Winners of the 3rd annual CRUIZIE Awards — including best cruise lines categories — were announced today. Presented by MeetMeOnBoard.com, the CRUIZIE Awards recognize the cruise industry in several categories as voted on by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) cruise travel community.
The 2015 CRUIZIE© Award winners and runners-up are:
Best large ship cruise line for LGBT passengers
Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Royal Caribbean International
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Best small ship cruise line for LGBT passengers
Azamara Club Cruises
Runner up: Oceania
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Best river cruise line for LGBT passengers
Viking River Cruises
Runner up: AmaWaterways
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Most appealing new ship
Royal Caribbean International Quantum of the Seas
Runner up: Regal Princess
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Best onboard LGBT Gatherings
Royal Caribbean International
Runner up: Celebrity Cruises
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Best onboard shows and entertainment
Royal Caribbean International
Runner up: Celebrity Cruises
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Best overall food experience
Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Royal Caribbean International
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Best overall shipboard decor
Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Royal Caribbean International
Best food concept experience by a cruise line
Qsine by Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Cupcake Cupboard by Royal Caribbean International
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Most comfortable cabins
Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Royal Caribbean International
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Best onboard gyms
Royal Caribbean International
Runner up: Celebrity Cruises
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Best onboard spa facilities
Celebrity Cruises
Runner up: Royal Caribbean International
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Best all-gay large ship full charter
RSVP Vacations
Runner up: Atlantis Events
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Best all-gay small ship full charter
Concierge Travel
Runner up: GaySail
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Best gay-group cruise organizer
Arno’s Bear Cruises
Runner up: Pied Piper
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Best embark/debark port city
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Runner up: Barcelona, Spain
The awards were voted on by members and friends of MeetMeOnBoard.com during early 2015.
“We are proud to present the 3rd Annual CRUIZIE Awards,” said Mark den Hartog, Publisher and CEO of the gay-focused cruise passenger website MeetMeOnBoard.com, which presents the CRUIZIE Awards. ““These awards are presented to cruise lines and others who have earned the votes of LGBT cruise enthusiasts. Each year has seen shifts in the results, and exceptionally tight races in some categories. The fact that some cruise lines placed highly last year and aren’t on the winner’s list this year indicates that the cruise lines cannot rest on their laurels.”
“We added two new categories this year,” den Hartog continued, “including one for newly launched ships, and another reflecting the diversity and creativity of onboard food experiences available to cruise passengers. These categories reflect the ever-changing nature of the cruise experience and reward the exceptional creativity of the cruise lines’ teams.” A full list of nominees for the food concept and new ship categories can be reviewed here.
“The LGBT cruise market is sizable, and the gay and lesbian cruise community are avid travelers. The travel habits of our nearly 11,500+ MeetMeOnBoard.com LGBT members continues to indicate that vast majority of gay and lesbian passengers choose mainstream cruise itineraries over all-gay charters.”
“We conservatively estimate that the MeetMeOnBoard.com community spends in excess of $30,000,000 on cruise vacations annually,” den Hartog noted. “This is based on responses from our annual membership survey – the people who use our site are avid, frequent cruisers.
About MeetMeOnBoard.com. MeetMeOnBoard.com is the site where gay cruise travelers connect. The site is designed to help like-minded individuals find each other before they set sail, as well as promote the cruise industry for the LGBT cruise enthusiast. At its core, the site is considered social networking for gay cruisers, allowing its members to create a personal profile listing cruises they plan to take, or wish to take. Travelers choose how much information they reveal about themselves when posting photos, biographical information, contact info, favorite cruise lines, and more. The site’s powerful matching tool allows them the possibility to connect in advance with other site members who have booked on the same itinerary to prearrange dining options, plan shore excursions together, and much more.
MeetMeOnBoard.com was started by Mark den Hartog and his partner Dale McCurdy, both of whom love the social aspect of cruise ship travel, and wished for a way to meet more similar people. It has in excess of 11,000 members (April, 2015).
