Cruisers' choice: Best cruise ships of 2017
Katia Hetter, CNN • Published 15th February 2017
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(CNN) — It didn't take long for Viking Ocean Cruises to crush the competition.
The company, which is already established in river cruising, launched its first ocean cruise ship in 2015 to wide acclaim.
The company dominated the 2017 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, winning awards in 10 categories.
Viking Sea won best overall ship in the small-mid size ship category, best entertainment, best service, best fitness, best public rooms and best shore excursions. Its sister ship Viking Star won for best dining, best cabins, best value and best for first-time cruisers in the same size category.
Viking is known for its excellent service and inclusive pricing.
"The Cruisers' Choice Awards are particularly important because they are based on reviews submitted to Cruise Critic over the past year and directly reflect the experiences people had on their cruise," said Colleen McDaniel, Cruise Critic's senior executive editor.
"This means that you can not only see the ships that won, but also find out why. Reviews offer a really good starting point for planning a cruise, to help you to narrow down your choices."
The awards are based on consumer reviews and ratings by members of the Cruise Critic website.
Disney's appeal goes beyond children
Disney Cruise Line took eight awards this year, a drop from its dominating total of 11 awards in 2016. But the Disney awards demonstrated the appeal of the cruise line beyond child-centered travel.
Disney Magic did win the award for best overall ship for families, but most of the company's awards were not for family appeal. Magic won for best overall ship in the midsize ship category, while the larger Disney Dream won for best overall large ship for the third year in a row.
The Dream also won for best service, best public rooms, best cabins and best shore excursions, while the Fantasy won for best fitness and recreation.
Disney's Oceaneer Club and Lab features a Magic PlayFloor for kids.
Diana Zalucky/Disney
Celebrity Xpedition, the Celebrity Cruise Line ship based in the Galapagos, won six awards in the small ship category: best overall ship, best embarkation, best fitness, best public rooms, best value and best shore excursions.
The awards are given in four ship categories, based on passenger capacity. Large ships carry 2,000 or more passengers; midsize ships carry 1,200 to 1,999 passengers; small-mid size ships carry 400-1,199 passengers; and small ships carry fewer than 400 passengers.
2017 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards
Best Cruise Overall
Disney Dream (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Disney Magic (midsize) -- Disney Cruise Line
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) -- Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruise Ship Cabins
Disney Dream (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Marina (midsize) -- Oceania Cruises
Viking Star (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Star Legend (small) -- Windstar Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Dining
Celebrity Reflection (large) -- Celebrity Cruises
Marina (midsize) -- Oceania Cruises
Viking Star (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Wind Surf (small) -- Windstar Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Embarkation
Celebrity Reflection (large) -- Celebrity Cruises
Celestyal Crystal (midsize) -- Celestyal Cruises
Pacific Princess (small-mid) -- Princess Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) -- Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Entertainment
Allure of the Seas (large) -- Royal Caribbean International
Celestyal Crystal (midsize) -- Celestyal Cruises
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Silver Shadow (small) -- Silversea Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Fitness & Recreation
Disney Fantasy (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Marina (midsize) -- Oceania Cruises
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) -- Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Public Rooms
Disney Dream (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Marina (midsize) -- Oceania Cruises
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) -- Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Service
Disney Dream (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Marina (midsize) -- Oceania Cruises
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Paul Gauguin (small) -- Paul Gauguin Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Shore Excursions
Disney Dream (large) -- Disney Cruise Line
Celestyal Crystal (midsize) -- Celestyal Cruises
Viking Sea (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) -- Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruise Ships for Value
Norwegian Sky (large) -- Norwegian Cruise Line
Celestyal Crystal (midsize) -- Celestyal Cruises
Viking Star (small-mid) -- Viking Ocean Cruises
Celebrity Xpedition (small) - Celebrity Cruises
Best Cruises for Families
Disney Magic -- Disney Cruise Line
Best for First Timers
Viking Star -- Viking Ocean Cruises
