Celebrity will start offering river cruises in 2027

Ships from Celebrity Cruises' will soon be seen on Europe’s rivers. 

In an announcement made Tuesday morning (Jan. 28), the cruise line revealed its plan to offer premium river cruises, under the name “Celebrity River Cruises,” and that it will begin taking bookings this year.

The brand has signed an initial order for 10 “transformative” ships that will take guests to historic cities on the world's most iconic rivers, launching in Europe.

Celebrity is promising to bring its “elevated design and sophistication of the Edge Series ocean ships” to the river, while staying true to “the Celebrity Way.”

The first river cruise will begin in 2027, and the plan is to bring the cruise line's vision for ocean-going vessels to river cruises.

"We're thrilled to announce our entry into the river cruise market through our Celebrity Cruises premium travel brand. Our guests and travel partners should expect us to do what we do best – innovate and elevate the river cruise experience as we meet the growing demand for intimate, culturally enriching travel experiences," said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, Celebrity's parent company, in a press release.

"With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to vacation on a river cruise, we know they will enjoy Celebrity's elevated offering on the river. By leveraging our valuable loyalty programs across our three brands, we will deepen customer engagement and further our ability to keep guests within our ecosystem of vacation offerings. We are the best in the world at delivering the vacation of a lifetime, and this is the latest example of how we are building the capabilities to deliver a lifetime of vacations."

Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, also commented on the new concept.

“We've redefined travel on the ocean with our best-in-class hospitality, award-winning food and beverage experiences, and elevated design and style,” she said. “We are thrilled to bring these experiences to the river and combine them with authentic, destination-rich itineraries that will give our guests an experience unlike any other."

The news comes on the heels of Royal Caribbean Group signing an agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique to order a sixth Edge Series ocean ship for delivery to Celebrity in 2028.

Edge 6 or "Xcel 2" will be the sister-ship to Celebrity Xcel, which is preparing to take its inaugural sail later this year.

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