Cruiseline.com Awards 2014 - General Excellence

Celebrity Cruises also earned a top spot with cool offerings like molecular cocktails and a Lawn Club (all these years later, it’s still cool to lie on the grass while at sea). The line's service is also impressive: When we asked our steward how to bathe a small child in the shower, he promptly dug up a plastic tub; when we asked where to wash out bottles, he offered to whisk them away nightly and return them after dinner.

While Princess Cruises doesn’t compete for innovations, the overall quality onboard manages to be high without being obtrusive. Best of all, these ships are always tasteful — an underrated attribute in an age of flash and sizzle.

SeaDream Yacht Club feels more like a resort than many other ships: Beachfront picnics include Champagne served off flotation devices, an afternoon that creates chumminess among passengers. And the line’s creative offerings include raw food menus as well as “unscheduled” late night visits to Caribbean beach bars, something we never thought to ask for.

Azamara Club Cruises may not have the newest ships, but the line does an excellent job of making us forget that as soon as we board: It won us over with overnight stays in key ports such as Madrid and Barcelona (something we always new would make us fall more in love with cruising), where dinner and nightlife start late and sailing out early means you miss, well, pretty much everything. In ports the line doesn’t overnight in — such as Santorini and Mykonos, Greece — ships often stay as late as 11 pm.

Seabourn Cruise Line may cater to a well-heeled crowd, but these sophisticates are treated to plenty of playtime: Picture a picnic at the water’s edge, with caviar served from surfboards; days at sea snorkeling and boating from the water sports platform that unfurls from the ship; and first-run movies playing after dinner on deck, where you can munch on popcorn under a blanket.

A cruise on Silversea Cruises feels indulgent from the moment you board, but it’s hard to figure out why. Is it the attentive butlers who keep your fridge stocked with favorites? Is it the free-flowing Champagne? The Pratesi sheets, Bvlgari^® products, or Belgian chocolates on your pillow? Whichever indulgence speaks loudest to you, there’s no denying the attention to detail.

At night on Celebrity ships, live music echoes from the atrium, where couples dance before and after dinner. As the evening progresses, they scatter … to the Molecular Bar for foamy cocktails, to the Ensemble Lounge for jazz, or to Cellar Masters for self-serve wine taps. There are also plenty of places — hammocks, egg chairs, daybeds, and cabanas — to grab a moment alone. Best of all: The hot tubs, while full during the day, are yours for the taking after dark.

It's hard to compete with the attraction of French Polynesia, where the Paul Gauguin sails year-round, but Paul Gauguin Cruises does something that few lines succeed at: It celebrates the destination onboard. Sign up for a black-sand body scrub or, better still, a massage on a motu, a tiny private island off the coast. The staff includes Tahitians, the menus feature local dishes, and you’ll find Polynesian dance classes that are sure to inspire a sizzling demo back in your cabin.

All these decades later, Carnival Cruise Lines remains the best choice of the major lines for travelers who want their sailing to involve either all-day drinking or all-night dancing. While there are plenty of families and other travelers who aren’t partying on these ships, you'll always find late-night revelers in the bars, and — for those who like to groove — the dance floors remain packed until the wee hours of the morning.

Recently, Cunard Line added nine single-occupancy cabins to the Queen Elizabeth, making her the best upscale choice for those of a certain age or sensibility. On this ship, sea days often involve lectures, pub quizzes, and a good book on deck with a wool blanket and a mug of bouillon — all activities the solo traveler can enjoy alone. Best of all, the line has gentlemen escorts, so single ladies are guaranteed to have a partner on the dance floor.

Royal Caribbean International’s kids’ clubs are some of the best at sea, and their all-ages activities shine too: Parades march down the indoor promenade, and concerts fill the town square. Many of the line's more adrenaline-fueled amenities (rock climbing walls, roller-skating rinks, zip lines) bring families together across generations.

You might not immediately think of Lindblad Expeditions — which explores regions like the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica in partnership with the National Geographic Society — as a family-friendly line, but it creates excursions that bring everyone together. Grandparents, parents, and kids can share unforgettable experiences like swimming with sea turtles and sailing right up to a school of dolphins.

On Seabourn ships, staffers are similarly empowered to impress. We once cruised with two babies (not prohibited, but not encouraged), and staffers thoughtfully removed a sofa and replaced it with cribs. Another guest left her dancing shoes in port, and a butler secured a pair from a colleague. Seabourn has one of the highest ratios of crew members to guests — nearly one to one — and, since tipping is discouraged, you have to believe they excel because they enjoy their work.

Disney staffers rigorously train for stints with the line as a career rather than a job. They celebrate Mickey, kids, and taking care of families. Case in point: Parents and children can eat together in whichever restaurant they choose, and the first couple courses will be served quickly so that the kids' club staff can whisk the children away while Mom and Dad linger.

Carnival is known for its affordability, but newer ships offer plenty of indulgences: pools under retractable glass that can be used in all types of weather, comedy clubs with top-notch acts, new poolside food choices, and specialty steak restaurants that could hold their own on more luxurious ships.

With kids under 11 sailing for free, and low-cost fares to begin with, MSC Cruises offers a lot of value for families. Best of all MSC Divina, sailing the Caribbean year-round — has all sorts of new watery bells and whistles, including an infinity design, a poolside gelato bar, an aqua park with 150 fountains, and even underwater spin classes.

Princess Cruises isn’t trying to make headlines for innovations with Regal Princess, but just about everything on it is done really well. Whether you dine in the buffet, the steak house, or the Italian restaurant, the food is notably solid, and the service across the board — while unobtrusive rather than doting — makes you feel taken care of just the same.

The first of Italy-based MSC Cruises’ ships to sail year-round out of the U.S., MSC Divina is a departure for the line. Instead of Europeans — who tend to stay up later, eat later, and smoke more — you’ll find an American crowd on these Miami-based sailings. Sure, MSC Preziosa entered service after MSC Divina, but this ship celebrates Italy with a few extras: Look for a gelato bar from famed Venchi chain and a Sophia Loren suite.

Look at a picture of the redecorated cabins on Crystal Symphony, and we dare you not to gasp out loud. The word gorgeous never felt so thin: With tufted leather headboards and other modern details, these rooms feel fresh rather than the usual attempt at timeless.

How do you take a Seabourn ship and turn it into a Windstar Cruises ship? Well, first of all, you let go of the idea that there will be sails, or the dramatic unfurling of said sails at the sail-away party. Instead, you celebrate the refreshingly casualness of the line in everything from mealtimes to the decor in public spaces. One great example: At night, the on-deck barbecue becomes a truly outdoor fantastic party.