Best in sea: Five ships from this cruise line earn Forbes Travel Guide 2023 Star Awards
Five Celebrity Cruises ships won Forbes Travel Guide 2023 Star Awards, marking the debut of ratings for ocean cruise ships.
The worldwide rating system for luxury hotels, spas and restaurants announced its 2023 winners on Wednesday, including ocean cruises for the first time. The winners are independently assessed by a team of inspectors.
"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," CEO of Forbes Travel Guide Hermann Elger said in a news release. "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."
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The rating system will announce more cruise lines later in 2023, and inspections for next year's winners are already taking place, according to a separate news release.
Which Celebrity Cruises ships earned the rating?
Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Millennium each earned four-star ratings, while Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Summit were designated as "recommended," according to the Forbes Travel Guide website.
"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," Celebrity's president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said in the line's release. "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."
What do the ratings mean?
Forbes Travel Guide rates winners in several different categories:
Five Star: The highest rating, those with this designation are "outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities," according to the website.
Four-Star: Winners in this category are also "exceptional," according to the guide, with high-quality service and facilities.
Recommended: "These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities," Forbes Travel Guide said.
How does Forbes Travel Guide evaluate winners?
Inspectors visit each property anonymously to gauge the experience a guest might have, and Forbes Travel Guide pays for services the way a traveler would as well.
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"While we inspect both service and facility, our Star Rating system emphasizes service because your experience at a hotel, restaurant or spa goes beyond looks – how it makes you feel is what you will remember most," the rating system said on its website.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celebrity Cruises earn Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards for five ships
