Exclusive River Cruises To Launch in 2027 by Celebrity Cruises

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Celebrity Cruises has recently announced plans to expand its offerings with a new fleet of river-going vessels to be launched in Europe in 2027. Called Celebrity River Cruises, the fleet of 10 ships will join the likes of Viking, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and others in the river-cruising business.

Known for premium cruising, Celebrity will offer a similar onboard experience on its river cruises as found on its Edge-class oceangoing vessels, but with a focus on the destination. Entertainment and dining will reflect the environs, giving passengers a more immersive experience in new and exciting itinerary offerings.

What They’re Saying

“Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe,” said 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.”

Guests can expect to receive the same elevated level of service and elegance with Celebrity River Cruises as they do with the other three Celebrity brands. Intimate and immersive experiences will be the hallmark of Celebrity’s newest venture.

What Makes River Cruising Different From Ocean Cruising

Several factors differentiate river cruising from traditional ocean cruising:

• Different type of ships: Oceangoing vessels are generally large and tall with many decks. River vessels are long and low-slung, allowing them to slip beneath low bridges across rivers.
• Smaller ships: Oceangoing vessels carry thousands of passengers, while river cruisers typically carry between 150 and 200 passengers, creating a more intimate experience. Celebrity will announce their ship capacities at a later date.
• A different viewpoint: Oceangoing vessels give the passenger a higher viewpoint from their cabin, while river vessels allow the passengers views close to the waterline.
• Length of cruise: Ocean cruises can range from 2 nights to a months-long around-the-world cruise. River cruises typically last for seven nights.
• Number of ports: Ocean cruises visit fewer ports compared to days, generally giving you sea days. River cruises will normally have 7 to 8 ports in a seven-day cruise.
• Variety of ports: Traveling inland via river allows for a much richer variety of ports to explore, opening a new world to those who normally cruise exclusively via ocean.
• A focus on the destination: Ocean cruises focus on both the journey and the destination, offering many options for entertainment onboard such as production shows, musical events, casinos, and more. Entertainment on river cruises focus on the ports visited, giving you an immersive experience through lectures and dining.
• Less downtime: Due to the nature of the river cruise, you will have less downtime than you would on an ocean cruise. Each day, you will arrive in a different port (or two) and will go ashore to explore all day, returning to the ship for dinner. This makes for a more energetic cruise than you might experience on the ocean.

Where Will They Be Sailing

The first ships will be sailing in Europe. More destinations will be announced at a later date.

What Comes Next

Itinerary information will be available soon, as bookings will be taken later in 2025 for sailings on the first ship to begin in 2027, with more to come. Pricing information is unavailable at this writing, but is expected to be competitive with existing river cruise lines.

How To Get More Information

Sign up with Celebrity for emails, follow them on social media, or ask your travel advisor to keep you informed.

Final Thoughts

We have experienced stellar service and personalized attention aboard Celebrity’s ocean ships for years now, and expect their river offerings to be just as amazing. I will be watching for more information from Celebrity on this new program, eager to see how they redefine river travel.

Although we have been exclusively ocean cruisers so far, we are open to experiencing river cruises on a brand that we know and trust—Celebrity. Whether we book a river cruise with them depends on several factors important to us, including pricing.

Happy cruising!

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