CUK Carnival Plc

SEATTLE, Dec 5, 2019 /CNW/ -- Cruise Critic, the world's largest cruise reviews site and online cruise community, announced the winners in its 2019 Editors' Picks Awards in the United States and Australia. Holland America Line's excellence was recognized in three categories: Best Dining and Best Itineraries in the United States awards and Best Entertainment in the Australian awards.

The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards highlight the best cruise lines of the year across dozens of categories, as chosen by the site's international team of editors. In 2019 Cruise Critic celebrates the 12th year of bestowing the honors.

"Itineraries, dining and entertainment are the cornerstones of the Holland America Line experience, so being recognized by the editors of Cruise Critic as the best in these areas is a tremendous honor," said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. "Over the past few years we've added many new and innovative concepts to our dining and beverage offerings, and our entertainment features the best live music at sea. And we've always been known for our unique itineraries and global destination expertise, particularly in Alaska where we've been taking travelers for more than 70 years.

"The editors of Cruise Critic are among the most knowledgeable and respected in the industry, and these awards tell us that what we're doing at Holland America Line is resonating not only with our guests but also with experts who know cruising best."

As a leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries around the world. From shorter getaways to 128-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents.

Highlights in 2020 include a robust Alaska season of award-winning cruises on eight ships that offer the most options to visit Glacier Bay National Park. A breadth of options range from seven-day cruises on Koningsdam, the line's newest class of ship, to in-depth explorations, smaller ports and Zodiac tours on 14-day itineraries by Maasdam. Land+Sea Journeys combine a cruise with an overland tour into Alaska's interior to explore Denali National Park & Preserve or combine Denali with the Yukon Territory in an exclusive option only by Holland America Line.

Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on bringing the destinations to life on board. The best live music at sea fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard. The award-winning dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants and specialty dining venues with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprised of seven world-renowned chefs.

Following are the awards with descriptions by Cruise Critic for each.

Best Dining (Ocean Category) — U.S.
"Holland America's culinary scene stands out from the rest with the help of diverse chef partnerships. Advisers of the line's celebrity chef-packed Culinary Council lend favorite recipes from seafood to chocolate. Dining expertise seasons everything from the tasty new Nami Sushi menu inside pan-Asian restaurant Tamarind to the classic Pinnacle Grill and standout main dining menus fleetwide."

Best Itineraries (Ocean Category) — U.S.
"Holland America not only covers serious territory at sea, traversing popular ports in the Caribbean, Europe and Canada/New England, but it's also constantly adding bucket-list trips. In addition to the line's Grand Voyages, circumnavigations and world cruises throughout Africa, Asia and Australia, Holland America has debuted its In-Depth Voyages — sailings that explore remote destinations, like Papua New Guinea — with expedition-style immersion."

Best Entertainment — Australia
"Holland America Line takes live music to the next level with B.B. King's Blues Club, featuring musicians from the famous Memphis venue; Rolling Stone Rock Room, starring a five-piece rock and roll band; Billboard Onboard, where pianists play chart-topping hits; and Lincoln Center Stage, showcasing chamber music. The two-story World Stage theatre, on Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, also impresses with shows on a 270-degree wraparound LED screen."

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.

For more information, contact a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog.  Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From shorter getaways to 128-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations and exotic Australia & New Zealand and Asia voyages; three annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada & New England, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line welcomed Nieuw Statendam in December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Ryndam, will be delivered in 2021.

The company's brand evolution in recent years secured its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Outstanding entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for guests.

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SOURCE Holland America Line