Find out here the best suites for traveling on a cruise 1:38
(CNN) --
The best new cruise ship of 2022 accommodates 3,099 guests and 1,506 crew.
A 24-hour butler attends to its most luxurious suites, and there's a three-level race track and 10-story-high slides.
The award goes to Norwegian Prima, named Best New Cruise in the Ocean category of the Cruise Critic Editors' Picks, now in its 14th year.
The awards recognize winners chosen by an international team of cruise experts from Cruise Critic, a review site and online cruise community.
A look inside the Disney Wish, a luxury family cruise
The awards come at a time when cruise ships return to their pre-pandemic state.
"Most lines no longer have pre-testing guidelines or vaccination requirements," Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, told CNN Travel via email.
"Cruise lines no longer have capacity limits, making the atmosphere on board much livelier than we've seen in the months immediately following the pandemic, and there are more areas on board open to guests: from salons and entertainment venues, to restaurants and fitness classes.
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Cruises are back and "exceeding expectations," according to the Cruise Critic.
In the Ocean category of the awards, Norwegian Cruise Line also took honors for Best Entertainment and Best for Solo Travelers.
Celebrity Cruises has the best staterooms, while Virgin Voyages offers the best dining and nightlife and is best for LGBTQ+ travelers, according to the 2022 Ocean category awards.
Norwegian Prima is the winner of the Best New Cruise of 2022 in the Ocean category.
Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
luxury and adventure
In the Luxury category of the awards, Silversea Cruises took the honor of best luxury cruise line and the line also takes the award for best dining in the category.
The Emerald Azzurra is the best new luxury cruise ship.
Emerald Cruises' "luxury yacht" accommodates 100 guests and a crew of 72.
Travelers who are more than ready for an adventure cruise will find the new Cruise Critic Awards Expedition category helpful in finding the best deal.
The category's debut in 2022 names the best lines for the most popular destinations: Alaska (UnCruise Adventures), the Antarctic (Silversea Expeditions), the Arctic (Ponant Cruises) and the Galapagos Islands (Lindblad Expeditions).
Viking takes the prize in the Expedition category for the best new luxury ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, and the best scientific offer.
Quark Expeditions was named the best in adventure.
"Kayaking, mountain biking, hiking... even hot air ballooning in the Arctic: however you want to be active at the poles, Quark will make it happen," the Cruise Critic editors said in a press release. .
Viking Octantis, pictured, and Viking Polaris are the top new luxury ships in the Expedition category.
Credit: Viking Cruises
What is the future for cruises?
Innovations accelerated by the pandemic are here to stay.
"Technology is much more embedded in the cruise experience, being leveraged to help limit crowding and also to create a more efficient experience for travelers," McDaniel said.
He mentioned facial recognition technology that is making boarding easier, the ability to order food and drinks via an app from anywhere on the ship, and stateroom muster drills that are replacing in-person drills.
A number of new ships will enter service next year, including a new class of ships from Royal Caribbean, Oceania and MSC, as well as a number of "sister" ships that will be versions 2.0 or 3.0 of others in their fleets.
"And the appetite for cruises continues to grow in 2023 - we're seeing some really strong booking and purchasing numbers, especially for the [boreal] summer months," McDaniel said.
Here's the full list of Cruise Critics' picks for you to consider for future cruises:
Cruise Critic Editors Awards 2022
It's no surprise that Disney Cruise Line is the best for families, according to the Cruise Critic.
Credit: Disney Cruise Line
Ocean category:
Best New Ship: Norwegian Prima
Best Staterooms: Celebrity Cruises
Best Dining Room: Virgin Voyages
Best Entertainment: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best for Families: Disney Cruise Line
Best Innovation/Technology: Princess Cruises
Best for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Virgin Voyages
Best Nightlife: Virgin Voyages
Best Service: Holland America Line
Best for Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Spa: Holland America Line
Best Specialty Dining: Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites: Royal Caribbean International
Best Suite Resort: MSC Cruises
Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
Best App: Royal Caribbean International
Best Home Port in North America: Vancouver
Virgin Voyages is the best for restaurants, nightlife and LGBTQ+ travelers in the Ocean category.
Credit: Virgin Voyages
Winners in the Luxury and Expedition categories
Luxury category:
Best Luxury Cruise Line: Silversea Cruises
Best New Luxury Ship: Emerald Azzurra
Best Staterooms: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Dining Room: Silversea Cruises
Best Add-On Program: Viking Ocean Cruises
Best Itineraries: Oceania Cruises
Best Service: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Shore Excursions: Windstar Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Spa: Viking Ocean Cruises
Best Value for Money: SeaDream Yacht Club
Silversea Cruises is the best cruise line in the luxury category.
Credit: Silversea Cruises
Expedition Category:
Best New Luxury Boat: Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris
Best for Adventure: Quark Expeditions
Best Staterooms: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Dining Room: Scenic
Best for a Light Expedition: American Queen Voyages
Best for Luxury: Silversea Expeditions
Best Scientific Offer: Viking Expeditions
Best Service: Scenic
Best Value for Money: Hurtigruten
Best in Alaska: UnCruise Adventures
Best in Antarctica: Silversea Expeditions
Best in the Arctic: Ponant Cruises
Best in the Galapagos: Lindblad Expeditions
Cruise ships
