Celebrity Cruises has become the first cruise line to earn Forbes Travel Guide recognition, something previously only been bestowed on land-based properties.
The five ships awarded stars by Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) 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.
Until now fewer than 20 properties with more than 1,000 rooms have been awarded stars from FTG. The global rating system has previously focused on luxury hotels, restaurants and spas, and this marks the first time it has rated ocean cruises.
Professional inspectors travel anonymously and evaluate products against hundreds of exacting standards.
Celebrity’s president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said: “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. 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.”
FTG chief executive Hermann Elger added: “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."