Move over, landlubbers—luxury cruising just got a Michelin-star-level makeover. For the first time in its 67-year history, Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) has set its sights on cruise ship dining, unveiling a groundbreaking new category in its prestigious Star Awards. With cruise lines investing heavily in gourmet experiences, FTG is officially recognizing the crème de la crème of shipboard restaurants. So, what does this mean for the industry, competitors, and, most importantly, passengers looking to dine in true luxury while drifting across the world’s most scenic waters? Let’s break it down.
photo: @Windstar Star Pride
Anchors Aweigh for Fine Dining at Sea
Gone are the days when cruise cuisine meant bottomless buffets and questionable surf-and-turf. Today’s luxury liners are culinary playgrounds, where Michelin-starred chefs helm the kitchens, locally sourced ingredients take center stage, and the wine lists rival those of the world’s top establishments. FTG’s decision to rate cruise ship restaurants is a nod to this evolution—and a clear message that luxury at sea is now on par with five-star experiences on land.
For this inaugural launch, FTG inspectors embarked on multiple vessels, incognito, of course, to experience the best (and worst) that cruise dining has to offer. The final list includes standout venues like Candles on Windstar Star Pride, The Dining Room on SeaDream II, Fine Cut Steakhouse on Celebrity Apex and Ascent, The Grill on Silversea’s Silver Origin, and S.E.A. on The Ritz-Carlton’s Evrima.
“The cruise industry has raised the bar significantly when it comes to dining,” says Amanda Frasier, FTG’s president of Standards & Ratings. “We’re seeing cruise lines partnering with celebrated chefs and sourcing the finest ingredients to match the very best restaurants on land.”
photo: @Windstar Star Pride
The Winners: Who’s Cooking Up the Best at Sea?
Among the top-rated cruise ship restaurants, Fine Cut Steakhouse on Celebrity Apex and The Dining Room on SeaDream II earned coveted Four-Star ratings, while Candles (Windstar), Fine Cut Steakhouse (Celebrity Apex), and The Grill (Silversea) received FTG’s Recommended status.
These dining venues are redefining the cruise experience, from gourmet regional specialties to theatrical tableside presentations. Consider The Grill’s Ecuadorian-inspired menu on Silversea’s Silver Origin, featuring locally sourced lobster cooked atop a sizzling lava stone, or S.E.A.’s European-style tasting menus curated by Chef Sven Elverfeld of the three-Michelin-starred Aqua at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg.
For dessert, Elverfeld’s Ruinart rosé champagne crème sorbet is already making waves, while Candles’ legendary lemon tart is practically a rite of passage for Windstar guests.
What This Means for the Industry (and Your Next Cruise)
FTG’s foray into cruise ratings isn’t just a nod to the industry’s luxury boom—it’s a challenge. For cruise lines that didn’t make the cut, the message is clear: the bar has been raised. Expect more investments in high-end dining, from expanding partnerships with renowned chefs to enhancing sustainability and local sourcing initiatives.
For travelers, this means a more curated, elevated dining experience at sea, where a steakhouse on the Atlantic can rival the finest in Manhattan, and a seafood grill in the Mediterranean can stand toe-to-toe with its land-based counterparts.
FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE UNVEILS 2025 STAR AWARDS
The 67th annual list spans more than 2,100 properties in 90 countries. It features 336 Five-Star, 645 Four-Star and 567 Recommended hotels; 79 Five-Star, 128 Four-Star and 64 Recommended restaurants; 124 Five-Star and 224 Four-Star spas; seven Four-Star and seven Recommended cruise ships; and three Four-Star and three Recommended cruise ship restaurants—a new rating accolade.
The ratings expanded into new destinations, including Brunei; Costa Navarino, Greece; Finland; Haikou, Xiamen and Xi’an, China; Kazakhstan; Malaga, Spain; Montenegro; Oualidia and Tamuda Bay, Morocco; Phu Quoc, Vietnam; Romania; and Salzburg, Austria.
FTG’s inaugural cruise restaurant ratings feature Celebrity (Apex and Ascent’s Fine Cut Steakhouse), The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (Evrima’s S.E.A.), SeaDream Yacht Club (SeaDream II’s Dining Room), Silversea (Silver Origin’s The Grill) and Windstar (Star Pride’s Candles).
Some key trends from FTG’s inspections:
The boundaries of luxury expand. Hotels are embracing an increasingly adventurous luxury clientele exploring less-traveled locales, as evidenced by new destinations on the 2025 list. Authenticity is key; inspectors noted a sense of place created not only by décor and cuisine, but also through the thoughtful integration of local customs and history.
Hotels pave the way to wellness. Health-focused experiences and the demand to feel well after your trip are priorities for today’s traveler. FTG data show this trend holding strong among Five-Stars and expanding notably among Four-Star and Recommended properties.
Luxury collaborations up the ante. Hotels are partnering with ultra-luxury brands in creative ways to enhance the guest experience. Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, for example, collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a property-wide art installation celebrating the Five-Star hotel’s first anniversary.
Geographic highlights of the 2025 Awards:
For the third straight year, Macau holds strong as the destination with the most Five-Star hotels (24), adding Epic Tower at Studio City Macau and Raffles at Galaxy Macau, as well as seven new Five-Star restaurants: Aurora (Altira Macau), Chef Tam’s Seasons (Wynn Palace), Don Alfonso 1890 (Palazzo Versace Macau), The Huaiyang Garden (The Londoner Hotel), Mesa by José Avillez (The Karl Lagerfeld), Yamazato Macau (Hotel Okura Macau) and Zuicho (Grand Lisboa Palace Macau).
The U.S. gained new Five-Stars in Arizona (The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, A Luxury Collection Resort), California (The Maybourne Beverly Hills and Olivella restaurant at Ojai Valley Inn) and Montana (RiverView Ranch and Spa Montage Big Sky).
Europe had a strong showing, with new Five-Stars in Azerbaijan (Four Seasons Hotel Baku), France (Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel), Greece (Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino), Italy (Castelfalfi), Spain (Rosewood Villa Magna) and the U.K. (The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London and Raffles London at The OWO).
China is roaring back. In addition to Macau winners, China added Five-Stars in Guangzhou (Rosewood Guangzhou) and Hong Kong (The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong).
Elsewhere in Asia, new Five-Star hotels arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam (Capella Hanoi), and Singapore (The Paiza Collection at Marina Bay Sands).
New Five-Star hotels also came to the Middle East (One&Only Royal Mirage – The Residence in Dubai and The St. Regis Abu Dhabi) and Africa (Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island).
“Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Award winners exemplify excellence in hospitality,” says Amanda Frasier, FTG’s President of Standards & Ratings. “This year’s list reflects the changing landscape of luxury with properties setting the standard for authentic experiences, unparalleled amenities, enhanced well-being and the delivery of unforgettable moments. We are thrilled to recognize their dedication to creating world-class experiences for today’s discerning guest.”
