Best Cruise Ships of 2011 from Frommer’s

Allure of the Seas – Royal Caribbean
Allure of the Seas – Royal Caribbean

As winter begins to wind down, many people are looking forward to their upcoming 2011 vacation and enjoying a luxury cruise is tops on many traveler’s lists.

Frommer’s has long been recognized as the premier, market leader in travel guides and a definitive expert in cruises ship tours.

Frommer’s has just announced their Best Cruise Ships of 2011 list.

Available on frommers.com, you can view the travel company’s annual Best Cruise Ships list that has carefully been researched and compiled by Frommer’s resident cruise experts, Matt Hannafin and Heidi Sarna.

The Best Cruise Ships of 2011 list highlights the best-reviewed vessels in Frommer’s new, 7th edition of Frommer’s Cruises & Ports of Call.

The guide provides details of 20 cruise ships that represent nine design classes. In addition, Frommer’s offers reviews on 19 other cruise ships in eight classes recognized as “notable.”

The most notable cruise to appear on this year’s list is the luxury Allure of the Seasby Royal Caribbean. The luxurious Allure of the Seas debuted just two months ago.

The Frommer’s judges praised the 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger vessel and her older twin sister, Oasis of the Seas, for “letting light and air into the center of the ships” via a radical new superstructure design.

The judges also singled out Allure for being “undoubtedly the best entertainment ship at sea, with truly exceptional programming for both adults and kids.”

Also making the list of 2011′s best cruise ships were:
* Celebrity’s Solstice Class: Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Eclipse
* Seabourn’s Odyssey Class: Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn
* Silversea’s Silver Spirit, Silver Shadow, and Silver Whisper
* Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel Class: Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Pearl, and Norwegian Gem
* Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria
* Celebrity’s Millennium-class: Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Infinity, and Celebrity Summit

Eight other luxury cruise ships were recognized as “notable” including:
* SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I and SeaDream II
* Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic
* Princess’s Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, and Ruby Princess
* Windstar’s Wind Surf
* Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas
* Star Clippers’ Royal Clipper
* Crystal Cruises Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony
* Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager