The port of Southampton and ships based in the city have swept the board to carry off the top accolades at cruising’s most prestigious awards.
In the annual cruise industry awards, organised by the Cruise Critic website, the Queen, who officially named the new Queen Elizabeth in Southampton last month, was named Best Ambassador for the Cruise Industry.
Over the years the Queen has named many of the city’s most famous ships, including, the former Queen Elizabeth 2, P&O Cruises’ Oriana, RMS Queen Mary 2, as well as the latest Cunarder.
Southampton docks, owned and operated by Associated British Ports, was named the best UK departure point.
The judges praised Southampton for “having the foresight to invest in creating port facilities that can support the world’s largest ships’’.
P&O Cruises’ Ventura, with its vast choice of children’s facilities, was voted number one for “cruising with kids’’ while the company’s fleet of ships took the Best for Honeymoons award.
Royal Caribbean International’s Southampton-based Independence of the Seas won the award for the Best Ship for First-Time Cruisers.
Southampton’s Queen Elizabeth, took the title of Best New Ship while the award for the Best Pub at Sea also went to Cunard for the Golden Lion bars aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
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