We reveal the vessels that have taken top spot in our first-ever passenger ship awards
By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
As we were conceiving and compiling the first-ever Cruise & Ferry Review Ship of the Year Awards, we didn’t expect for a minute that our results announcements would be taking place at a time where people worldwide would be facing a health crisis, and the passenger shipping industry would be gripped by the impacts of a deadly virus. It is a challenging time for all.
Perhaps, then, it is also a good time to be reminding ourselves of some of the incredible, ground-breaking achievements of this industry. We hope that you find some degree of hope and inspiration from the passion and dedication that went into creating the vessels recognised in our Ship of the Year Awards.
Following the nomination process, voting from readers in over 50 countries, then meticulous counting and checking of the results, we are proud to announce the winners of the first-ever Cruise & Ferry Review Ship of the Year Awards.
In each category, five game-changing ships that debuted in 2019 were shortlisted, as follows:
Cruise: Celebrity Flora from Celebrity Cruises, Costa Smeralda from Costa Cruises, Hanseatic Inspiration from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Scenic Eclipse from Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Spirit of Discovery from Saga Cruises.
River Cruise: AmaMagna from AmaWaterways, American Harmony from American Cruise Lines, Avalon Envision from Avalon Waterways, Emerald Harmony from Emerald Waterways and Viking Einar from Viking Cruise Lines.
Ferry: Alfred from Pentland Ferries, Ellen from Ærøfærgerne, Marie Curie from Baleària, Visborg from Rederi AB Gotland and W. B. Yeats from Irish Ferries.
High-speed ferry: Express 4 from Molslinjen, Rikulau from Brave Lines, Saint John Paul II from Virtu Ferries, Venus Clipper from Thames Clippers and Volcán de Tagoro from Naviera Armas.
These passenger ships showcase innovative new green technologies, impressive interior and exterior designs and unique onboard amenities and guest experiences. Cruise & Ferry Review readers voted for their favourites in January and February 2020. We’ve now finally reached the moment that everyone has been waiting for.
And the Ship of the Year 2020 winners are…
Cruise: Costa Smeralda from Costa Cruises
River Cruise: Viking Einar from Viking River Cruises
Ferry: Alfred from Pentland Ferries
High-Speed Ferry: Saint John Paul II from Virtu Ferries
Turn straight to the Ship of the Year 2020 section of our new Spring/Summer 2020 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review to read more about the winners and shortlisted ships.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the nomination and voting process and helped us to celebrate the skills and creativity of the vessel operators, architects, designers, engineers, shipyards and many others involved in bringing these innovative ships to the seas.