Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunshine Earn Additional Awards

Carnival Cruise Line was a big winner in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, taking home the top honor of Best Ocean Cruise Line.

“The Best Ocean Cruise Line distinction is outstanding, and all the more so because it’s earned by the votes of USA Today’s readers. We are so grateful to them for choosing fun,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Our team members both on board and ashore work diligently to provide excellent experiences for our guests, and to see their efforts being rewarded is phenomenal.”

In addition to the Best Ocean Cruise Line award, Carnival Horizon also earned the top spot of Best Cruise Ship for Dining, and Carnival Sunshine was named Best Mid-Size Cruise Ship.

USA Today’s editors note, “Carnival caters to families and casual cruisers at an affordable price, with amenities from water parks to glitzy casinos, and live entertainment along with a focus on diverse, casual dining, highlighted by a partnership with celebrity chef Guy Fieri bringing Guy’s Burger Joint to the fleet.”

Nominations for the 10Best Awards were selected by a panel of cruise industry experts, with voting taking place online by USA Today readers who were asked to rank cruise lines in a variety of product and service-based categories.

The awards come amid an extraordinary period of growth for the cruise line. Carnival just became the first cruise line to sail 100 million guests, ahead of three new ships preparing to deliver more fun over the next 14 months. Carnival Venezia, the cruise line’s first ship to showcase ‘Carnival Fun Italian Style,’ will expand sailings to year-round from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York, starting in June. Carnival Venezia’s sister ship, Carnival Firenze, will begin sailing from Long Beach, Calif., in May 2024, and sailings recently opened for sale. Later this year, Carnival’s next Excel class ship, Carnival Jubilee, will sail from Galveston, Texas.