USA TODAY / 10 BEST announced the winners today in the "10Best Readers’ Choice New Media Award for Best Cruise Blogger."
An initial list of 20 cruise bloggers was selected by a panel of experts. The experts were USA TODAY Cruise Log blogger Gene Sloan, long-time Cruise Diva Linda Coffman, Doug Parker with Cruise Radio, and Stewart Chiron a/k/a The Cruise Guy. All of these expert bloggers could have been picked as top 5 cruise bloggers themselves.
After the initial list of 20 was selected, the "top 10" cruise bloggers were determined by popular vote. John Heald (photo right), the witty Cruise Director for Carnival, seems to have won in a land-slide.
Our blog came in 6th place, not a bad result considering that many people consider me the "anti-cruise" blogger. I am surprised that Cruise Law News was voted that high.
Here is the top ten list:
- John Heald – John Heald’s Blog
- Matt Hochberg – Royal Caribbean Blog
- Anita Dunham-Potter – Expert Cruiser
- Scott Sanders – Disney Cruise Line Blog
- Chris Gray Faust – Cruise Critic’s The Lido Deck
- Jim Walker – Cruise Law News
- Fran Golden – Porthole Cruise News
- Chris Owen – Chris Cruises
- Danielle Fear – Cruise Miss
- Sherry Laskin – Cruise Maven
The other ten nominees included Aaron Saunders (From the Deck Chair), Anne Campbell (Ship Critic Blog), Carrie Finley-Bajak (Cruise Buzz Blog), Jason Leppert (Popular Cruising), John Honeywell (Captain Greybeard), Linda Garrison (About.com Cruises), Mike Faust (Cruise Currents Blog), Paul Motter (CruiseMates Blog), Peter Knego (Peter Knego’s Sea Treks and Peter Knego’s Decked!), Ralph Grizzle (Avid Cruiser), and Steve Newman (Time Spent At Sea).
I voted for Peter Knego’s blogs on Maritime Matters.
Thanks to everyone who voted for us.
Yes, it’s true that our blog is often viewed as "negative." But the voting proves that there are cruise fans out there who like to hear the "con" as well as the "pro" aspects of cruising and understand that being forewarned is being forearmed!
Thanks again and safe cruising!
Photo Credit: Carnival Corporation