Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 4, 2014—Winners of the 2nd annual CRUIZIE Awards — including best cruise lines categories — were announced today during one of the cruise industry’s largest conventions, Cruise3sixty. Presented by MeetMeOnBoard.com, the CRUIZIE Awards recognize the cruise industry in several categories as voted on by members of the LGBT (aka gay & lesbian) cruise travel community.

The 2014 CRUIZIE ^© Award winners and runners-up are:

The awards were voted on by members and friends of MeetMeOnBoard.com during early 2014.

“We are proud to present the 2nd Annual CRUIZIE Awards to cruise lines and others who have earned the votes of LGBT cruise enthusiasts,” said Mark den Hartog, Publisher and CEO of the gay-focused cruise passenger website MeetMeOnBoard.com , which presents the CRUIZIE Awards. “Some of the races were exceptionally tight this year, and we are pleased to also announce the runners-up in each category.”

“Cruise lines are realizing more and more just how sizable and visible the gay and lesbian cruise community is. The travel habits of our nearly 10,000 MeetMeOnBoard.com LGBT members continue to make it clear that while all-gay charter cruises are popular, the vast majority of gay and lesbian passengers choose mainstream cruise itineraries. But we also know that our members expect to be welcomed and enjoy a few touches that recognize us as a community–especially valued are  well-organized, onboard LGBT gatherings (sometimes called “Friends of Dorothy”).

“Most of our members cruise at least once yearly, and many cruise more-than once. We believe that the LGBT cruise market is still in its infancy, and will only continue to grow with increased societal acceptance and visibility of LGBT people. We estimate that the MeetMeOnBoard.com community spends some $30,000,000 on cruise vacations annually.

“Through the CRUIZIES and other initiatives, the MeetMeOnBoard community of gay cruise passengers has helped push the value and visibility of LGBT travelers even further into the minds of cruise companies and other travel providers.”

[Tweet “2014 CRUIZIE Award Winners #gay”]

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  About MeetMeOnBoard.com. MeetMeOnBoard.com is the site where gay cruise travelers connect. The site is designed to help like-minded individuals find each other before they set sail, as well as promote the cruise industry for the LGBT cruise enthusiast. At its core, the site is considered social networking for gay cruisers, allowing its members to create a personal profile listing cruises they plan to take, or wish to take. Travelers choose how much information they reveal about themselves when posting photos, biographical information, contact info, favorite cruise lines, and more. The site’s powerful matching tool allows them the possibility to connect in advance with other site members who have booked on the same itinerary to prearrange dining options, plan shore excursions together, and much more.

MeetMeOnBoard.com was started in 2009 by Mark den Hartog and his partner Dale McCurdy, both of whom love the social aspect of cruise ship travel, and wished for a way to meet more similar people. It has nearly 10,000 members (April 4, 2014).

Note: This release has been edited since its original publishing; the estimated dollar amount was corrected.

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