Celebrity Cruises has announced that it will be entering the river cruise market starting in 2027. Celebrity River Cruises, a premium river cruise brand, will begin taking bookings later this year.
The brand has signed an initial order for 10 ships that will take guests to historic cities on the world’s most iconic rivers, launching in Europe. The river vessels will take design cues from the Edge class ocean ships.
“We’re thrilled to announce our entry into the river cruise market through our Celebrity Cruises premium travel brand,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “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.”
“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.”
(Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)
Celebrity River Cruises is a natural extension of Celebrity’s premium offering that will bring its unique branding to the river. Passengers will sail through the heart of culturally and historically-significant cities, experiencing locally-inspired cuisine and unique shore experiences the “Celebrity Way.” Vessels will give guests 360 degrees of views, with every moment designed to immerse guests in the journey down the river.
“Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe,” added Laura Hodges Bethge, President of Celebrity Cruises. “We’ve redefined travel on the ocean with our best-in-class hospitality, award-winning food and beverage experiences, and elevated design and style. 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.”
More details on Celebrity River Cruises including booking opportunities, destinations, fleet size, ship details, excursions, and more will be announced in the coming months.
What are your thoughts on Celebrity launching a river cruise line? Are you hoping the line operates cruises in other regions besides just Europe down the road? Drop us an anchor below and share your thoughts!
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