The prestigious Excellence Cruise Awards, a benchmark in the international cruise industry, arrived in Tenerife on March 6th with a grand awards gala, which took place at the Tenerife Auditorium, the main center for the production of shows in the Canary Islands.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 64 – March 2023
Excellence Awards website
| Photo gallery
| Press release
This spectacular performance space, located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and designed by the avant-garde Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, was inaugurated in 2003. It hosts the seasons of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and the Tenerife Opera, as well as a top-tier music and dance program. It also has its own educational and social outreach program and manages numerous projects for the Culture and Education Department of the Tenerife Island Council.
On this occasion, it was the setting for the Excellence Cruise Awards, hosting more than 200 guests, including executives from cruise companies, tour operators, shipping agents, ports, travel agents, professionals, businesspeople and suppliers from the sector in Tenerife and the Canary Islands.
This was the sixteenth awards ceremony organized by Cruises News Media Group, which previously took place in cities such as Barcelona, Palma, Malaga, Cartagena, A Coruña and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Los Joroperos troupe welcomed guests from various parts of the Canary Islands and the mainland, as well as from abroad, who were thus able to enjoy a fascinating display of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival.
During the entertaining gala directed and presented by the comedian and showman Mr. Corrales, and enlivened by the Pablo Méndez Performance company, the guests enjoyed a lively event in which the different awards were announced.
The winners of the Cruise Excellence Awards are chosen by cruise passengers and travel agencies through online voting, and they reward everything from the best ships, to the best gastronomy, the best itinerary, or even the best onboard entertainment, up to a total of 16 categories.
The event brought together the entire national cruise sector in Tenerife and featured the participation of prominent international executives.
During the event, the following special recognitions were also presented by the Port Authority of Tenerifefor their constant support during the pandemic and in the commercial promotion of cruise traffic:
• TUI Cruises
• Hotel and Non-Hotel Accommodation Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (ASHOTEL)
• Loro Parque
• Port Community of the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• Canary Islands Health Service
• External Health
Service • Mooring
Service • Pilot
Tugboat Service
• Port Police
• Provincial Association of Shipping Agents and Stevedores of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (ACOESTE)
• Santa Cruz Terminal, SL (Carnival Corp.)
Cruises News Media Group, for its part, presented a first award to the Costa Cruises Foundation, for its 4GoodFood food waste program and support for Chef Angel León's eelgrass cultivation; and a second award to Swan Hellenic Cruises, for its support of universe research with the SETI Institute.
This edition of the Excellence Cruise Awards has been promoted and sponsored by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in collaboration with other public and private organizations such as State Ports, Canary Islands Tourism, Tenerife Island Council, Tenerife Tourism, Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, La Palma Island Council, El Hierro Island Council, La Gomera Island Council, Fred Olsen Shipping Solutions, Cepsa, Canary Islands Ports and Cruises Atlantic Islands.
Past editions of the Cruise Excellence Awards
: 2008: Barcelona;
2009 to 2013: Malaga;
2014 and 2015: Palma de Mallorca
; 2016 to 2019: Cartagena;
2020: A Coruña;
: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria;
A Coruña
; 2023: Tenerife
