Sailawaze Excellence Awards 2025 Winners: These are officially the most exciting cruise lines right now

After much anticipation, the winners of the Sailawaze Excellence Awards 2025 have been revealed at a glamorous gala evening in central London.

Every cruise line across ocean, river and expedition sectors was eligible to enter the 11 categories (with three new categories added for 2025: family, accommodation and service). From the 250+ nominations, an expert judging panel whittled down a shortlist which went to a public vote over 6 weeks. The public then voted for their chosen brands in order to decide the winning cruise line for ocean, river and expedition across every category.

Voted for entirely by the public, the Sailawaze Excellence Awards reflect what real cruisers value most – and who’s delivering it best! So, who was crowned the coolest in cruise this year? Let’s take a look. 

Technology

Every year, cruise technology steps it up with more and more mind-bogglingly impressive inventions and systems. Emerald River Cruises has a swimming pool for relaxing and getting your lengths in by day that by night time, transforms into a cinema for epic movie nights! 

Princess Cruises‘ app allows for a seamless cruise, with things like pre-departure check-in, dinner reservations, and even ordering drinks all possible from the click of a button. 

Meanwhile, Scenic’s selection of technology feats is all the more outstanding given that their ships carry not much more than 200 passengers. Innovations include custom-made stabilisers that reduce rolling by 95% for the smoothest journeys even in choppy waters, to a GPS dynamic positioning system, meaning it’s possible to drop anchor while protecting seabeds.

Technology Winners

Ocean – Princess Cruises

River – Emerald River Cruises

Expedition – Scenic

Wellness

Cruise lines nowadays go above and beyond to promote health and wellness for guests onboard. Gone are the days of endless buffets and very little movement!

Even the smallest ships that you might think would be limited on space have wellness facilities like you wouldn’t believe. AmaWaterways, for example, introduced the first full-size pickleball court on the top deck of its river ship AmaMagna.

At the other end of the size scale, MSC Cruises ships feature jogging and power walking tracks with incredible ocean views, while their sprawling Aurea Spa boasts a vast array of treatments, including a ‘Dry Flotation-Zero Gravity’ experience!

As for expedition vessels, Scenic Eclipse offers The Senses Spa, a 550-square-metre wellness sanctuary, featuring a heated vitality pool, sauna, and steam rooms, as well as a range of luxurious treatments, from massages to rejuvenating facials. Imagine reclining in the sauna and looking out to a view of waddling penguins in Antarctica…talk about bucket list moments!

Wellness Winners

Ocean – MSC Cruises

River – AmaWaterways

Expedition – Scenic (Eclipse)

Entertainment

Cruise is renowned the world over for its stellar entertainment – from award-winning theatrical productions to mind-blowing dance shows. But while more traditional-style shows are still a big draw for many, there’s a whole world of innovative entertainment that many may not expect.

P&O Cruises has launched ‘Unbelievable’: a brand-new show featuring incredible illusions, mind-bending magic, and spine-tingling performances.

TUI River Cruises’ entertainment programme includes a smattering of industry firsts, from a resident entertainment team onboard performing bespoke vocal productions to intimate cabaret sets.

And entertainment doesn’t have to mean sitting in a chair and watching others perform, oh no. AE Expeditions takes a much more hands-on approach to entertainment with their Citizen Science Programme, where guests contribute to real-time scientific research during the course of their cruise.

Entertainment Winners

Ocean – P&O Cruises

River – TUI River Cruises

Expedition – AE Expeditions

Excursions

Excursions are the time when the adventure really kicks in on a cruise!

Celestyal offers a unique ‘Iconic Arabia’ shore excursion programme – a region very few cruise lines sail in – with Grand Prix experiences plus a trip to the world’s longest zipline over water!

Swan Hellenic brings cultures to life through their highly educational excursions. Try everything, from visits to African voodoo villages to meeting major archaeologists involved with Shackleton.

And if you’re looking to escape it all and head into the wilderness, Pandaw has access to some of the most remote regions of the world, including the Himalayas and Bhutan, where excursions like seeing the one-horned asian rhino on safari await.

Excursions Winners

Ocean – Celestyal

River – Pandaw

Expedition – Swan Hellenic 

Inclusion

Inclusion is an essential element for any brand, and nowhere should you feel more at ease and yourself than on holiday. Cruise companies go to lengths to ensure all communities feel welcome while onboard, but a few stood out from the crowd this year.

VIVA Cruises is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all guests and, in doing so, receives one of the highest percentages of LGBTQI+ guests on Europe’s rivers. The company is also a proud member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA).

Often overlooked until a few years ago, solo travellers are now a key area of consideration for lots of cruise lines. Norwegian Cruise Line leads the way in offering dedicated solo traveller experiences across the world’s oceans, with solo staterooms, lounges and social activities.

Aranui Cruises became the first cruise line to have an all-Polynesian crew, of which 70% are women, many of whom hold traditionally male roles such as engineers and hotel managers.

When it comes to accessibility, Disney Cruise Line prioritises a high-level of wheelchair accessibility in cabins as well as at its private island destination, Castaway Cay.

Inclusion Winners

Ocean (joint winner) – Norwegian Cruise Line

Ocean (joint winner) – Disney Cruise Line

River – VIVA Cruises

Expedition – Aranui Cruises

Sustainability

Sustainability is another central factor that will influence decision-making for many guests when considering which cruise line to book with. More often than not however, sustainability efforts go unnoticed as they are more behind-the-scenes than other elements of the cruise experience.

For example, did you know that Hurtigruten uses sustainable, recycled materials to create many of its onboard features such as costumes, uniforms, sets and crafts? Or that VIVA Cruises houses solar panels on a number of its ships?

Expedition vessels in particular have an immense responsibility as they are frequently exploring highly fragile areas, under threat from climate change. In September 2024, Ponant embarked on the first west-to-east crossing of the Arctic Ocean, to study the impacts of climate change in the region with 20 international researchers onboard.

Sustainability Winners

Ocean – Hurtigruten

River – VIVA Cruises

Expedition – Ponant

Collaborations

Collaborating with an awesome brand is a great way to double the wow-factor of a cruise, and every year, cruise lines partner up with some of the world’s coolest brands to bring even more unforgettable moments to water.

Avalon Waterways, for example, have partnered with The Ocean Cleanup, supporting the largest plastic cleanup effort in history, while Ambassador Cruise Line’s collaboration with whale & dolphin conservation charity, ORCA, directly involves guests with conservation efforts during their cruise.

Swan Hellenic have teamed up with Citizen Science, which enables guests to participate in projects that include reporting cloud data to NASA and recording whale sightings.

Collaborations Winners

Ocean – Ambassador Cruise Line

River – Avalon Waterways

Expedition – Swan Hellenic

Food & Beverage

Michelin-starred chefs. Tasting menus with umpteen exquisite courses. Cocktails that look closer to art installations than something you could consume. The food and drink scene on cruise ships is truly astonishing and so far-removed from the myths of old.

Crystal Cruises hold a number of their partnership with world-renowned chefs, including the one and only Nobu Matsuhisa – who oversees the only Nobu restaurant at sea.

An exclusive seven-course wine pairing experience in the Vintage Room onboard Riverside Luxury Cruises is a true piece of theatre, with the head chef and sommelier working in tandem to introduce each course with the passion and devotion of a director – the flavours and ingredients their cherished actors.

Small Scottish cruise line, Hebrides Cruises, places an emphasis on the locality of its produce, working with local Scottish fishermen and farmers. Even the skipper hand dives for scallops!

Food & Beverage Winners

Ocean – Crystal Cruises

River – Riverside Luxury Cruises

Expedition – Hebrides Cruises

Service

Outstanding service is the beating heart of any unforgettable holiday – and this year’s winners set a gold standard for hospitality on the water.

Whether it’s the local expertise of the crew onboard TUI River Cruises’ Nile itineraries who go above and beyond to immerse guests in the region’s culture, or Hebrides Cruises crew’s commitment to showcasing Scotland’s wildlife that extends to having a member of crew out on deck spotting wildlife at all times, thoughtful service can make all the difference!

For Saga Cruises, exemplary service begins before the ship is even in sight, with their UK-wide chauffeur service, from home to ship and vice versa.

Service Winners

Ocean – Saga Cruises

River – TUI River Cruises

Expedition – Hebrides Cruises

Family

Family cruises have evolved massively in the last few years, as, nowadays, sailing on ships of all sizes can be just as magical for toddlers as they are for teens, parents and grandparents alike, so that no member of the gang is left behind.

Dive into hours of entertainment at ‘Surfside’ – Royal Caribbean’s new family area – with merry-go-rounds, waterparks and a horizon pool.

Thought river cruises were just for the oldies looking for a quiet time? Think again! A-Rosa Cruises has an array of family facilities, including a kids’ pool up on the sundeck.

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions are all about inspiring young minds on their intrepid itineraries, offering guided sessions for under 18s and helping them to explore like scientists.

Family Winners

Ocean – Royal Caribbean

River – A-Rosa

Expedition – National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

Accommodation

From swanky suites to interiors that look like a painting, this year’s winners proved that cruise accommodation can be just as (and often even more!) stylish and smart as any hotel on land – with far better views, of course.

Uniworld River Cruises are virtually synonymous with fabulous interior design, as each ship is centred around a particular artistic theme. Some staterooms even include a four-poster bed!

On the subject of beds, how would you like to sleep on one that’s worth £160,000? Well, that’s possible when you stay in one of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Regent Suites. Not only that, you can also pamper yourself in the suite’s private spa for the ultimate exclusive retreat.

Celebrity Cruises takes sleeping outside of cabins, with a sleeping under stars experience, up on the top deck of expedition ship, Celebrity Flora, looking out to the unpolluted canopy of stars surrounding the Galapagos Islands.

Accommodation Winners

Ocean – Accommodation

River – Uniworld River Cruises

Expedition – Celebrity Cruises