Why you should vote in the Wave Awards 2024

Imagine throwing open your window one morning to see a waterfall plunging down a cliff, or a white-tailed eagle swooping to catch its prey.

Well, you could witness scenes like these if you vote in World of Cruising’s upcoming Wave Awards – because one voter will win a fabulous nine-night voyage around the Norwegian fjords with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, worth £5,000.

Janet Barber voted in 2023’s Wave Awards and won a Riviera Travel Medieval Germany Cruise aboard MS George Eliot.

“My husband Tony and I had wanted to do a cruise for a long time,” says Janet. “So I entered World of Cruising’scompetition through its newsletter and won a seven-night holiday in May 2024.

“Our friends said they didn’t believe people actually won prizes like that. We couldn’t believe we’d won either – we kept expecting someone to tell us there had been a mistake. We only believed it when we got on the ship and saw a huge chandelier. I said ‘Wow’ and felt my stomach do a somersault.

“We started in Nuremberg, where we saw a castle and the balcony where Hitler held rallies in front of an area the size of four football fields. We visited churches in Bamberg during Corpus Christi [a Catholic celebration] and heard monks singing from their monastery over a tannoy; it felt so peaceful. Rothenburg was beautiful – it had little shops and a tower with an original mechanical clock.

"I’ll always remember its sing-song chime. On a guided tour of Wurzburg we lit candles in a church that smelled of molten wax before wandering off on our own to explore. Miltenberg was lovely too, as it was lined with half- timbered houses.

“On the last day we relaxed on the ship’s rooftop. The food on board was fantastic – we thought we’d need an extension back home because we’d expanded so much. They say you get a light lunch but don’t be fooled, it’s four courses. Our favourite dishes were German split pea soup, pork steak and frikadellen – mini beef burgers in a creamy mushroom sauce. If we left something on our plate the staff asked, ‘Is there something wrong? Can we get you anything else?’ but no – we were just full.

“We had a wonderful time and the cruise honestly exceeded our expectations. The ship, staff and passengers were all lovely and we have stayed friends with some of them. There are no words to express my gratitude.”

If Janet has persuaded you to take five minutes to vote in this year’s awards, vote here to select your favourites to be shortlisted in each category. Your choice could make all the difference.

Once you’ve cast your vote, you can choose to enter a draw to win an annual World of Cruising subscription. You’ll also be automatically entered into a draw to win the Norwegian cruise – so it could soon be you feeling the mist of that waterfall on your face.