The cruise industry takes center stage at Madrid's Teatro Eslava during the Cruise Excellence Awards. Cruises News Media Group, the company that owns and organizes the event, brought together more than 200 guests at Madrid’s iconic Eslava Theater for the Cruises Excellence Awards ceremony, which it organizes annually.
Article from the magazine CruisesNews No. 76 – March 2026
Cruise Excellence Awards Website
Photo Gallery
National and international executives from cruise lines, tour operators, shipping agents, ports, and destinations, industry professionals, and more than 100 travel agents enjoyed an entertaining gala directed and hosted by comedian and showman Mr. Corrales, featuring performances by saxophonist Tavi Gallart and dance numbers produced and choreographed by Natalia Mira.
The cruise industry celebrated one of its most memorable nights in Madrid with the 19th annual Cruise Excellence Awards—known as the “Goyas of the cruise industry”—which were held for the first time at the iconic Eslava Theater.
A Milestone in Madrid
Last Thursday, February 12, the cruise industry gathered in Madrid to celebrate a gala evening in grand style at the Eslava Theater, where national and international executives received the 2025 Cruise Excellence Awards.
After years of establishing themselves as a must-attend event for the industry, the Excellence Awards are coming to Madrid with the goal of continuing to highlight the excellence, innovation, and quality of the shipping companies, destinations, ports, and professionals that drive the sector’s growth.
The event was the crowning achievement of a historic year for Spanish ports, which welcomed 14.1 million cruise passengers in 2025, breaking the previous year’s record with an increase of nearly 10 percent. The cruise market in Spain now stands at over 650,000 passengers.
The Cruise Excellence Awards were held for the first time in Barcelona in 2008 and are based on a large-scale survey of domestic cruise passengers and travel agents. The awards recognize the best ships, the best cuisine, itineraries, and cruise lines, among other categories—18 in total—and are organized by CruisesNews Media Group, the organizer of the International Cruise Summit in Madrid and publisher of CruisesNews magazine and the news portal www.cruisesnews.es.
Sponsors
This edition was sponsored by International HM Hospitales, Puertos del Estado, Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés, Airmet, Visit Qatar, Intermundial, Lantimar Ship Agent, and Perelada & Chivite.
2026 Award Winners
Best Spanish Port 2025: PORT OF BARCELONA
Best Family-Friendly Cruise Line 2025: MSC CRUISES
Best Premium Cruise Line 2025: CELEBRITY CRUISES
Best Luxury Cruise Line 2025: EXPLORA JOURNEYS
Best River Cruise Line 2025: CROISIEUROPE
Best Entertainment 2025: ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Best Value for Money 2025: PRINCESS
Best Ship in the Mediterranean 2025: ALLURE OF THE SEA
Best Brand Recognition Among Travel Travel agencies s 2025: ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Best Ship in Northern Europe 2025: MSC EURIBIA
Best Brand Image Among Consumers 2025: MSC CRUISES
Best Cruise Line for First-Time Cruisers 2025: COSTA CRUISES
Best Culinary Experience 2025: OCEANIA CRUISES
Best Itineraries 2025: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
Best Entertainment 2025: VIRGIN VOYAGES
Best Cruise Line Expedition 2025: SILVERSEA CRUISES
Best Cruise Line for Grand Voyages 2025: REGENT SEVEN SEA CRUISES
Best Around-the-World Cruise 2025: OCEANIA CRUISES
Cruises News Media Group Special Awards
During the gala, the Cruises News Media Group presented its annual special awards, which are selected independently of the voting process:
Excellence in Luxury River Cruises: Riverside Luxury Cruises.
Excellence in Cruise Crew: Celestyal Cruises.
Launch of a New Cruise Line for the Spanish Market: Corazul Cruceros.
“All Aboard” Initiative: Tenerife Port Authority, MSC Cruises, and Cruise Line International Association.
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