small ships allow for more informal camaraderie among passengers, and the ships can sail into smaller, more interesting ports of call not available to their big sisters.
Our readers’ top choice in this group is WINDSTAR CRUISES, which unfurls its computer-controlled sails on both sides of the Atlantic and in frequent crossings between the old and new worlds. It caters to a sophisticated clientele but still offers plenty of fun: Windstar often lowers a platform from the stern to provide a staging area for water activities.
CRYSTAL CRUISES provides an experience similar to some ships in the larger category. Both the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony carry around 1,000 passengers. Cruisers can expect private balconies and other refinements normally not available in the small or midsize vessels.
There are just three all-suite, ultra-luxury ships guided by REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, which generally caters to high-income guests over the age of 45. Regent voyages vary between seven and 119 days in several parts of the world. Similarly, SEABOURN CRUISE LINE welcomes affluent cruisers and has begun to concentrate on innovative itineraries in China, Korea, and Japan.
OCEANIA CRUISES, known by sophisticated travelers for its three elegant 684-guest ships, is about to add a fourth, larger vessel, the Marina, in January. First stops will include the Panama Canal and the Caribbean.
SILVERSEA CRUISES, a dependable ultra-luxurious company, captures our Editors’ Mention in the small-to-mid-size category, its flagship being the 540-guest Silver Spirit. Many staterooms have private verandas and other features usually limited to larger ships.
All in all, 2010 and 2011 are destined to offer some of the most comfortable, delicious, invigorating, and all-around-enjoyable vacation experiences ever seen on the high seas.
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TOP 5 LARGE RESORT SHIPS
1. Royal Caribbean International
(800) 769-2522
royalcaribbean.com
2. Celebrity Cruises
(800) 437-3111
celebritycruises.com
3. Norwegian Cruise Line
(866) 234-7350
ncl.com
4. Princess Cruises
(800) 774-6237
princess.com
5. Holland America Line
(877) 932-4259
hollandamerica.com
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TOP 5 SMALL/MIDSIZE SHIPS
1. Windstar Cruises
(800) 258-7245
windstarcruises.com
2. Crystal Cruises
(888) 799-4625
crystalcruises.com
3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
(877) 505-5370
rssc.com
4. Seabourn Cruise Line
(800) 929-9595
seabourn.com
5. Oceania Cruises
(800) 531-5658
oceaniacruises.com
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Editors’ Mentions
 Celebrated Living editors also recognize these outstanding cruise lines.
LARGE RESORT SHIPS
Cunard Line
(800) 728-6273
cunard.com
SMALL/MIDSIZE SHIPS
Silversea Cruises
(800) 722-9955
silversea.com
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