This Cruise Ship Just Won the Same Prestigious Wine Award for 11 Years Straight—Here's Why That's a Bigger Deal Than You Think

Winning an award once is impressive. Winning the same award eleven years in a row? That’s not just impressive—it’s a statement. The World, Residences at Sea, has once again claimed the “Best Ship Wine List” designation from The World of Fine Wine magazine, marking an unprecedented eleventh consecutive year at the top. The award was announced at the WFW’s World’s Best Wine Lists Awards 2025 ceremony held at London’s The Savoy Hotel, and it underscores something that goes far beyond wine: this ship operates at a completely different level than traditional cruising.

But what does it actually take to dominate a wine competition for over a decade? And what does this tell us about the future of luxury cruise experiences?

What Makes This Award So Significant

The World of Fine Wine isn’t some niche publication handing out participation trophies. It’s one of the most respected wine magazines globally, and its annual World’s Best Wine Lists Awards recognize excellence across restaurants, hotels, and—in this unique category—cruise ships. The judging panel, led by Editor-in-Chief Neil Beckett and WFW Food Editor Francis Percival, evaluates wine programs based on depth, breadth, curation, and execution.

To put this in perspective: maintaining a world-class wine program on land is challenging enough. Restaurants can store wines in climate-controlled cellars, order inventory from local distributors on short notice, and rotate selections weekly. A cruise ship faces none of those conveniences. Instead, The World has to manage a floating wine cellar that travels the globe, navigates varying international regulations, and still delivers a wine experience sophisticated enough to compete with—and beat—the best restaurants in the world.

For eleven years running.

The Numbers Behind the Excellence

The World’s wine program isn’t just about prestige—it’s about scale and variety. The ship currently maintains:

Over 1,200 wine labels from 22 countries
34 sake labels for those seeking Japanese varietals
Cellar capacity of 15,000 bottles stored in optimal conditions
More than 300 spirits for guests who prefer cocktails or aged liquors

That’s an inventory larger than most boutique wine shops, curated to satisfy the palates of some of the world’s most discerning wine enthusiasts. Linda Schultes, The World’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, accepted the award and emphasized the unique advantage the ship has: “Thanks to our global itinerary, we source wines locally, building an expansive collection in our cellars and wine vaults.”

This is a critical distinction. While most cruise ships rely on bulk purchasing agreements and standardized wine lists, The World actively seeks out local vintages as it travels. When the ship visits Bordeaux, the sommeliers aren’t just pouring French wine—they’re sourcing directly from vineyards and building relationships with winemakers. That approach transforms a wine program from a commodity into a curated global experience.

The Barrel Program: Taking Wine Curation to Another Level

In 2024, The World launched something even more ambitious: The World Barrel Program. The inaugural vintage, called “The Journey,” is an exclusive 2022 Bordeaux blend crafted by Viniv, owned by the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages—one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious estates.

The blend consists of 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc rounding out the composition. This isn’t a white-label wine slapped with The World’s branding. It’s a custom-crafted vintage produced specifically for the ship’s residents and guests, reflecting the same level of exclusivity and attention to detail that defines every aspect of life aboard The World.

Custom wine programs are relatively common in luxury hotels and high-end restaurants, but on a cruise ship? That’s unheard of. The logistics alone—coordinating barrel aging, bottling, labeling, and shipping to a vessel that’s constantly in motion—are staggering. But that’s exactly the kind of commitment required to win the same wine award for over a decade.

Sustainability and Wellness: Wine With a Conscience

The World’s wine program also reflects broader shifts in luxury consumer preferences. Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword here—it’s embedded in the curation process. The ship’s sommeliers actively seek out biodynamic and organic wines, recognizing that today’s affluent travelers care about how their wine is produced, not just how it tastes.

Additionally, The World introduced a curated non-alcoholic wine list last year, acknowledging the growing wellness movement among luxury travelers. This isn’t about offering a token alcohol-free option to check a box. It’s about recognizing that some residents and guests prefer to avoid alcohol but still want a sophisticated beverage experience with their meals.

The inclusion of non-alcoholic wines in a program that’s being celebrated by one of the world’s leading wine publications says something important: luxury isn’t just about excess anymore. It’s about thoughtful curation, inclusivity, and meeting the diverse preferences of a discerning clientele.

Why This Matters Beyond Wine

The World’s repeated recognition for its wine program is really a proxy for something bigger: operational excellence. Managing a wine program of this caliber requires:

World-class sommeliers and beverage managers who understand global wine markets and can adapt to ever-changing itineraries
Sophisticated logistics to handle procurement, storage, and inventory management across multiple continents
Financial investment in climate-controlled cellars and premium inventory
Cultural intelligence to source wines that resonate with an international, well-traveled community

Most cruise lines treat beverages as a revenue center, pushing pre-paid drink packages and mass-market labels with high profit margins. The World treats wine as an integral part of the resident experience—because when people literally live on your ship, the quality of every detail matters.

This is the fundamental difference between a traditional cruise and a residential ship. Cruise passengers might tolerate mediocre wine for a week. Residents—people who own apartments on The World and spend months or even years aboard—expect excellence. And that expectation doesn’t just apply to wine. It extends to cuisine, service, entertainment, enrichment programs, and every other aspect of life at sea.

What This Tells Us About the Future of Luxury Cruising

The cruise industry is undergoing a significant transformation. While mass-market lines compete on price and new ship features, the luxury segment is moving toward hyper-personalization, exclusivity, and experiences that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere.

The World represents the extreme end of this spectrum—a ship that’s not really a cruise ship at all, but a private residential community that happens to float. But the principles driving its wine program—local sourcing, sustainability, customization, and relentless quality—are increasingly influencing the broader luxury cruise market.

We’re seeing more luxury lines invest in sommelier-led wine experiences, expanded cellar programs, and partnerships with premium wine regions. Guests are demanding it, and lines that deliver will differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The World’s eleven consecutive wins aren’t just about wine. They’re a blueprint for what luxury travel looks like when every detail is executed at the highest level.

The Bigger Picture

When Linda Schultes stood at The Savoy Hotel to accept The World’s eleventh consecutive “Best Ship Wine List” award, she wasn’t just celebrating a wine program. She was representing a philosophy: that life at sea can—and should—rival the best experiences available on land.

For most cruise passengers, wine is an afterthought, a bottle purchased at dinner or included in a beverage package. For The World’s residents, wine is part of a global journey, sourced from the regions they visit, curated by experts who know their preferences, and served in a floating environment that combines the freedom of travel with the comforts of home.

Eleven years at the top isn’t luck. It’s intentional, relentless commitment to excellence. And as the cruise industry continues to evolve, The World’s approach to wine—and to luxury more broadly—offers a compelling vision of what’s possible when you refuse to settle for “good enough.”

Because in a world where most cruise ships are happy to serve generic wine from a standardized list, there’s one ship that’s been building relationships with winemakers across 22 countries, launching custom barrel programs, and curating 1,200 labels with the same care a Michelin-starred restaurant brings to its cellar.

And the judges at The World of Fine Wine have noticed. For eleven years straight.

Source: Cruise Industry News - The World Claims Best Ship Wine List 2025 Award