PHOTO: Hapag-Lloyd's Europa 2 ranks No. 1 in the 2015 Berlitz cruise guidebook. (Courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises)
Considered by many to be the Bible of the cruise ship guidebooks, the "2015 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships" will be available for sale Nov. 1 ($25.99, 704 pages). So which ships top the list for author Douglas Ward?
It's no surprise, as Ward again ranks Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europa 2 and Europa as the top two Five-Star-Plus cruise ships. The Europa held the No. 1 spot for more than a dozen years, but fell to second place when Europa 2 entered service in 2013.
PHOTO: Douglas Ward's annual Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships guide ships in November.
If you're not familiar with the Europa fleetmates, it's perhaps because Hapag-Lloyd is a German line, but one that stepped up its marketing to American consumers and travel agents in recent years. Indeed, the company positions Europa 2 as a "relaxed luxury" ship for the international market, with an aim toward attracting a higher percentage of English-speaking passengers. All cruises are conducted in both German and English, and shore excursions in English can be arranged.
"Both are beautiful ships to sail aboard," Ward said, "with an outstanding amount of space per passenger, high ceilinged passageways, a superb range of dining venues and types of cuisine, and attentive, friendly, yet unobtrusive personal service. They've proven themselves to be unbeatable yet again."
Ward also published his first-ever river cruise guidebook earlier this year. AmaWaterways' AmaPrima was named best ship and shared the four-star-plus ranking with 10 fleetmates.
So which other ships ranked highly in the Berlitz book?
Top Large Ships, 2,001-6,500 passengers (All four-star-plus)
1. Mein Schiff 3 (of German line TUI Cruises)
2. Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (Grill Class)
3. Cunard's Queen Elizabeth
Top Mid-Size Ships, 751-2,000 passengers
1. Crystal Cruises' Crystal Serenity (five-star)
2. Crystal Symphony (five-star)
3. Oceania Cruises' Riviera (four-star-plus)
Top Small Ships, 251-750 passengers
1. Europa 2 (five-star-plus)
2. Europa (five-star-plus)
3. Silversea Cruises' Silver Whisper (five-star)
Top Boutique Ships, 50-250 passengers (All five-star)
1. Hapag-Lloyd's Hanseatic
2. SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream I
3. SeaDream II
Ward also ranked ships based on certain features. Here are a few of his lists.
Five Best Ships for Families
Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas
Disney Cruise Line's Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy
Mein Schiff 3
MSC Cruises' MSC Preziosa
Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway
Five Best Lines for Foodies
Crystal Cruises
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Oceania Cruises
SeaDream Yacht Club
Silversea Cruises
Five Most Luxurious Suites
Royal Loft on Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas
Crystal Penthouse on Crystal Serenity
Owner's Suite on Europa 2
Owner's Suite on Oceania's Marina and Riviera
Sandringham Suite on Queen Mary 2
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
