The best cruise destinations in the world, according to Cruise Critic
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Saint Petersburg, Russia tops Cruise Critic's list of best cruising destinations. (iStock)
With cruise lines offering more destinations than ever, where in the world is a traveler to go?
Cruise Critic announced winners of its top cruise destinations in the world Wednesday.
Overall, 15 regions around the world earned recognition as the best destinations to travel to based on consumer ratings and reviews. The top spot went to St. Petersburg, Russia with cruisers commending the colorful city for art, history and unique architecture.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}River cruise port cities, meanwhile, were the top-rated category. Paris, France was ranked as the best river cruise destination overall. Reviewers were enamored with the city’s beauty, impressive museums and lush, but well-appointed gardens.
Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay was ranked at the top among cruise line private islands. It also beat out all Caribbean categories combined. Cruisers lavished accolades on the island’s clean, beautiful beaches and the array of options available for both kids and adults.
Bonaire was the top-rated Southern Caribbean island, St. Maarten the highest-ranked Eastern Caribbean Island and Cozumel the top destination in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As for the best cruise destination in North America, San Francisco was on the top of the list in the U.S. & Canada category.
Cruise Critic features over 160,000 cruise reviews, covering more than 300 worldwide ports and around 500 cruise ships. Its annual awards are based on reviews submitted for cruises taken during the previous year.
“Cruising offers the unique opportunity to sample a number of destinations at once,” Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of Cruise Critic, said in a press release. “Because of that, it’s important to carefully select your itinerary so that you’re able to make the most of your time in port."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The destination awards list was a first-ever for Cruise Critic which compiles an annual list of best cruise lines around the world.
Here’s how the list of first-place winners for cruise destinations breaks down:
Top-Rated Alaska Port: Glacier Bay
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top-Rated Asia & South Pacific Port: Mystery Island
Top-Rated Australia & New Zealand Port: Sydney
Top-Rated Baltic & Scandinavia Port: St. Petersburg
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top-Rated Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Port: St. Maarten
Top-Rated Southern Caribbean Port: Bonaire
Top-Rated Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya Port: Cozumel
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top-Rated British Isles & Western Europe Port: Amsterdam
Top-Rated Eastern Mediterranean Port: Venice
Top-Rated European River Port: Paris
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top-Rated Western Mediterranean Port: Barcelona
Top-Rated Hawaii Port: Kauai
Top-Rated Mexican Riviera & South America Port: Puerto Vallarta
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top-Rated U.S. & Canada Port: San Francisco
Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island: Castaway Cay