The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study named Royal Caribbean the Cruise Line Brand of the Year by Harris Interactive, which measures corporate reputation and brand health.

Contributing to Royal Caribbean moving to the top of the list this year were a number of cruise incidents.

Also earning above average scores in brand equity are Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, which round out the top three in the category. Most notably, Celebrity Cruises posted a significantly better brand equity score this year, perhaps driven by an uptick in quality, but more so by a stronger intention to use the cruise line than compared to the previous year.

"Consumers are savvy, and before they buy, want to feel 'linked and connected' to the brands they're purchasing," according to Joan Sinopoli, Senior Vice President of the Brand and Communications Consulting group at Harris interactive. "And, although services may be similar, preferred brands more than often exceed a customer's expectations, making them more than likely to recommend to others."

One of the largest cruise fan websites, CruiseCritic, has released the results of the 2012 Cruisers' Choice Awards and Royal Caribbean has walked away with a number of prizes for its ships.

Among large cruise ships, Royal Caribbean was nominated in many categories and won the following categories:

• Best For Dining: Serenade of the Seas
• Best for Embarkation: Allure of the Seas
• Best for Entertainment: Oasis of the Seas
• Best for Families: Allure of the Seas
• Best for Fitness: Freedom of the Seas
• Best for Service: Serenade of the Seas

The World Travel Awards handed Royal Caribbean three awards at a ceremony held on January 11, 2012 at the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar.  Royal Caribbean won awards for World's Leading Cruise Line, World's Leading Cruise Brand and World's Leading Large Ship Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean's Regional Director Helen Beck spoke about accepting the awards, "Winning not one, but three awards, is truly a testament to Royal Caribbean’s continued dedication to innovation.  With a history of creativity and innovation - delivering many at-sea industry firsts, such as ice rinks, rock-climbing walls, zip lines and Broadway shows - we are committed to providing an unforgettable and rejuvenating experience that appeals to vacationers of all ages.”

Royal Caribbean's Executive Director in the Middle East, Lakshmi Durai, echoed Beck's comments, "We are very proud to have received three awards and would like to thank our travel partners from around the region for their continued and valued support over the years in spreading the word about the incredible value and satisfaction that Royal Caribbean International offers.”

Royal Caribbean has won five awards at the Travel Weekly 2011 Readers Choice Awards, held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.  Royal Caribbean's sister company Celebrity Cruise Line won an addition three awards as well.

• Best Cruise Line: Domestic – Royal Caribbean International
• Best Cruise Line: Caribbean – Royal Caribbean International
• Best Cruise Ship: Rookie – Royal Caribbean International Allure of the Seas
• Best Cruise Line: Sales & Service – Royal Caribbean International
• Best Cruise Line: Overall – Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales, Vicki Freed, accepted the awards on behalf of the company.  Also accepting the coveted “Best Cruise Line; Sales & Service Award” on behalf of Royal Caribbean along with Ms. Freed was Joanne Schimelman, Vice President Sales and National Accounts.

Royal Caribbean won the 2011 Marine Environment Protection Award from the North American Marine Environment Protection Association in recognition of Royal Caribbean’s efforts on behalf of preserving the marine environment as exemplified by a commitment to a program which has specific objectives set for environmental performance and improvement, and which is innovative and goes beyond minimum environmental compliance.

Royal Caribbean Vice President Global Corporate Communications, Michele Nadeem, was gracious in accepting the award, "It is an honor to be recognized by NAMEPA for our commitment to protect, conserve and support the environment. This award is for all the many Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. employees both on shore and on our ships for all of our brands, Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, who work tirelessly to protect the marine environment. They are fully committed to caring for the unique and beautiful places we visit throughout the world."

The judges commented “Royal Caribbean's efforts to educate their passengers through their comprehensive program "Save the Waves" program deserves special attention”, “Save the Waves program is changing "Hearts and Minds"...and preserving the marine environment for future generations to enjoy”; “Royal Caribbean's robust fuel consumption reduction and waste recycling programs have yield excellent results in reduced in GHG and shoreside disposal”; “Royal Caribbean’s commitment and efforts in protecting the environment clearly follow the ABCs...Above Basic Compliance.”

Royal Caribbean has come away with two lucrative awards from the annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards.  The cruise giant was honored by being named the "Best cruise line for Families" for the fourth year in a row.

Cruise Critic commented on Royal Caribbean's dedication to families by describing them as, "With brand partnerships with companies like DreamWorks and Fisher Price, and an astonishing range of onboard activities, from rock-climbing to theater programs, Royal Caribbean offers a superb all-around family cruise experience. "

Royal Caribbean also took home another award after Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas were picked as "Best for Entertainment".  Both ships were picked for the sheer amount of "stuff" to do onboard, "It's not just the scope of entertainment options -- ice skating shows, 3D movies, musicals, jazz and comedy shows in stand-alone clubs -- that set the Oasis-class duo apart. The quality of choices, culled from the Broadway stage and DreamWorks character army, is second-to-none. And we can't forget the AquaTheater; the outdoor amphitheater, which hosts jaw-dropping Cirque-style shows, is the most breathtaking performance venue at sea."

Cruise Critic editors evaluated lines and ships in 25 categories by comparing like-for-like, taking into account the audience to which each line markets, in order to highlight the very best cruise lines and their particular strengths. The annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards complement the Cruisers' Choice Awards, which are announced in the spring and highlight the cruise ships which receive the highest ratings from reviews posted on Cruise Critic.

Royal Caribbean is celebrating again and this time double dose. In the voting of the 2011 Best of Travel and Tourism, the Oasis of the Seas was voted by readers of the magazine as the best cruise ship.

Besides the choice of Oasis of the Seas, Royal Caribbean also received the award given to the Splendour of the Seas, the Top of Mind award, which means recognition for a large number of awards received by the ship.

"We are very proud of the result," celebrates Ricardo Amaral, director of Royal Caribbean to Brazil, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Oasis of the Seas, opened in 2009 was voted by readers who have traveled this year and could check the structure offered by the ship. Already Splendour of the Seas received the Top of Mind award after being voted the best cruise ship for six times.  

The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) has awarded Royal Caribbean NAMEPA’s 2011 Marine Environment Protection Award.

Royal Caribbean won the award for in recognition of the cruise line's efforts for preserving the marine environment as exemplified by a commitment to a program which has specific objectives set for environmental performance and improvement, and which is innovative and goes beyond minimum environmental compliance.  Specifically, the judges noted Royal Caribbean's Save the Waves program as helping to change "Hearts and Minds" of its guests.

The 2011 Marine Environment Protection Award will be presented at NAMEPA’s Awards Dinner to be held in New York following NAMEPA’s seminar on Corporate Risk Management, which will focus on the need of the maritime industry to evaluate risk in a challenging operating environment.

Royal Caribbean's vice president of Environmental Stewardship, Jamie Sweeting, spoke about accepting the award, "We are delighted that the North American Marine Environment Protection Association has awarded Royal Caribbean with the 2011 Marine Environment Protection Award.  Royal Caribbean is dedicated to helping to protect the marine environment, and we are committed to caring for the unique and beautiful places we visit throughout the world. It is an honor to be recognized by NAMEPA for our commitment to protect, conserve and support the environment."

At the Seatrade Europe in Hamburg, Germany the Seatrade Insider Cruise Awards 2011 were awarded and for Port of the Year, Falmouth was named the winner for 2011.  

Falmouth opened earlier this year on the coast north of Jamaica. Established by the Port Authority of Jamaica in partnership with Royal Caribbean and opened in March, Falmouth Harbor Theme represents an investment of about U.S. $ 270 million, with a pier with two piers, shops, restaurants and transportation center. Later phases of development planned for the immediate future include attractions, hotels, residences and more shops and restaurants.

Falmouth, located on the north coast of Jamaica, is located between the popular destinations of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, making it a convenient point of entry and exit to the island. In addition, cruise ships have more than 60 shore excursions to choose from, including walks around the city.

Royal Caribbean's LCD wayfinder system, developed by Four Winds Interactive, has won three awards for technological excellence from the Digital Screenmedia Association and Hospitality Technology magazine.

The LCD wayfinders were first installed on Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure of the Seas ships but have been rolled out to other ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet since. The wayfinders are interactive screens that enables customers, guests and employees to find their way around the ship using a touch-screen display. FWi designs and implements the software that makes these self-service kiosks work.

Digital Screenmedia Association recognized FWi’s work with Royal Caribbean for two of its awards: The 2011 Screenmedia Integration Award and the 2011 Industry Excellence Award for Best Travel/Hospitality Deployment – Digital Signage. The Screenmedia Integration Award is one of the top three annual awards bestowed by DSA.

The Digital Screenmedia Association was impressed by the system, describing it as, “highly intuitive, yet complex passenger-facing communication network onboard Royal Caribbean’s newest, most technologically advanced cruise ships, Oasis and Allure of the Seas.”

In addition, Hospitality Technology awarded Royal Caribbean's wayfinder system in the magazine's annual Visionary Awards for outstanding vision and achievement in delivering technological excellence. Hospitality Technology described the wayfinder system as a “network of digital signage displays and touchscreens that enable guests to obtain directions, gauge real-time dining options, learn about the day’s events and activities, and find answers to common questions.”