Cruise Critic picked the best cruise lines for North American travelers in its <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cruisecritic.com%2Feditors-picks%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">7th Annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards</a>. The best new ship award goes to Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, one of the largest ships afloat, featuring robot bartenders, state of the art connectivity, bumper cars and skydiving.
Cruise Critic's Top Cruise Lines of 2014 —
Cruise Critic picked the best cruise lines for North American travelers in its 7th Annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards. The best new ship award goes to Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, one of the largest ships afloat, featuring robot bartenders, state of the art connectivity, bumper cars and skydiving.
courtesy Royal Caribbean International
Best ship refurbishment: Oceania Cruises spent $50 million this year to update its three R-class 694-passenger ships that were already shining bright. Cruise Critic editors love the redesigned suites, new mattresses, coffee bar and pool deck update.
Best ship refurbishment —
Best ship refurbishment: Oceania Cruises spent $50 million this year to update its three R-class 694-passenger ships that were already shining bright. Cruise Critic editors love the redesigned suites, new mattresses, coffee bar and pool deck update.
Courtesy Oceana Cruises
Best for luxury: The French Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions has three small (264-passenger) yachts offering luxury on travels to exotic places, like the Arctic and Antarctic.
Best for luxury —
Best for luxury: The French Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions has three small (264-passenger) yachts offering luxury on travels to exotic places, like the Arctic and Antarctic.
Courtesy Ponant Yacht Cruises
Best for families: Disney Cruise Line takes top honors for making cruising attractive for family members of all ages, ensuring enough grownup offerings so it's not just the children having a great time.
Best for families —
Best for families: Disney Cruise Line takes top honors for making cruising attractive for family members of all ages, ensuring enough grownup offerings so it's not just the children having a great time.
courtesy Disney Cruise Line
Best itineraries: Princess Cruises is taking cruisers where they want to go. Most notable are their Alaska, Panama Canal and Caribbean voyages, and around-the-world cruises lasting more than 100 days.
Best itineraries —
Best itineraries: Princess Cruises is taking cruisers where they want to go. Most notable are their Alaska, Panama Canal and Caribbean voyages, and around-the-world cruises lasting more than 100 days.
courtesy Princess Cruises
Best for adventure: International Expeditions mostly focuses on land tours, which is what makes their cruises to the Peruvian Amazon and the Galapagos Islands so special. Where you are going is a key part of the trip, and the regions are part of the onboard and port experience.
Best for adventure —
Best for adventure: International Expeditions mostly focuses on land tours, which is what makes their cruises to the Peruvian Amazon and the Galapagos Islands so special. Where you are going is a key part of the trip, and the regions are part of the onboard and port experience.
courtesy International Expeditions
Best value for money: Carnival Cruise Lines didn't let a series of mechanical failures last year get in the way of its business. The company introduced Carnival's Great Vacation Guarantee and it continues to make sure cruisers have fun with a Seuss at Sea family program, different food offerings and waterslides.
Best value for money —
Best value for money: Carnival Cruise Lines didn't let a series of mechanical failures last year get in the way of its business. The company introduced Carnival's Great Vacation Guarantee and it continues to make sure cruisers have fun with a Seuss at Sea family program, different food offerings and waterslides.
courtesy Carnival Cruise Lines
Best dining: Oceania Cruises is a gourmet's dream. Its main dining rooms offer open seating but fans know to check out their alternative options: Jacques, named for the line's famous executive culinary director, Jacques Pepin, and Red Ginger.
Best dining —
Best dining: Oceania Cruises is a gourmet's dream. Its main dining rooms offer open seating but fans know to check out their alternative options: Jacques, named for the line's famous executive culinary director, Jacques Pepin, and Red Ginger.
Courtesy Oceania Cruises
Best entertainment: Norwegian Cruise Line offers Latin sounds, Legends in Concert and "Rock of Ages" on its cruises, entertaining travelers whatever their music (and comedy) preferences.
Best entertainment —
Best entertainment: Norwegian Cruise Line offers Latin sounds, Legends in Concert and "Rock of Ages" on its cruises, entertaining travelers whatever their music (and comedy) preferences.
Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line
Best suites: Most Celebrity Cruises' suites feature butler service on every suite level, in-suite dining and one free dinner at an alternative restaurant.
Best suites —
Best suites: Most Celebrity Cruises' suites feature butler service on every suite level, in-suite dining and one free dinner at an alternative restaurant.
courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Best inside cabins: Royal Caribbean International first placed virtual balconies in some inside cabins on Navigator of the Seas, and they can now be found on the new Quantum of the Seas. Real-time outside video is displayed on wall-sized digital screens in some inside cabins.
Best inside cabins —
Best inside cabins: Royal Caribbean International first placed virtual balconies in some inside cabins on Navigator of the Seas, and they can now be found on the new Quantum of the Seas. Real-time outside video is displayed on wall-sized digital screens in some inside cabins.
courtesy Royal Caribbean International
Best standard cabins: Holland America Line standard cabins offer more space and amenities than the industry average, including robes, shoeshine service and fruit.
Best standard cabins —
Best standard cabins: Holland America Line standard cabins offer more space and amenities than the industry average, including robes, shoeshine service and fruit.
Courtesy Holland America
Best shore excursions: The destination is a key part of the journey on Azamara Club Cruises, which gives guests more time than the typical cruise line for exploring in port. Guests get one free "AzAmazing" evening excursion on every sailing, featuring exclusive access to popular attractions.
Best shore excursions —
Best shore excursions: The destination is a key part of the journey on Azamara Club Cruises, which gives guests more time than the typical cruise line for exploring in port. Guests get one free "AzAmazing" evening excursion on every sailing, featuring exclusive access to popular attractions.
courtesy Azamara Club Cruises
Best cruise ship bar: Celebrity Cruises' Martini Bar may be the hottest spot on board ship, editors say. Shaker-wielding bartenders entertain and hydrate the pre-dinner crowd and cocktail connoisseurs.
Best cruise ship bar —
Best cruise ship bar: Celebrity Cruises' Martini Bar may be the hottest spot on board ship, editors say. Shaker-wielding bartenders entertain and hydrate the pre-dinner crowd and cocktail connoisseurs.
courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Best North American home port: The historic port of New Orleans is a wonderful place to start or end your cruise vacation, with its amazing food, music and strolling. The Carnival Sunshine is shown docked in 2013.
Best North American home port —
Best North American home port: The historic port of New Orleans is a wonderful place to start or end your cruise vacation, with its amazing food, music and strolling. The Carnival Sunshine is shown docked in 2013.
Carnival Cruise Lines/AP
Best new river ships: Emerald Waterways' Emerald Sky and Emerald Star are modern and bright, with features that Cruise Critic editors love, like the innovative pool with retractable roof.
Best new river ships —
Best new river ships: Emerald Waterways' Emerald Sky and Emerald Star are modern and bright, with features that Cruise Critic editors love, like the innovative pool with retractable roof.
Courtesy Emerald Waterways
Best river cruise line: River cruise veteran Viking Cruises stays ahead of the competition through exceptional excursions, Cruise Critic editors say, including cognac blending and truffle hunting.
Best river cruise line —
Best river cruise line: River cruise veteran Viking Cruises stays ahead of the competition through exceptional excursions, Cruise Critic editors say, including cognac blending and truffle hunting.
courtesy Viking Cruises
Cruise Critic's Top Cruise Lines of 2014

Story highlights

Nearly 22 million travelers are expected to take cruises this year

Royal Caribbean's newest ship wins Cruise Critic's "best new ship" award

Disney Cruise Line wins Cruise Critic's best cruise line for families

Royal Caribbean also wins U.S. News award for best cruise line for the money

CNN  — 

Wash your hands, slap on some hand sanitizer and put the latest norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship out of your mind.

Nearly 22 million travelers are expected to hop on board cruises this year to set sail for fun and exciting locations, enjoying the dining, entertainment and sun available on cruise ships all over the world. But if you’re a novice, how do you choose a voyage on which to spend your hard-earned dollars?

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There are plenty of options in the 7th Annual Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards, which highlight the top cruise lines for North American travelers in 18 categories, including best new ship, best cruise line for families, best value for money and best river cruise line. The cruising website’s choices were announced Tuesday.

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, was named best new ship just after its November launch. Disney Cruise Line was named “best for families” for the second consecutive year.

“We originally launched our Editors’ Picks Awards in 2008, to highlight lines that we felt were doing a great job,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, in a statement.

Cruise Critic, which launched in 1995, hosts an online cruising community with more than 100,000 vetted consumer reviews of cruises. Cruise Critic is owned by the Independent Traveler, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor.

“Just six years later, the industry has grown tremendously; cruise lines continue to up the ante, and there are more options than ever before for travelers looking to hit the seas,” said Brown. “With our team of editors covering hundreds of cruise ships each year, these awards allow us to both highlight lines that truly lead the way and also help guide consumers to a purchase that’s right for them.”

You can also check out the Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines wins in U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 Best Cruise Lines rankings, which named 15 cruise lines in five categories, also released Tuesday.

U.S. News’ rankings are based on a data analysis of expert evaluations of cruise ships’ quality, reputation among travelers and results from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health evaluations.

“The cruise industry is booming – their efforts to revamp their image and win over new types of travelers by launching new ships and innovative entertainment experiences is paying off,” said Liz Weiss, travel editor for U.S. News, in a statement. “We aim to help travelers sort through their options and identify cruise lines and ships that best suit their needs.”

Cruise Critic’s full list of winners:

Best new ship: Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas

Best ship refurbishment: Oceania Cruises (R-Class)

Best for luxury: Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions

Best for families: Disney Cruise Line

Best itineraries: Princess Cruises

Best for adventure: International Expeditions

Best value for money: Carnival Cruise Lines

Best dining: Oceania Cruises

Best entertainment: Norwegian Cruise Line

Best suites Celebrity Cruises

Best inside cabins: Royal Caribbean International

Best standard cabins: Holland America Line

Best shore excursions: Azamara Club Cruises

Best for romance: Windstar Cruises

Best cruise ship bar: Celebrity Cruises’ Martini Bar

Best North American homeport: New Orleans

Best new river ships: Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Sky and Emerald Star

Best river cruise line: Viking Cruises

Top three U.S. News winners in each category:

Best luxury cruise lines

1. Crystal Cruises

2. Silversea Cruises

3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best cruise lines for the money

1. Royal Caribbean

2. Disney Cruise Line

3. Carnival Cruise Lines

Best cruise lines for romance

1. Silversea Cruises

2. Crystal Cruises

3. Azamara Club Cruises

Best cruise lines in the Caribbean

1. Disney Cruise Line

2. Royal Caribbean

3. Carnival Cruise Lines

Best cruise lines for families

1. Disney Cruise Line

2. Royal Caribbean

3. Celebrity Cruises