Norfolkline was voted the leading ferry company in the 2009 Guardian and Observer Travel Awards.
The company operates ferries to Dunkerque from Dover and to Zeebrugge from Rosyth for people visiting mainland Europe, as well as Belfast and Dublin ferry services from Liverpool.
Travellers named
Norfolkline their favourite ferry company ahead of
Brittany Ferries, which was in second place, while
Stena Line also featured in the top five.
Over 19,200 people submitted votes for this year's Guardian and Observer Travel Awards, compared to 17,000 in 2008.
Switzerland was found to be the most popular European country ahead of Norway and Austria, while Belfast took fourth place in the category covering UK cities, behind Edinburgh, York and Bath.
P&O Ferries also picked up an accolade recently, winning the World Travel Award for Europe's leading short sea ferry operator.
DFDS Seaways was voted the top long sea ferry provider, while Lisbon took the honours for Europe's leading holiday and city break destination.
Posted by Mark Robinson