Towel animals are a fun cruise tradition that many passengers of all ages look forward to each evening as a new, fluffy friend appears in their cabin. But what do you know about these terrycloth visitors and how can you find your favorites?
About Towel Animals
The exact origins of cruise ship towel animals are unknown, but the tradition is often linked to Carnival Cruise Line – after all, these creative creations add a bit more fun to a Fun Ship cruise. Today, towel animals are popular on many different lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Holland America Line. While they aren’t as common on more reserved cruise lines, they can still make surprise appearances, particularly if there are younger cruisers in the cabin.
Creating different animals out of bath towels, hand towels and washcloths is a fabric folding art related to napkin folding, origami and other decorative folding arts. While towel animals aren’t as elaborate as more advanced techniques, cruise ship cabin stewards have designed an impressive array of creatures from simple towels that may be folded, rolled, creased and twisted into different fun shapes.
Most stewards even add eyes and nostrils to their creations, and some may even add accessories to personalize the friends, such as sunglasses, caps, beads, rose petals or other accents.
Carnival Cruise Line even goes a bit further with its towel animals. Puppets of the most popular animals are unofficial hosts before evening shows in the main lounge, each cruise has a Towel Animal Theater puppet show for young cruisers and guests can even buy a book on Carnival’s towel folding techniques.
A popular activity on most Carnival cruises, as well as on other lines, is a towel folding demonstration class where guests can learn how to turn their own towels into fun friends, as well as see a wider variety of terrycloth creations on display.
Towel Animals You May See
There are always new and exciting towel animals appearing on different cruise ships. More easily recognizable animals are some of the most common and popular designs, including pigs, dogs, cats, frogs, elephants, gorillas and dinosaurs. More exotic creations do appear as well, including stingrays, seals, bears, snails, rabbits, turtles and anteaters.
Photo By: Melissa Mayntz
While these animals are typically placed on beds during the evening turndown service, some may even be hung from vents, window frames or mirrors, and bats and monkeys both make regular dangling appearances for guests.
You can actually buy Towel Animal books from Amazon right here.
Some cabin stewards may make much larger creations from multiple towels, such as alligators or even human-like figures, or romantic options such as hearts, flowers or a sweet pair of swans or peacocks may visit couples’ cabins.
The sizes, expressions and poses of towel animals can vary, all depending on the cabin steward’s creativity and what towels they choose for each creation. Guests who hope to find their favorite towel animal can always ask their steward about a particular animal or leave a note with a polite request.
It is important to be aware, however, that cabin stewards have many other duties, and it may not always be possible to meet more exotic requests. If the day has been very busy or a difficult situation arises, some nights may not feature towel animals at all.
Photo By: Melissa Mayntz
These fuzzy friends are a fun extra stewards add to guest cabins to make a cruise more enjoyable and memorable, but making towel animals is not an official part of a cabin steward’s duties.
Cruise passengers don’t have to wait for the evening turndown service or ask their steward to see their favorite towel animals, however. The towel stations near pools often have a pal or two on display, or can even make one if asked.
Housekeeping carts on different cabin decks often have a friendly towel animal keeping the staff company as well. On family-friendly cruise lines, there may be a big parade or display of towel animals at some point during the cruise, often in a large lounge or near the main pool where a whole menagerie of animals will gather.
When towel animals appear in your cabin, you are welcome to keep them around throughout the cruise, but it can be helpful to the cabin steward if you gently disassemble any you don’t need to keep. Multiple towel animals can quickly take up valuable space in small cabins, and if all the animals stay put for the entire cruise, that is a lot of towels the steward will need to take care of at the end of the trip.
Instead, if the animals are disassembled after being enjoyed for the evening, the same towels can be reused for new friends the next night. If there is a towel animal you want to keep throughout your cruise, however, you can move it to a safe location on a nightstand, table or desk, adorn it with your own accessories, or leave a thank you note to let your cabin steward know you want to enjoy the friend a bit longer.
Towel animals can be a fun part of your cruise vacation, bringing a bit of whimsy to your cabin and giving you even more to smile about as you enjoy a great getaway. Which ones have you seen?
Carnival Horizon is the second Vista-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, and there is one dining venue onboard that steals the show, and it’s called Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse.
Even though the smokehouse is featured on some other Carnival cruise ships, the space on Carnival Horizon is the first dedicated venue, which also features a brewhouse with exclusively brewed ales just for the ship.
We’ll go into more details further below, and all the things about Carnival Horizon’s BBQ venue, which is in partnership with Guy Fieri.
1. Smokehouse Favorites
One of the main aspects of Guy’s new smokehouse is the food! The BBQ-inspired dishes have been put together by Food Network chef Guy Fieri, who is also well known on Carnival ships for the popular Guy’s Burger Joint.
The restaurant includes the main BBQ favorites, including brisket custom-smoked for 12 hours, Memphis-style baby back ribs, dry-rubbed and grill-finished chicken, pulled pork, and cedar-smoked salmon with an apricot glaze.
The tasty favorites are, of course, all cooked low and slow. Guy’s very own rubs and spice are also added to add that extra special signature taste. All of this is served with coleslaw, sweet pickles, and golden honey cornbread or Texas toast.
2. Guy’s Signature Dishes
That’s not all! Diners can enjoy the smokehouse signature dishes including Dragon Chili Cheese Fries featuring smoked beef brisket, cheddar cheese, onions, and jalapenos; Trash Can Nachos topped with pulled pork; Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ sauce, and melted cheese; The Smokehouse Melt, with pulled pork, sliced brisket, double smoked pork belly bacon, two slices of cheddar cheese, homemade pickles and donkey sauce.
3. Exclusive Sources
To complete Guy’s BBQ food are the choice of different sources and side dishes. There are several sources to get the taste buds going and even some Carnival Exclusives including Smokey Chipotle, Gold Coast Yellow Mustard, Black Pepper, and Burning Tomato.
4. BBQ Side Dishes
The side dishes have also been created by Guy Fieri and they are Longhorn Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Beer-Braised Cowboy Pinto Beans, Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, Mashed Potatoes with Red Eye Gravy and Burnt Ends, and Buttermilk Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds.
Rendering By: Carnival Cruise Line
5. Brewery
Just like sister ship Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon has its very own brewery located inside Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse. This is where the head Carnival brew master, Colin Presby, puts together those exclusive beers, and guests can even see what’s going on through the windows as they get stuck into one of Guy’s signature dishes.
6. Craft Beers
So let’s take a more detailed look at those beers that are only available on the Carnival Horizon and first announced in January 2018. The four beers have been specifically created onboard to complement the BBQ dishes.
ParchedPig Smoked Porter
Brewed with in-house smoked malt, this robust, full-bodied beer offers big and bold flavors and notes of molasses and hickory smoke, providing the perfect complement to Smokehouse|Brewhouse’s BBQ favorites
ParchedPig Farmhouse Ale
This lightly hopped beer is distinguished by its blond color, fruity and complex character, with mild spice notes that balance the brew’s dry finish
ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale
Highlighted by its rich amber color and notes of toasted caramel and biscuit, this beer is well balanced, smooth, and highly drinkable
ParchedPig West Coast IPA
The embodiment of a traditional West Coast India Pale Ale, this hoppy, intense beer is loaded with bitterness, with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine
7. The Bar
The is a nice long bar near the entrance of the specialty restaurant where guests can relax and not just enjoy the craft beers. The bar has it all including cocktails, bottled beer and a wide selection of whiskeys.
A major highlight is the venues Hig Sampler as seen in the image further above. Guests can try all four of the specially brewed Carnival Horizon craft beers. It only costs $.75 to try them all! Of course, a regular sized beer can be ordered too along with an exclusive “Stay Cold Growler” costing $48.95.
8. Free Menu for Lunch
On embarkation day and sea days on Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor, there will be a free lunch menu available. This will be a good way for guests to try out the venue before going all in on one of the evenings on a la carte basis.
It will be a buffet service starting from noon until 2 PM. This could change in the future so do check first when you get on the ship.
Just imagine enjoying smoked food, refreshing craft beer, a view of the brewery all with live music too! When the barbeque restaurant is open there will be a live band playing music into the night. Expect some great all American tunes to delight diners.
10. Inspired Decor
This is the first full BBQ restaurant in the fleet, and the venues feature the type of style you would think of when eating this type of food. There is a very rustic feeling with lots of brows and grays.
There are red broken walls and a wooden floor with a seating area inside and outside on the deck. There is a seating capacity of 138, and it is located on the ship’s Promenade deck.
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse is Where You Should Be!
If you ever do take a cruise on Carnival Horizon, then this is a must-visit dining venue onboard. It is the first in the fleet and opens full from 5 PM every evening, staying open until late at night.
A cruise is a fun, relaxing getaway, but with ships getting bigger and bigger and carrying more and more passengers – the world’s largest cruise ships can carry more than 6,500 passengers on a single sailing – it is inevitable that not everyone will get along. With so many people sharing the same facilities for a few fun-filled days, it is no surprise that some annoying behaviors will emerge.
Once you realize how annoying these things can be to your fellow passengers, however, you can be sure not to do them, and you will know how not to let annoying behaviors ruin your vacation.
The Most Annoying Things People Do on a Cruise Ship
Everyone has different pet peeves, but these behaviors are fairly universally annoying to most cruise ship passengers.
1. Saving Seats
Whether it is staking out a lounge chair by the pool, reserving a block of seats in the main show lounge, holding chairs at the comedy club, or taking up extra space at the lido restaurant, no one is happy to see one person saving many seats in popular seating areas, especially at busy times.
While everyone understands briefly holding chairs while someone may go get a drink or pick up their meal, it is rude and annoying to save seats for extended periods, especially if there is no one actually there and instead there are just towels, pieces of fruit, or other tokens to stake out the territory.
Avoid being this person by keeping your party together when you need seats, and sending only 1-2 people at a time away from the seating so there is no confusion about how many seats you need.
2. Children Out of Control
A cruise can be a great family vacation, and there are plenty of activities to keep younger cruisers engaged and out of trouble. Those activities do end, however, and there are times when parents need to more closely supervise their children. Kids running down hallways, turning hot tubs into impromptu water fights, pushing all the elevator buttons, or having “sword” fights on the miniature golf course quickly irritate and annoy other passengers.
Parents should be aware of where their children are at all times, and recognize that while it is important to relax and have fun on vacation, there should still be rules and consequences if children misbehave.
Video Footage By: KPRC 2
3. Overusing the Elevator
There are plenty of stairs on a cruise ship, and after a busy day, big meal, or late night, it may seem easier just to push the button and take the elevator all the time. When you’re only going one deck up or down, however, it can be annoying for other passengers who are using the elevator to cross several decks.
Of course no one should get annoyed when there may be mobility issues or other concerns that necessitate elevator use, but if you can go up and down just a single deck, it is better to use the stairs, and will burn off some of those rich cruise food calories besides.
4. Cutting in Line
From buffets to bingo card sales to waterslides to tender boats, there are many different lines you may wait in during your cruise. Nothing can be more annoying that thinking you’re nearly done waiting, only to have extra people cut ahead of you where just one or two members of their party have been holding places – or even just cutting in line without anyone having saved places at all.
If someone forgets something in the stateroom or needs to leave the line, it is better to let other people pass ahead until the missing person returns.
A vacation may be the perfect time to cut loose, but it is always annoying when a cruise passenger knowingly breaks the ship’s restrictions or even local laws. This might be trying to smuggle contraband onto the ship, which will slow down the security line for everyone, or it could be smoking on balconies, which is prohibited for safety reasons, or it might even be underage cruisers trying to get alcoholic drinks from law-abiding passengers.
These violations can be severely punished and may even cut a lawbreaker’s cruise short if they are put off the ship before the cruise ends.
6. Overindulging
Cutting loose doesn’t have to mean breaking the law, but even legal overindulgence can annoy other cruisers. Anyone who is severely drunk, obsessively gambling, or otherwise overindulging to the point where they disrupt others or cause a scene can put a damper on other passengers’ vacations.
These out-of-control behaviors can also lead to other consequences, including fines, confinement to the stateroom, or even being removed from the ship if passengers get belligerent or violent.
Photo By: Russell Otway
7. Excessive Noise
Part of a great vacation is a chance to sleep in, take a nap, or otherwise relax in a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, but passengers who are too loud will annoy everyone with their antics. It might be slamming doors, talking loud in narrow hallways, televisions or music turned up loudly, or yelling and carrying on at shows or by the pool, but it is never enjoyable for everyone else.
This is especially true on stateroom decks or in areas designated as quieter spaces, such as an adults-only retreat, the ship’s spa, or the library or chapel. Using an inside voice and respecting others’ desire for peaceful quiet is essential to be sure you aren’t the annoying noisemaker on board.
8. Disrespectful Attitudes
No one likes to be disrespected or bear the brunt of rude behavior, and it is also annoying to see that behavior inflicted on others. Anyone who is blatantly being rude or disrespectful to crew members, other passengers, or even tour operators or retailers in ports of call gives all cruise passengers a bad reputation.
It is always best to be courteous and respectful of other cultures, countries, and beliefs, and a cruise ship should be a wonderful opportunity to meet people from many places and learn about those differences rather than be annoying.
9. Filming a Documentary
Photos and videos are a great way to capture all the memorable moments of your cruise, but if you believe every single second of your getaway is worthy of recording, you will be one of those annoying passengers who can’t put the camera down.
Selfie sticks, constantly stopping for a new pose, and always getting in the way of others for your photos is very irritating behavior, and we should all be realistic – are you going to look at hundreds of photos or hours of video after your vacation ends?
Certainly, you want to take some great photos to share with friends and family members, but make sure you take time to put the camera away and just enjoy being on your cruise.
Photo By: Russell Otway
10. Hogging Equipment
While they may be filled with state-of-the-art features, cruise ships still have limited facilities and it can be annoying when a passenger monopolizes equipment.
This can be a common problem in the gym or fitness center, when there are only a few specific cardio machines yet one passenger may decide to spend an hour or more on the treadmill or elliptical while other passengers wait to use it.
Other areas that might have annoying usage hogs include casino games, games of chance, arcade games, hot tubs, hammocks, or the miniature golf course. To decrease the frustration, it is best if passengers – while feeling free to use whatever equipment they like – are mindful of others and limit their use of the most popular items so everyone can share.
11. Staying in the Spotlight
There are many chances to shine on a cruise ship, from winning trivia contests or deck games to volunteering to go on stage at a show, joining in a dance contest, or otherwise getting involved, and in fact getting involved can make your cruise even more memorable.
It is memorable to other passengers for all the wrong reasons, however, when one person constantly strives to be a star and get special attention. Whether that passenger is an enthusiastic adult or an attention-craving child, it is still annoying and once a person has had their shining moment, they should let others have theirs.
12. Being Late
Cruise ships can have very structured schedules, particularly when the day is crowded with different activities both on board and on shore. When one passenger is late, it can annoy everyone else waiting for the same event, whether that means starting a trivia contest over or delaying dining service to accommodate the latecomer.
Even if the activity is not delayed, such as an evening show, a late arrival will irritate other passengers when they are talking, moving in front of seated guests, or otherwise disrupting the event because they weren’t courteous enough to be on time.
13. Complaining, Complaining, Complaining
When something is upsetting, it can be helpful to talk it over with another person. When a passenger is constantly complaining about different issues, however, they might be annoying others enough to lodge their own complaints.
This is particularly true if the complaints are about relatively minor annoyances, such as long lines or crowded elevators, or things that are out of anyone’s control, such as poor weather. When something is a legitimate grievance, registering a complaint with the proper officials can be useful, but otherwise, nagging complaints should be kept to a minimum.
14. Excessive PDA
There’s no place better to celebrate love than on a cruise ship, whether it is for an onboard wedding, honeymoon, or just a romantic getaway with someone special. That romance shouldn’t spill over into everyone else’s vacation, however, especially when affectionate touching, kisses, and other behaviors might not always be seen as appropriate for public settings.
While friendly romance is certainly fine, if those gestures are better left for private areas, couples should retire to their cabins rather than annoy other passengers with too much physical friendliness.
15. Loyalty Bragging
It can be great to earn rewards by being a loyal cruiser to one cruise line, but it isn’t so great to brag about those rewards and demand special service with every voyage.
Past passengers should understand the benefits they’ve earned, but also understand that those benefits do not entitle them to behave rudely or otherwise annoy fellow passengers or abuse crew members with unreasonable requests.
If You Are Annoyed
Whether it is your first cruise or your fiftieth, you’re sure to encounter some annoying behaviors. The best way to handle that annoyance without overshadowing an otherwise fun vacation is to stay calm and polite at all times, walking away, or avoiding situations that are irritating.
While it may occasionally be necessary to seek help to resolve an annoying situation, such as calling security to handle extreme noise or asking servers not to delay dinner service for a perpetually late passenger, it is always best to remember the point of your cruise vacation – to relax, have fun, and enjoy yourself, not to worry about the behaviors of other passengers, and certainly not to let others ruin your cruise.
Carnival Horizon has been voted as the “Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.
Here comes the final result: Carnival Horizon, which is the second Vista-Class cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line, has received more votes than any other new 2018 cruise ship in its category. Carnival Horizon won the group by a huge amount of votes by Cruise Hive readers in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.
Carnival Horizon is currently under construction by Fincantieri in Italy and will be completed in Spring 2018, with its maiden voyage departing Barcelona, Spain, on April 2.
The sister ship to Carnival Vista will sail a series of cruises in Europe before sailing a transatlantic voyage to New York. During the summer, the new Carnival cruise ship will offer cruises to the Caribbean and Bermuda. Finally, in September, the ship will begin its year-round service from PortMiami, Florida.
The ship is now in the final stages of construction and once complete will be 133,500 gross tons and carrying almost 4,000 passengers at double occupancy.
Photo By: Carnival Cruise LIne
Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018 Results
In the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards, this is the final category we’re announcing it is the biggest with the most amount of votes. Carnival Horizon was up against four other major cruise ships from different cruise lines, which are arriving in 2018.
The 2nd place went to Celebrity Edge, a totally new generation of cruise ship currently being built for Celebrity Cruises. This vessel has some innovative features, including the Magic Carpet, which may have helped the vessel get to second place. The new class ship will debut in December 2018 with Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will be 117,000 gross tons and be able to carry 2,900 guests. Celebrity Edge is under construction at the STX France shipyard.
In 3rd place came Symphony of the Seas, which will join the Royal Caribbean fleet in March 2018. When this fourth Oasis-class ship enters service, it will become the world’s biggest cruise ship, taking over the crown from sister ship Harmony of the Seas. We were surprised that this ship didn’t win the “Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” category due to the much attention it received in the cruise industry. The 230,000 gross ton Royal Caribbean ship will sail its inaugural season in Europe and will then be based out of Miami, Florida, starting in November 2018.
In 4th place for our reader awards came Norwegian Bliss, which is currently under construction by Meyer Werft in Germany. This ship will be operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and join the fleet in April 2018, and will eventually be based in Seattle, Washington, for cruises in Alaska starting in June 2018. Norwegian Bliss will be the third Breakaway Plus class vessel at 167,800 gross tons and will carry 4,000 passengers.
In the final position with the least amount of votes was MSC Seaview, the sister ship to MSC Seaside which just recently started cruises from Miami, Florida. MSC Seaview is under construction by Fincantieri in Italy and will debut in June 2018. The vessel will spend its inaugural year in Europe and then sail cruises in South America. MSc Seaview will be 154,000 gross tons and be able to carry over 4,000 guests.
The “most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” category was the most popular in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. Thousands of Cruise Hive readers voted and chose Carnival Horizon. Readers were only able to vote once since the 4th annual awards started in September 2017. Any repeat votes from the same IP were not counted, and all final positions were double-checked.
We have now announced all the winners in all categories, which can be read at our dedicated Cruise Ship Awards page. We must say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in our very cruise ship-focused awards. Congratulations to Carnival Horizon and all the other winners in the 2017 awards. We’ll see you once again when we open the Cruise Ship Awards once again for the 5th time later in 2018.
There is still a bit of a wait but readers have already decided on their “Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship” in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards.
Spectrum of the Seas is a future cruise ship that is currently under construction for Royal Caribbean at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. Cruise Hive readers voted the ship as the “Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.
The future Royal Caribbean vessel will be the first Quantum Ultra class ship, an evolution of the current Quantum-class ships. The ship will have a similar design but be larger than Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Ovation of the Seas. Spectrum of the Seas will be 168,800 gross tons and be able to carry 4,200 passengers at double occupancy. The future ship will arrive in 2019 and there is even a second sister ship on order for 2020.
Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship Results
In 2nd place in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards came Norwegian Bliss, a Breakaway Plus-class vessel for Norwegian Cruise Line which will arrive in 2018. Norwegian Bliss will be 167,800 gross tons and be able to carry over 4,000 guests at double occupancy.
In 3rd place with a fair amount of votes came the first ever Virgin Voyages cruise ship, which is being built by Fincantieri in Genoa, Italy. This adults-only vessel is set to be unique and offer a new style of cruising. The ship will sail from Miami, Florida and will be 110,000 gross tons carrying 2,800 guests. The future Virgin Voyages ship will arrive in 2020.
In 4th place came the future World Class ship for MSC Cruises. The ship is still far away from arriving in 2022, but we do know it will be powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), built by STX France, and be 200,000 gross tons. You can read more details about the original announcement by MSC in May 2017.
In 5th place came Aidanova for German-based Aida Cruises. This will be the largest ever cruise ship to be built for the Carnival-owned cruise line and there are more on the way for other cruise brands too. Aidanova will be completed in December 2018 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The future vessel will be 180,000 gross tons and be able to carry 6,600 passengers, more than any other ship in the industry.
At the bottom of the results, with the lowest number of votes, came the future global class ship for Asian-based Star Cruises. Not much has yet been revealed from the cruise line, but we do know the first ship will be 201,000 gross tons and be able to carry around 5,000 passengers. The is set to be delivered in 2019.
It’s the first time we’ve done this category for the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. We aim to focus on the cruise ships in our awards to make them different from most. Voting has been open since September 2017 and thousands of cast a vote. Readers were only able to vote once and any repeats were not counted.
Congratulations to Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas, and we look forward to finding out more about the ship, which the cruise line will release over time the closer it gets to being completed.
For the first time ever we have a draw between Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards.
We really didn’t expect this but two cruise ships have received the same amount of votes in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards. Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside can both take home the crown for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017.
Norwegian Joy is the second Breakaway-Plus class vessel from Norwegian Cruise Line and has been purpose-built for the Chinese market. The ship which is now based out of China was delivered by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in April 2017. The NCL ship is 167,400 gross tons and can carry over 4,200 passengers at double occupancy.
Norwegian Joy has also won “Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork” for 2017, read all about it here.
MSC Seaside is not long been in service and was just recently christened in PortMiami. This is the first ship in its class and built by Fincantieri in Italy. The ship is part of the cruise lines expansion plans in North America and is offering Caribbean cruises year-round from Miami, Florida. MSC Seaside is 153,500 gross tons and can carry over 4,100 guests at double occupancy.
Best New Cruise Ship Results
With the draw of Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” of the year, it leaves just four other news cruise ships within the category. In 2nd place came Majestic Princess which is another vessel purpose-built for the Chinese market. The Princess cruise ship is 143,700 gross tons and began cruises in Spring 2017.
3rd place went to MSC Meraviglia, the biggest news cruise ship to arrive in 2017 and the largest so far for the cruise line. MSC Meraviglia is the first in its class and was built by STX France. The new ship started sailing in Spring and is 167,600 gross tons carrying 4,500 guests.
4th place in the awards went to Viking Sky, a smaller vessel than the others and luxury at its very best. Viking Sky is the third ocean cruise ship for Viking Cruises, and it has 47,800 gross tons and entered service in the summer.
In the final position with the lowest amount of votes from Cruise Hive readers is World Dream, a new cruise ship that arrived for Dream Cruises Asia. The ship was built by Meyer Werft in Germany and is 151,100 gross tons and arrived in the fall.
This year’s Cruise Ship Awards received thousands of votes and more than previous years in the annual awards which Cruise hive readers can vote in. We had really double check this category due to the draw and we made sure there were no double votes from the same IP.
We must congratulate Norwegian joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017 where for the first time ever on Cruise Hive it was a draw!
The popular venue Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line has been voted as “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” for 2017.
Once again Guys Burger Joint venue, which can be found on Carnival cruise ships has been voted as the “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” in this year’sCruise Ship Awards. Guys also won this category in 2016 so the burgers there must be so good! The Carnival burger venue didn’t just win but almost wiped the competition out with the second place far behind.
Guys Burger Joint first appeared on Carnival Liberty in 2011 as part of the ship FUN 2.0 upgrades. Since then these upgrades have been rolling out across the fleet to add more choice and options to cruisers. Guys Burger Joint offers free grilled burgers and hand cut fries near the main pool and guests can even add their own toppings and sources. The venue is in partnership with Food Network star Guy Fieri.
Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue Results
Guys Burger Joint dominated this category and burger venues on other cruise lines didn’t even come close! In 2nd place came Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean a tradition burger venue which has been a popular choice throughout the fleet.
In 3rd came O’Sheehans Bar & Grill found on Norwegian Cruise Line and 4th came Margaritaville at Sea which is only on some of the newest NCL cruise ships. and it isn’t included int he cruise price. The Dive in Terrace on Holland America Line came in 5th place, The Salty Dog Gastro Pub found on Princess Cruises came in 6th and finally in 7th place came Bistro On Five onboard Celebrity Cruises.
We received thousands of votes by Cruise Hive readers since the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards opened up in September. Readers were only able to vote once and any repeat votes were not counted. We went through checking to make the votes were correct not just for this category but all of them in this year’s awards.
We must congratulate Carnival Cruise Line for Guys Burger Joint winning “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” and let’s see if they can keep the trend going in 2018. We’ve already announced Carnival Cruise Line has won “Best Cruise Ship Refurbishment” with the Carnival Dream and “Best Cruise Ship Feature” with Carnival Vista’s SkyRide, there could be even more winners to come.
Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas won the “Best Large Cruise Ship” of 2017 and got more votes than other large vessels in the industry.
Harmony of the Seas is operated by Royal Caribbean, and the ship has just won “Best Large Cruise Ship” in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. Cruise Hive readers have been voting since September, and they have chosen the third Oasis-class ship, which is also currently the world’s largest cruise ship.
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship didn’t win by much, Carnival Vista, which is the largest ship from Carnival Cruise Line, was just a few votes away but ran out of time! Harmony of the Seas joined the Royal Caribbean fleet in Spring 2016 and is an impressive 226,960 and can carry over 5,400 passengers at double occupancy.
As expected, with a cruise ship this size it has all the features to keep any type of cruiser busy during the entire voyage. One highlight is the Ultimate Abyss, which is an industry first and came second in this year’s “Best Cruise Ship Feature” on Cruise Hive.
Best Large Cruise Ship Results
Harmony of the Seas had some tough competition in the “Best Large Cruise Ship” category. The ship was up against other large vessels from Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard Line. We tried to keep it fair by not more than one ship from the same cruise line.
Photo By: Royal Caribbean
In close 2nd place came Carnival Vista, the newest Carnival ship, which joined the fleet in the Spring of 2016. The ship is 133,500 gross tons and introduced the first ever SkyRide and IMAX Theater at sea. The SkyRide feature also just won “Best Cruise Ship Feature” of 2017. The Carnival cruise ship has a passenger capacity of over 3,900 at double occupancy.
In 3rd place came Norwegian Escape which is operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and joined the fleet in 2015 as the first Breakaway-Plus class ship. The NCl vessel is a popular choice for cruisers out of PortMiami.
In 4th position came one of the most iconic cruise vessels in the world, Queen Mary 2. This ship, which is operated by Cunard Line, has long been a favorite of cruisers all over the world. When the ship first began sailing in 2003 it was the largest cruise ship in the world at 150,000 gross tons but now it is the 10th biggest!
In the last and final 5th place in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards was MSC Meraviglia which only began service in 2017 and is the largest ever MSC cruise ship so far at 167,600 gross tons and carrying over 4,400 passengers at double occupancy. More even larger cruise ships from MSC are on order.
Just remember a large cruise ship doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. We often find some amazing smaller vessels which offer more port options and a highly rated service.
With thousands of votes from Cruise Hive readers, we must say thank you to you all for taking the time to vote. This is the 4th Annual Cruise Ship Awards and since September voting had been open. We’ve taken away multiple votes from the same IP and checked to make sure voting is accurate.
Congratulations to Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas cruise ship for winning “Best Large Cruise Ship” and we hope cruisers continue to enjoy the ship even if sister ship Symphony of the Seas will be slightly larger when she arrives in March 2018.
Norwegian Joy has won “Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork” and received more votes than three other ships from different cruise lines.
That stunning artwork seen on Norwegian Joy, which is the newest cruise ship currently operated by Norwegian Cruise Line is now award-winning thanks to Cruise Hive readers in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards.
The 3,900-passenger Norwegian Joy was delivered from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, in April 2017. This Breakaway-Plus class vessel and sister ship to Norwegian Escape has been purpose-built for the Chinese market, and its hull artwork complements that.
The design of the artwork is called “Phoenix” and it was visioned by renowned Chinese artist Tan Ping. Featured on the ship hull is an iconic mythical bird which is believed to reign supreme over all birds of the world and is used a lot throughout Chinese culture.
Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork Results
Norwegian Joy was up against World Dream from Dream Cruises Asia, P&O Britannia from the UK-based P&O Cruises, and Aidaperla from German-based Aida Cruises. This group was very international with cruise lines across the world and not just focused on the U.S. based lines.
In second place came World Dream, it was a very distant second with no possibility of beating Norwegian Joy. World Dream is operated by Dream Cruises Asia and was built at the same shipyard as Norwegian Joy.
In third place for this year’s Cruise Ship Awards came P&O Britannia, the largest-ever cruise ship for the British cruise line. The vessel has the Union Jack on its hull, showcasing the country across the world.
Finally in last position came Aidaperla, a new cruise ship for Germany’s Aida Cruises. the ship and other ships in the fleet are well known for featuring those big red lips on the hull.
We received thousands of votes by Cruise Hive readers in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards. We would like to say thank you to everyone who voted. Readers were only allowed to vote once in each category and any repeat votes found were not counted. As an original cruise blog that started in 1998, the awards are a good way to give back and highlight what our readers liked best in 2017.
For the past two years, Norwegian Escape has dominated the “Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork” category, and now, the sister ship Norwegian Joy has taken the crown.
