The cruise industry’s consumer favourites have been announced at the inaugural Sailawaze Excellence Awards in partnership with Metro.
A gala ceremony took place on May 16 at the Underglobe, located at Shakespeare’s Globe in central London, with Iglu Cruise as headline sponsor.
170 attendees were joined by host Patrick Grant, TV star and fashion designer, who judges hit BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee.
The after-party was sponsored by Blue Soup, with after-party cocktails provided by Tidal Rum.
More than 150 entries were submitted across eight categories. They were judged by a panel of cruise industry experts, with a shortlist subsequently going forward into a final round of consumer voting.
MSC Cruises took home three awards on the night, in Technology, Sustainability and Collaborations.
Royal Caribbean were also triple winners, in the Inclusion, Entertainment and Technology categories.
Carnival Cruise Line won in the Entertainment category, while Celestyal and Cunard were both recognised for their innovations in Food & Beverage and Princess Cruises scooped an award in Technology.
Holland America Line, Azamara, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines were the top four in the Excursions category, while for Wellness the winners were Virgin Voyages, Silversea Cruises, Swan Hellenic and Viking.
Antonio Paradiso, UK and Ireland Managing Director at MSC, said: “I am delighted that MSC Cruises was awarded three customer choice Sailawaze awards and that Explora Journeys also received an award for Food & Beverage.
“It is fantastic to know that our customers voted for us in these categories. Thank you to Sailawaze for hosting a brilliant event that celebrated the best of the cruise and travel industry.”
Ben Bouldin, Vice President EMEA at Royal Caribbean International, said: “We are delighted to have received these three awards at the first Sailawaze awards.
Royal Caribbean prides itself on excellence and we are humbled to have our accomplishments in technology, entertainment and inclusion acknowledged by the public.”
Iain Powell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the UK and EMEA at Hurtigruten, who won in the Sustainability category, said: “We’re really proud of this win, particularly as it is voted for by consumers.
“Sustainability is something we’re laser-focused on, so we’re delighted to be recognised in this category. It was a fantastic event and a reimagined version of a cruise industry awards ceremony.”
Anna Gregori, Vice President Brand and Customer Journey at Celestyal, said: “The team is thrilled to pick up an award and it means so much to all of us.
“We really identify with the Sailawaze Excellence Awards; we see ourselves as a challenger brand and see similarities with Sailawaze.”
Patrick Grant said: “It was a lovely atmosphere and everyone had a great time. There are so many extraordinary things happening in the cruise industry, demonstrating there is something for everybody.”
A full list of the winners can be found here https://sailawaze.com/uk/news-and-interviews/sailawaze-excellence-awards-2024-winners/
