Royal Caribbean has confirmed the long-rumoured launch of Celebrity River Cruises, with bookings opening this year and operations starting in 2027, featuring an initial order of 10 ships designed to elevate the river cruise experience.
The new brand will focus on premium, culturally enriching travel in Europe, combining Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning hospitality, dining, and design with destination-rich itineraries.
The company said it will leverage its loyalty programs to deepen customer engagement across its brands.
Celebrity River Cruises aims to replicate the success of its Edge Series ocean ships, offering authentic, immersive experiences on iconic rivers, further expanding the company’s vacation offerings.
Celebrity Cruises won the award for best Premium Cruise at the Irish Travel Industry Awards last Thursday.
Laura Hodges Bethge, president, Celebrity Cruises shared: “Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe,. 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.”
Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group shared:“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.”
“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.”
