Foreign the first time ever the contest would be a reality show, the semifinalists being narrowed down by judges and the finalists and winners based on public vote. Cruz is the first Dominican beauty queen to have been elected by public vote. Cruz crowned her successor Elisa Abreu, on July 10, 2005.
Claudia has a sister, sports reporter Carolina Cruz de Martínez, who is married to the famous Dominican pitcher Pedro Martínez.
After representing Bonao and placing only as the 5th Runner-Up in the Mission Dominican Republic 2004 pageant, which was won by Larimar Fiallo, Cruz decided to take another chance at the new revamped and independent Mission Mundo Dominicana contest. Having received 66% of the votes, Claudia was named winner on October 10, 2004 only a month before departure to the contest. Despite the lack of time to prepare herself for the Mission World pageant, she won the title of Continental Queen of the Caribbean and finished as the 1st Runner-Up to the eventual winner, María Julia Mantilla from Peru. She is also the second-highest placed Dominican ever in the Mission World contest as she placed second, only Mariasela Álvarez has placed higher as she was the winner of Mission World 1982.
