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Royal Caribbean Group wins big at World Cruise Awards in Bahrain
Among the 14 accolades, Celebrity was named ‘Middle East’s Best Cruise Line’
Royal Caribbean Group swept the 2025 World Cruise Awards, securing 14 titles across three of its brands: Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises and Celebrity Cruises.
The awards were unveiled on 6 December during the fifth annual gala held in Bahrain, recognising excellence across cruise sectors worldwide. Royal Caribbean Group dominated the world categories with nine top honours, complemented by five regional wins, recognised for its innovative fleet, far-reaching itineraries and personalised guest experiences.
Celebrity Cruises was also named the ‘Middle East’s Best Cruise Line’, marking the brand’s expanding footprint and growing resonance with regional travellers.
Mohamed Saeed, Managing Director of Royal Caribbean Arabia, described the regional win as “a powerful endorsement of the brand’s growing presence with Middle Eastern travellers, who increasingly seek Celebrity’s modern luxury experience, innovative ship designs and destination-rich itineraries".
In addition to its Middle East accolade, Celebrity was named ‘Best Cruise Line’ in two further regions: North America and Latin America. The brand retained its North American title for a second year, reflecting strong growth in this region, including the launch of a new ship, Celebrity Xcel, in November 2025, which sails from Miami to the Caribbean.
Additionally, the Celebrity Millennium vessel was named the ‘World’s Best Midsize Cruise Ship’. At more than 90,900 tonnes, the vessel can accommodate more than 2,000 passengers. One key onboard feature is The Retreat suites, offering guests private butlers and access to an exclusive sundeck, lounge and suites-only restaurant.
Royal Caribbean ships take top honours
Royal Caribbean International earned six awards, spotlighting the brand’s innovation and fleet variety.
Quantum of the Seas won both ‘World’s Best Cruise Ship for Technology’ and ‘World’s Best Cruise Ship for Activities’, a recognition of its pioneering ‘smart ship’ features, including robotic bartenders, luggage tracking and virtual balconies. The ship’s SeaPlex complex and FlowRider, the only surf simulator at sea, remain among the brand’s most popular attractions.
Claiming the title of ‘World’s Best Large Cruise Ship’ is Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, launched in 2024 as the world’s largest cruise ship, weighing 250,000 tonnes and spanning 20 decks with capacity for 7,600 guests.
Meanwhile, Harmony of the Seas was named ‘World’s Best Cruise Ship for Families’ for its kid-friendly staterooms and suites, live shows, character experiences and comprehensive Adventure Ocean programme.
Royal Caribbean also won ‘Best Cruise Ship Suite’ for its Royal Suite concept, which comes with access to exclusive lounges and additional benefits. The brand was also named ‘Oceania’s Best Cruise Line’, marking Royal Caribbean’s first regional win in Oceania.
Silversea shines in shore and sea experiences
Luxury line Silversea Cruises retained its title as ‘World’s Best Cruise Line for Shore Excursions’ for a second year running, recognised for its personalised tours, and multi-day overland experiences in destinations including India and Cambodia, with flights, accommodation and guided tours included.
The ultra-luxury brand also secured the title ‘Indian Ocean’s Best Cruise Line’ for a fourth consecutive year, highlighting the growing success of its expedition fleet in this region, which offers smaller vessels to reach remote islands and coasts.
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Commenting on the wins, Saeed added: “We are incredibly proud to see Royal Caribbean Group recognised across so many categories at this year’s World Cruise Awards. These wins reflect our commitment to delivering extraordinary guest experiences across all our brands, and they affirm the trust our guests and trade partners place in us year after year.”
In addition to its success at the World Cruise Awards, Royal Caribbean Group received recognition at Cruise Critic’s 2025 Best in Cruise Awards, where Celebrity Cruises’ Xcel was named ’Ship of the Year’ and Royal Caribbean International was honoured with titles for ’Best Cruise Line Private Destination’, ’Best Suites’ and ’Best for Remote Workers’.
The wins follow a standout quarter for Royal Caribbean Group, which reported a strong third-quarter performance with a 112% load factor and more than US$5 billion in revenue. The company continues to expand its private destination portfolio, including the upcoming launch of the Royal Beach Club Santorini, set to open in 2026 exclusively for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises guests.
Middle East cruise momentum
At the regional level, the Middle East performed well at the 2025 World Cruise Awards, with Abu Dhabi named ‘World’s Best Cruise Destination’ and Dubai’s DP World Mina Rashid recognised as ‘Middle East’s Best Cruise Terminal’ and ’World’s Best Cruise Terminal’.
World Travel Awards founder Graham Cooke commended all the winners, calling them “stellar examples of excellence helping raise the global benchmark for cruise travel”.
The accolades highlight the region’s accelerating cruise growth, as more lines add Middle East ports to their itineraries. This expansion is set to be further accelerated by Connections Cruise Arabia, a game-changing annual event launched in September 2025, that will bring together 300 senior cruise leaders and stakeholders in September 2026 to shape the future of the sector in the region.
DP World Mina Rashid was named the ’World’s Best Cruise Terminal’
Full list of awards won by Royal Caribbean Group at the 2025 World Cruise Awards:
World’s Best Cruise Line for Shore Excursions 2025: Silversea
World’s Best Midsize Cruise Ship 2025: Celebrity Millennium
World’s Best Large Cruise Ship 2025: Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Activities 2025: Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Entertainment 2025: Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Families 2025: Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Romance 2025: Azamara Journey
World’s Best Cruise Ship for Technology 2025: Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
World’s Best Cruise Ship Suite 2025: Royal Suite - Royal Caribbean International
Indian Ocean’s Best Cruise Line 2025: Silversea
Latin America’s Best Cruise Line 2025: Celebrity Cruises
Middle East’s Best Cruise Line 2025: Celebrity Cruises
North America’s Best Cruise Line 2025: Celebrity Cruises
Oceania’s Best Cruise Line 2025: Royal Caribbean International
To partner with Royal Caribbean Arabia call UAE +971 4 331 4299, KSA 800 897 1419, or email book@rccl.ae. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.ae
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