Capital Cruising is today (24 July) celebrating a major win for Edinburgh as the UNESCO City is named Western Europe’s Top Cruise Destination 2018 for the first time. The award, managed by Cruise Critic, the world’s largest online cruise resource, is based solely on consumer ratings and reviews posted to the Cruise Critic website over the year – so specifically first-hand feedback from cruisers themselves.

Edinburgh was named the Top Cruise Destination in the British Isles & Western Europe category – in Cruise Critic’s 2018 Cruisers’ Choice Destination Awards – beating other amazing cities including Lisbon, Bilbao and Amsterdam.

Capital Cruising, who run seven busy cruise terminals and anchorages across the UK is the only port operator to offer unrivalled fast access to Edinburgh for cruise passengers. With ports in Leith, Rosyth and anchorages in Newhaven and South Queensferry, passengers are within easy reach of the famous attractions in Edinburgh including Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood. This year (2018), Capital Cruising will welcome 114 liners into the River Forth with over 150,000 passengers onboard.

Commenting on the award, Rob Mason, Head of Cruise for Capital Cruising in Scotland said: “This is a significant global recognition for Edinburgh and we are thrilled with the award especially as this is feedback directly from cruise passengers. Our cruise business is thriving and we are seeing our cruise calls grow each year. We are the only operator to offer the closest cruise connection to the beautiful city of Edinburgh and we have invested significantly over the past few years to provide the most direct access for liners of all sizes to Scotland’s Capital. My thanks to our hard working cruise team and the 50 volunteers from Cruise Forth who work tirelessly all season warmly welcoming thousands of passengers to Edinburgh.”

Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor, Cruise Critic said “Our data analysis shows that destination continues to be a top consideration for holiday makers looking to cruise, regardless of whether they are new to cruise or seasoned cruise travellers. We are delighted that Edinburgh has pipped so many other wonderful Western European ports to the post to be crowned the best destination in the British Isles & Western Europe. Not only does this highlight the rise in popularity of destinations more known for their immersive, educational and experiential offerings, rather than just their temperate climate or great beaches, but also shows just how attractive Scotland is proving to travellers across the globe.”

Chairman of marketing organisation, Cruise Scotland, Andrew Hemphill, said: “Capital Cruising’s award is well deserved as an excellent example of the high standard of services and facilities provided by our member ports in continuing to attract record numbers of cruise passengers to Scotland’s many outstanding attractions.”