Celebrity Cruises, the Miami-based cruise line offering a fleet of Relaxed Luxury resorts at sea, became the first ocean cruise line to earn the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) Star Awards. The honor features an exclusive group of fewer than 20 land-based properties with over 1,000 rooms worldwide 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 the new ocean cruise category. The ratings are generated by professional inspectors who travel the world to anonymously evaluate the finest hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean cruise ships based on hundreds of standards that determine their annual Star Ratings.

“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,” Hermann Elger says, 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.”

Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Summit are the five celebrity ships to receive the inaugural Star-Rated recognition. The remainder of the line’s 15-ship fleet will be evaluated in the year ahead, except for the 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,” Lisa Lutoff-Perlo says, Celebrity Cruises president and CEO. “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.” “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.”