So, the waiting is over and here we are to reveal the winners of the Wave Awards 2023.

There’s no doubt that last year was a tough act to follow, but we’ve made it our mission to once again go one better, and I hope you all agree that we’ve managed to achieve that.

It’s been an eventful year for the sector, with demand increasing across all segments. The hard work put in by cruise lines and travel agents is being rewarded, as more and more people decide now is the time to take a holiday at sea.

As the industry continues to evolve, so have we. For 2023, we introduced new categories for travel agents, including Best Independent Agent, designed to reward homeworkers and mini agencies. In addition, we also put a greater focus on technology and how this is changing the cruise sector.

As with previous events, there are a host of cruise line categories, such as Best Ocean Cruise Line, Best River Cruise Line and Best New Ship Launch. On-board categories – think Best for Accommodation and Best for Cuisine – are also included.

There were a record number of submissions across a range of categories, all of which were judged by a panel of cruise and travel experts. Our thanks go those who gave up their valuable time to analyse every entry in detail.

I would also like to extend a thanks to all our sponsors, which you can read about on the sponsors’ page. Read on to discover who took home a Wave Award.