Celebrity Is First Cruise Line To Earn Forbes Travel Guide Stars

Image: Celebrity Beyond arrives in Southampton. (photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)
Image: Celebrity Beyond arrives in Southampton. (photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)
Bruce Parkinson
by Bruce Parkinson
Last updated: 6:05 AM ET, Thu February 16, 2023

Celebrity Cruises is the first ocean cruise line to earn Forbes Travel Guide ("FTG") Star Awards. The line's Celebrity's ships join an exclusive group of fewer than 20 land-based properties with over 1,000 rooms in the world to ever receive the coveted recognition.

FTG is a global authority on luxury hospitality and stakes a claim as the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and now, the new ocean cruise category.

Professional inspectors travel the world to anonymously evaluate the finest hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean cruise ships based on hundreds of exacting standards that determine their annual Star Ratings.

The Retreat sun deck, Celebrity Summit
PHOTO: The Retreat sun deck, Celebrity Summit. (photo courtesy Celebrity Cruises)

The five inaugural resorts at sea Star-Rated ships are Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Summit. The remainder of the line's 15-ship fleet will be evaluated in the year ahead, except for the line's smaller Galapagos ships.

"We always reach for the stars at Celebrity Cruises, whether it's in our exceptional level of service, our innovative ship design, or the highest quality of relaxed luxury experiences we provide onboard," said President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

"To now be Star-rated multiple times over is such an incredible honour from the Forbes Travel Guide team. It's confirmation that with our resorts at sea, our guests truly sail on the world's best places to the world's best places."

Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, said: "Forbes Travel Guide is thrilled to announce Celebrity ships as the world's first Star-Rated resorts at sea in the new ocean cruise category. Celebrity has delivered on Forbes Travel Guide's standards time and time again during meticulous incognito inspections - offering guests experiences that rival those at the very best land-based properties. We congratulate Celebrity Cruises on this spectacular and historic accomplishment."

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