Cruise Critic, the world’s leading cruise review site, has announced the winners of its 12th Annual Editors’ Picks Awards and Princess Cruises won Best Shore Excursions. The awards name the year’s top cruise lines, ships and ports, as selected by Cruise Critic’s international team of editors.

Princess Cruises was acknowledged for its robust shore excursions offerings and partnerships appealing to foodies, families and adventurers through its partnerships with Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Bon Appétit globally, and its vast offerings in Alaska. In the last year, Princess Cruises partnered with a team of local experts in Alaska to give guests even more exclusive and authentic experiences ashore as part of the cruise line’s award-winning Local Connections program.

Here’s what the Cruise Critic’s Editors had to say about this recognition:

Best Shore Excursions (Ocean Category): Princess Cruises
“Princess Cruises makes it easy to maximize time in port, thanks to smart partnerships. Foodies will appreciate culinary tours dreamed up with Bon Appétit, while nature-lovers will dig the Animal Planet and Discovery Channel choices. The line particularly shines in Alaska, where it celebrated 50 years of cruising in 2019, with a wide range of excursions designed to appeal to almost everyone.”

With a total of 15 featured shore excursions in four Alaska ports, Princess Cruises partnered with well-known chefs, artists, wildlife experts, seafaring captains and much more to develop unique excursions like:
Juneau – Taku Lodge Feast & Five-Glacier Seaplane Experience (Discovery Exclusive) – Flyover lush rainforest and five breathtaking glaciers to the charming Taku Glacier Lodge, where you will savor a feast of wild Alaska salmon complemented with homemade side dishes and glacier ice.
Ketchikan – Black Bear, Wildlife & Nature Walk (Animal Planet Exclusive) – View black bears over an elaborate elevated boardwalk system, where viewing platforms overlook the creek where large concentrations of black bear gather to feed on the huge runs of spawning Pacific salmon.
Skagway – White Pass Rail, Bennett Lake & Yukon Adventure with Train Historian (Local connections)– Travel the White Pass & Yukon Route in vintage rail cars as you trek over 20 miles of steep grades and cliff-hanging turns en route to Fraser, British Columbia, and scenic Bennett Lake.
Seattle – Small Bites on the Bay – Pike Place Tasting Tour (Bon Appétit) – Guests in transit can become a market insider on this behind-the-scenes adventure to experience the sights, sounds and flavors of this historic 105-year old landmark.
Victoria – Center of the Universe Observatory Developed with Local Astronomer (Local Connections) – Venture to the top of Observation Hill to visit the Astronomy Interpretive Center, designated a National Historic Site of Canada where you’ll find interactive astronomy displays and a planetarium show that delves into the mythology of the constellations.

More details about all of Princess Cruises worldwide shore excursion offerings can be found here: https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/.

Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic added: “This year’s awards clearly show there’s truly a cruise for every type of traveler. From innovative new ships with groundbreaking features, to standout offerings for foodies, families and frugal travelers, there are fantastic options for travelers of all kinds. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or a first-timer, these are the lines to sail for an unforgettable experience.”

Cruise Critic boasts the largest online cruise community with more than 650,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 700 cruise ships across the globe.

These awards combine Cruise Critic editors’ impartial cruise expertise – based on first-hand experiences and industry knowledge – to help travelers select the best cruise vacation from an increasing number of cruise options. For the full details of this year’s winners, visit 2019 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.

About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travelers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 650,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world’s largest online cruise community where travelers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel platform*, helps nearly 460 million travelers each month** make every trip their best trip. Travelers across the globe use the TripAdvisor site and app to browse more than 830 million reviews and opinions of 8.6 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises. Whether planning or on a trip, travelers turn to TripAdvisor to compare low prices on hotels, flights and cruises, book popular tours and attractions, as well as reserve tables at great restaurants. TripAdvisor, the ultimate travel companion, is available in 49 markets and 28 languages.

*Source: Jumpshot for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, June 2019
** Source: TripAdvisor internal log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2019

About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 18 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as “Best Cruise Line for Itineraries.”

In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion, the vacation industry’s most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.

Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, “Come Back New Promise” – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line’s onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more.

Two new Royal-class ships are currently under construction – Enchanted Princess, scheduled for delivery in June 2020, followed by Discovery Princess in November 2021. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has four ships arriving over the next five years between 2020 and 2025.