Durrant Pate/Contributor

After a successful 50th anniversary year, Carnival ended 2022, as the winner of the Best Cruise Line of 2022 in the Cruise Ship Awards.

Carnival Cruise Line was voted the best cruise line of 2022 by Cruise Hive readers, with 32 per cent of the votes. The Cruise Ship Awards are an annual event, and this year, readers could type in the name of any cruise line to cast their vote, making sure that the vote included all eligible cruise lines.

The Miami-based cruise line has received more votes than rival lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in the annual Cruise Ship Awards. The cruise line, which has gone through an eventful 2022 was also voted the Best Cruise Line of 2022.

50th anniversary celebrations

After a challenging year post-global pause in operations, the popular cruise line is back stronger than ever and celebrated its 50th anniversary celebrations, which included some spectacular ship meet-ups around the Caribbean, Pacific, and The Bahamas. 

The celebrations concluded with the launch of the cruise line’s second Excel-class LNG-powered cruise ship, Carnival Celebration, which also won the ‘Best New Cruise Ship of 2022’ category. 

Carnival Celebration‘s sister ship, Mardi Gras, also came out on top in a different category. Mardi Gras was voted the Best Cruise Ship of 2022, beating out competition from other top cruise lines. Mardi Gras carries a number of innovative features, such as the first rollercoaster at sea and several dining options from popular chefs.

In 2022, Carnival Cruise Line also introduced a new initiative called Carnival Fun Italian Style. They took possession of the former Costa Luminosa and renamed it the Carnival Luminosa, which offers a unique cruise experience focusing on Italian culture. 

However, the true nature of Carnival Fun Italian Style will become apparent when Carnival Venezia joins the fleet next year.

Carnival Cruise Line concludes the successes it booked this year with the win of the Best Cruise Line Award, taking home 32 percent of the votes. Carnival Cruise Line has won the Cruise Hive Ship Awards multiple times since 2018, only missing out in 2020 as there were no awards that year due to the industry suspension.

Other podium finishers

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian complete the podium finishes with Royal in second place with 23 per cent of the votes.

Royal Caribbean is known for its innovative ships and wide range of activities and amenities. The cruise line revealed plans for the biggest cruise ship in the world, coming in 2024. They also launched the current biggest ship in the world this year, Wonder of the Seas.

In third place was Norwegian Cruise Line, with 13 per cent of the votes.

Norwegian is known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which allows passengers to have a more flexible and customisable vacation experience. Fourth place went to Celebrity Cruises, with eight per cent of the votes.

Celebrity is known for its luxury cruises and top-rated dining options.