WHY IT RATES: Celebrity's ships join a tiny group of fewer than 20 land-based properties with over 1,000 rooms in the world to ever receive the coveted recognition.-Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor
Celebrity Cruises, the brand that revolutionized the cruising industry with its fleet of Relaxed Luxury resorts at sea, is once again raising the bar as it becomes the first ocean cruise line to ever earn the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide ("FTG") Star Awards. The recognition is made more wonderful as Celebrity's ships join an elite and 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 the global authority on luxury hospitality and the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and now, the new ocean cruise category. Their 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 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, excluding its two smaller Galapagos ships, will be evaluated in the year ahead.
"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 honor 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," said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "I'd like to congratulate the entire Celebrity family, both at sea and shoreside, for this special recognition. I celebrate each and every one of you and thank you for your dedication and commitment to delivering the best vacations at sea."
"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," said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. "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."
The newly Star-rated Celebrity ships represent three of the line's classes of ships, including:
Edge Series - As avant-garde as the name implies, these ships have been hailed as architectural masterpieces, introducing a plethora of industry firsts on a cruise ship, such as an outward-facing resort deck, the world's first cantilevered floating bar known as The Magic Carpet, luxurious new state rooms like the two-story Edge Villas with private plunge pools, and more. Celebrity ApexSM (2021) and Celebrity Edge (2018) remain among the most highly awarded ships at sea, even being named to TIME Magazine's "World's Greatest Places."
Millennium Series - Offering a more intimate cruising experience with just over 1,000 staterooms each, both Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Summit were part of the line's biggest fleet-wide modernization in 2019, with more than $500 million in luxurious upgrades made.
Mega-Yacht - Celebrity Flora is an exclusive 100-passenger luxury mega-yacht designed specifically and purposefully for expeditions in the Galapagos and built to merge with its surroundings. With all-natural materials, she introduced a state-of-the-art positioning system allowing the ship to remain stationary without dropping anchors to further protect the seabed and solar panels making it one of the most eco-friendly ships sailing anywhere. Fully immersing travelers in the destination, all itineraries are led by certified naturalists from the Galapagos Natural Park.
For more information and to book a sailing with Celebrity Cruises, visit celebrity.com, contact a trusted travel advisor, or contact Celebrity Cruises at 888-751-7804 or internationally at 316-554-5961.
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