In the process of planning a cruise vacation, travelers often consult a number of sources before making a buying decision.  Many begin buy clicking around the Internet, looking at web sites run by cruise lines, travel agents, fans of cruising and cruise critics as well.  They might follow cruise travelers in a social way, virtually coming along on the voyage to get a good idea of what cruise travel is all about too.  Via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more, real time information available varies from a daily recap of what someone did each day of their cruise to bite by bite real-time details of everything they saw, ate, listened to and/or experienced.  Right up there with the best resources available is Porthole Cruise Magazine, a bi-monthly publication available by subscription in either coffee-table quality slick print or an on-the-go digital version.  Now in its 18th year, Porthole Cruise Magazine recently released their Porthole Cruise Magazine Readers Choice Awards 2014.

Each issue of Porthole Cruise Magazine includes ship reviews, cruise destination reviews and information on cruise trends, food and wine, onboard activities and more. Below are all the winners as voted on by those who read Porthole Cruise Magazine, typically fans of cruise vacations who have actually sailed these ships and cruise lines.

“Whether your votes came to us online, by mail, or by fax, one thing is for sure: Our readers are passionate cruisers who feel strongly about the ships they love,” says Porthole Cruise Magazine of the 16th annual poll, adding “We congratulate all of this year’s winners and hope you soon find yourself sailing on these standouts.”

Best Small Ship
(Fewer than 500 passengers)
Queen of the Mississippi
American Cruise Lines

Best Medium-Sized Ship
(500 – 2,000 passengers)
Azamara Quest
Azamara Club Cruises

Best Megaship
(At least 2,000 passengers)
Norwegian Getaway
Norwegian Cruise Line

Best Tall Ship
Wind Surf
Windstar Cruises

Best River Ship
AmaPrima
Amawaterways

Best Value-For-The-Money Line
Carnival Cruise Lines

Best Luxury Line
Seabourn

Most Family-Oriented Line
Disney Cruise Line

Best Cruise Line for Teens
Royal Caribbean International

Best Cruise Line for Solo Travelers
Norwegian Cruise Line

Most Romantic Cruise Line
Windstar Cruises

Most Eco-Friendly Line
Holland America Line

Best Expedition Cruise Line
Un-Cruise Adventures

Best Line for Short Cruises
Carnival Cruise Lines

Best Shore Excursions
Holland America Line

Best Private Island
Half Moon Cay
Holland America Line

Like the other research tools, web sites, social applications and more, reader polls can help first-time cruise travelers come to a decision on which cruise line has the best potential to be a good travel experience.  Still, take all those tools combined, use them and contact a good travel agent, preferably one that specializes in the sort of cruise vacation that looks to be a good fit.  A good cruise travel agent can help narrow down the choices and make it more likely to be on a ship that is well-suited for each individual.

Other popular polls and rankings include:

• Cruise Critic tally of Overall Ratings, taken directly from member reviews
• USAToday’s Top Ten Cruise Bloggers (we are especially fond of this one)
• Cruise Critic Editor’s Pick Awards
• Best Cruise Lines For The Money – US News And World Report
• Top Cruise Lines– Conde Nast Traveler
• Best Cruise Lines – CruiseLine.com
• Best Cruise Lines – Business Insider
• Best Large Ship Cruise Lines – Travel + Leisure Magazine
• Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards