The shortlist for the Wave Awards 2026 has been revealed following a record number of entries from across the cruise industry.
Ocean, river, expedition and luxury cruise companies are represented alongside ports, travel agencies and businesses providing technology and other services to the sector. Winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony at The Dorchester on London's Park Lane on 24 November 2026.
The shortlisted entries were selected during a judging day held at The Independent's London offices on 10 July. More than 50 judges drawn from the travel and cruise industries participated in the process.
Best Ocean Cruise Line
Five companies have reached the shortlist for Best Ocean Cruise Line:
- Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
- MSC Cruises
- P&O Cruises
- Princess Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
The category brings together several markedly different styles of cruising, ranging from Fred. Olsen's smaller-ship operation to the large contemporary fleets of MSC Cruises and P&O Cruises.
Family, value and solo cruising
MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean are shortlisted for Best Family Cruise Line.
The Best Value for Money Cruise Line category contains Celestyal, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, VIVA Cruises and Windstar Cruises.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, HX Expeditions, Norwegian Cruise Line and Riviera Travel will compete for the award for Best for Solo Travellers.
Luxury and ultra-luxury nominees
Cunard, Oceania Cruises and Windstar Cruises have been shortlisted for Best Luxury Cruise Line.
A separate ultra-luxury category, introduced among this year's new awards, includes Crystal, Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic and Seabourn.
Four ships nominated for best launch
The Best New Ship Launch shortlist features four vessels:
- AmaMagdalena — AmaWaterways
- Allura — Oceania Cruises
- Seven Seas Prestige — Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Brilliant Lady — Virgin Voyages
The category is not limited to conventional ocean ships: AmaMagdalena was developed for river cruising in Colombia, placing it alongside three very different ocean-going launches.
River, expedition and specialist cruising
AmaWaterways, APT Travel Group, Riviera Travel, Scenic, TUI and VIVA Cruises are nominated for Best River Cruise Line.
The expedition shortlist comprises AE Expeditions, HX Expeditions, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, PONANT, Quark Expeditions, Seabourn and Swan Hellenic.
Azamara Cruises, Hurtigruten, Unforgettable Croatia and Windstar Cruises appear in the Best Specialist Cruise Line category.
Cuisine and entertainment recognised
Onboard experiences have their own group of awards. Crystal, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Hurtigruten, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Virgin Voyages and VIVA Cruises are shortlisted for Best for Cuisine.
The entertainment category contains Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Cunard, Seabourn, HX Expeditions and Antara Cruises are nominated for enrichment, while Explora Journeys, Scenic and Virgin Voyages make up the wellbeing shortlist.
Marella Cruises earns four shortlist appearances
Marella Cruises appears in four categories: Best Value for Money Cruise Line, Best for Entertainment, Best for Excursions and Best Ancillary Service.
Its inclusion across both onboard and shoreside categories reflects the breadth of the awards, which assess more than ships and itineraries alone.
Southampton faces Portsmouth for Best Port
Only two ports appear on the Best Port shortlist: Southampton and Portsmouth International Port.
Portsmouth International Port is also nominated for Best Sustainability Initiative, alongside AE Expeditions, Havila Voyages, Hurtigruten, HX Expeditions, PONANT and TUI.
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Grenada Tourism Authority and Visit Portsmouth are shortlisted in the newly introduced Best Tourist Board category.
Winners to be announced in November
The Wave Awards celebrate achievement and innovation across the UK cruise sector. The 2026 ceremony is being hosted by Cruise Trade News and World of Cruising, in partnership with headline sponsor Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
The winners will be announced at The Dorchester on 24 November, giving Deck7 a natural opportunity to revisit the categories and see which cruise lines, ships and ports take home the awards.