"We are proud to present the 3rd Annual CRUIZIE Awards," said Mark den Hartog, Publisher and CEO of the gay-focused cruise passenger website MeetMeOnBoard.com, which presents the CRUIZIE Awards. "These awards are presented to cruise lines and others who have earned the votes of LGBT cruise enthusiasts. Each year has seen shifts in the results, and exceptionally tight races in some categories. The fact that some cruise lines placed highly last year and aren't on the winner's list this year indicates that the cruise lines cannot rest on their laurels."

"We added two new categories this year," den Hartog continued, "including one for newly launched ships, and another reflecting the diversity and creativity of onboard food experiences available to cruise passengers. These categories reflect the ever-changing nature of the cruise experience and reward the exceptional creativity of the cruise lines' teams." A full list of nominees for the food concept and new ship categories can be reviewed here.

"The LGBT cruise market is sizable, and the gay and lesbian cruise community are avid travelers. The travel habits of our nearly 11,500+ MeetMeOnBoard.com LGBT members continues to indicate that vast majority of gay and lesbian passengers choose mainstream cruise itineraries over all-gay charters."

The awards were voted on by members and friends of MeetMeOnBoard.com during early 2015.