Condé Nast and World Travel Awards for Cruise
The consumer polls that cruise marketing quotes most, and how they compare with trade awards.
Sell Award-Winning CruisesTwo of the most quoted cruise awards are not trade awards at all: Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and the World Travel Awards. Agents meet them constantly in supplier marketing, so it pays to know how they work.
Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards
Condé Nast Traveler surveys its readers each year and publishes rankings in many travel categories, including ocean and river cruise lines and ships, often split by size. The 2025 results were published on 7 October 2025; Viking, for example, announced that readers rated it No. 1 for rivers and No. 1 for oceans for the fifth consecutive year (Viking press release). Full lists are at cntraveler.com/rca.
- Who decides: magazine readers rating their own trips.
- Categories: by cruise type and ship size; check which list a line won.
- How to cite it: “Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards [year], [category], No. [rank]”.
World Travel Awards
World Travel Awards, established in 1993, runs regional programs and a worldwide grand final across the travel industry, with categories for cruise lines and cruise ports. In announcing its 2021 voting, it said travel professionals, media and consumers were invited to vote (WTA voting announcement).
Its award history page lists Norwegian Cruise Line as World’s Leading Cruise Line 2025. World Travel Awards has also staged a separate cruise-focused event, the World Cruise Awards, reported in 2025 as held in Bahrain (Bizcommunity).
How These Compare With Trade Awards
| Condé Nast Readers’ Choice | World Travel Awards | Trade awards (e.g. Travel Weekly) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voters | Magazine readers | Professionals, media and consumers | Mostly travel professionals |
| Scope | Many travel categories | Regional and worldwide categories | Supplier categories for the trade |
| What a win suggests | Guest satisfaction among readers | Visibility and support across a broad vote | Standing with the people who sell it |
For a consumer-focused guide to choosing a cruise line by its awards, see our sister site Cruise Awards when it launches; for line comparisons now, Ask the Cruise Expert answers the common questions.
For agents, consumer polls have one particular use: they are what clients have read. When a client mentions that a line “won an award”, it is most often one of these two programs, so knowing their method lets you respond with confidence instead of guessing.
Both programs publish lists rather than single winners in many categories, so a line may be “in the top ten” rather than first. Quote the rank you can verify, and avoid turning a list placing into a claim of being the best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards for cruise lines?
Results were published on 7 October 2025 across several cruise categories. Viking, for example, said it was rated No. 1 for river cruise lines and No. 1 for ocean cruise lines for the fifth consecutive year. The full lists are on Condé Nast Traveler’s site.
Who votes in the World Travel Awards?
World Travel Awards has said voting is open to travel professionals, media and consumers. Winners are announced at regional ceremonies and a grand final.
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