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The Wave Awards 2022 - Finalists

The Wave Awards - Celebrating the Best of UK Cruise Industry

Every business has their favourite annual award ceremonies - the TV & Film industry has ‘The BAFTAs’; the music industry has ‘The BRITS’; and the cruise industry is no exception with ‘The Wave Awards’.

This prestigious awards ceremony has been referred to in some quarters as ‘The Oscars of Cruising’, and the awards are coveted by the glitterati of the UK Cruise Industry because they are awarded in recognition of the highest standards of achievement and to celebrate innovation and excellence in the cruise sector.

Now in its ninth year, The Wave Awards are the brainchild of Real Response Media, the owners of World of Cruising and Cruise Trade News, who own, organise and produce the awards.

Sponsors of The Wave Awards 2022

Of course every award ceremony relies on support from within the industry. This year, the Headline Sponsor of The Wave Awards 2022 is none other than Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, themselves a 2021 winner of 'Favourite Specialist Cruise Line'.

Fred. Olsen operates a fleet of smaller cruise ships - the much-loved Braemar and Balmoral, together with new ships Bolette and Borealis - offering a more traditional, elegant and intimate cruise experience.

Other sponsors include: Marella Cruises (formerly TUI Cruises), Riviera Travel, Saga; Seabourn, Ambassador Cruise Line, Accord Marketing, Cruise Jamaica, Traveltec, Times Travel, A-Rosa and Adventure Ashore. The after-party sponsor is Royal Caribbean.

What Are The Categories in The Wave Awards 2022?

There are five categories voted for by the panel, plus two special awards, and a further seven prestigious Readers’ Choice nominations voted for by World of Cruising magazine readers and the public, the ‘Passenger Favourites’ awards.

  1. Cruise Lines

Sub-categories:

  • Best Luxury Ocean Cruise Line

  • Best River Cruise Line

  • Best Luxury River Cruise Line

  • John Honeywell – Best New Ship Launch

  • Best Specialist Cruise Line

  • Best Premium Cruise Line

  • Best Expedition Cruise Line

  • Best Family Cruise Line

  • Best Value-for-Money Cruise Line

  • Best for Solo Travellers

2. Agent Excellence

Sub-Categories:

  • Best Retail Agent

  • Best Consortia or Homeworking Network

  • Best Online Agent

  • Best Specialist Cruise Agent

3. Industry Expertise

Sub-Categories:

  • Best Escorted & Specialist Tour Operator

  • Best Advertising, Marketing or PR Campaign

  • Best Innovation

  • Best Environmental Initiative

  • Best Transfer Service

4. Onboard Experience

Sub-Categories :

  • Best for Accommodation

  • Best for Cuisine

  • Best for Enrichment

  • Best for Wellbeing/Spas

  • Best for Entertainment

5. Ports and Destinations

Sub-Categories:

  • Best Port

  • Best for Excursions

Special Awards

Women in Cruise Leadership Award

This award recognises the inspiring women in the cruise industry and the outstanding contributions they have made to the sector.

The Peter Grant Contribution to the Cruise Industry Award

The Peter Grant Contribution to the Cruise Industry Award, recognises someone who has made a lasting contribution to the sector.

Who Has Been Shortlisted for The Wave Awards 2022?

The following have been shortlisted for The Wave Awards 2022.

Agent Excellence Category

  • Advantage Travel Partnership

  • Barrhead Travel Group

  • Bolsover Cruise Club

  • Cruise Direct (by Barrhead Travel Group)

  • Cruise118.com

  • Cruise2.com

  • Hays Travel

  • Imagine Cruising

  • Mundy Cruising

  • Panache Cruises

  • Paramount Cruises

  • ROL Cruise

  • Six Star Cruises

Cruise Line Category

The shortlisted nominees in this section are as follows:

  • Amadeus River Cruises

  • Ambassador Cruise Line

  • APT & Travelmarvel

  • Aurora Expeditions

  • Avalon Waterways

  • Azamara

  • Cunard

  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

  • Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

  • Havila Voyages

  • Holland America Line

  • Marella Cruises

  • Oceania Cruises

  • MSC Cruises

  • Nicko Cruises

  • Norwegian Cruise Line

  • P&O Cruises

  • Ponant

  • Princess Cruises

  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises

  • Riviera Travel

  • Royal Caribbean International

  • Saga

  • Seabourn

  • Star Clippers

  • The Majestic Line (Scotland)

  • The Scenic Group

  • TUI

  • Uniworld River Cruises

  • Viking Ocean Cruises

  • Virgin Voyages

Industry Expertise Category

  • ABP Southampton

  • Accord Marketing (for Ambassador Cruise Line)

  • Accord Marketing (for Celebrity Cruises)

  • Accord Marketing (for ROL)

  • A-ROSA River Cruises

  • Aurora Expeditions

  • Avalon Waterways

  • Cosmos

  • Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

  • Havila Voyages

  • Imagine Cruising

  • Intercruises

  • Just You

  • Marella Cruises

  • MSC Cruises

  • Musement

  • Norwegian Cruise Line

  • Ponant

  • Port of Dover

  • Riviera Travel

  • Saga

  • Titan Travel

  • Travelsphere

  • Virgin Voyages

On-Board Experience Category

  • Aurora Expeditions

  • Avalon Waterways

  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

  • Havila Voyages

  • Holland America Line

  • Marella Cruises

  • Norwegian Cruise LIne

  • Oceania Cruises

  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises

  • Royal Caribbean International

  • Saga

  • Seabourn

  • Virgin Voyages

Port & Destination Categories

  • ABP Southampton

  • Azamara

  • Intercruises

  • Marella Cruises

  • Port of Jamaica

  • Portsmouth International Port

  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises

  • Venture Ashore

The following categories were open to a public vote allowing all of us to vote for our personal favourites. I voted for mine - although I did have great difficulty deciding between each of my fellow cruise bloggers/vloggers, all of whom are deserved winners. Wishing them ALL good luck.

Favourite River Cruise Line

  • A-Rosa

  • Avalon Waterways

  • Riviera Travel

  • Saga River Cruises

  • Scenic

  • TUI River Cruises

  • Viking River Cruises

Favourite Ocean Cruise Line

  • Celebrity Cruises

  • Cunard

  • Fred Olsen Cruise Line

  • Marella Cruise

  • MSC Cruises

  • P&O Cruises

  • Princess Cruises

  • Royal Caribbean

Favourite Specialist Cruise Line

  • Aurora Expeditions

  • Azamara

  • Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

  • Hurtigruten

  • Saga Cruises

  • Scenic Cruises

  • Silversea Cruises

Favourite Luxury/Premium Line

  • Celebrity Cruises

  • Cunard

  • Oceania Cruises

  • Princess Cruises

  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises

  • Saga Cruises

  • Seabourn

Favourite Cruise Bloggers

Where & When Are The Wave Awards 2022 To Be Held?

This year The Wave Awards are to be held On 16 November 2022 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the heart of the City of London. At the time of writing there are still some tickets available from The Wave Awards website for what promises to be a wonderful evening.

I will publish the results as soon as they are announced, so don’t forget to bookmark the blog or subscribe below.

Who would your winners be? Share in the comments section below.

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