Celebrity Cruises surprised customers this week when it announced that it will procure a fleet of river cruise ships and offer river cruises at various destinations from 2027 and beyond.
River cruises have become extremely popular and profitable in recent years, but of course, the vessels for them are totally different from those of a major cruise ship, and Celebrity first has to procure a fleet of suitable ships to design itineraries.
You can access the Celebrity Cruises website for the new river cruises here.
The most popular destinations for river cruises are in Europe, Egypt, and a few in Asia. There are many scenic waterways that guide ships and their passengers, even in narrow straights that a traditional cruise ship could never reach.
Celebrity describes the new itineraries as follows:
Open for Booking 2025. Sailing 2027.
We’ve redefined travel on the ocean — now we’re bringing that same elevated experience to the world’s most iconic rivers. Celebrity River Cruises is set to sail through the heart of Europe’s culture and history, and giving you the keys. From locally inspired cuisine to breathtaking views from the comfort of your room, every moment designed to immerse you in the beauty of the journey. Nothing Comes Close to the world we create for you. And now it’s even closer. Once you experience it, you’ll never want to vacation any other way. This is how we river.
Celebrity River Cruises is our brand-new premium river cruise offering, designed to provide intimate and immersive journeys throughout the world. Experience personalized service, world-class amenities, and unique itineraries tailored for our guests. Our inaugural River cruise is set to sail in 2027.
Celebrity River Cruises will sail on the world’s most iconic rivers – launching in Europe. Sign up for e-mail, follow us on Social, or contact your Travel Advisor to be the first to know about our deployment.
The brand has signed an initial order of 10 ships. Bookings for our river cruises will become available starting in 2025.
I have never taken a river cruise personally, but I booked two for my parents, one in Egypt on the Nile and one in Germany on the Wine Route, and they were extremely happy with it.
They went with Viking, and just as an illustration, here are the destinations they offer, which – I assume – will be somewhat replicated by Celebrity once the fleet is ready for planning:
The big advantage is that river cruise ships can dock pretty much downtown on the river banks, and passengers can directly disembark at the heart of the destination. No long transfers or treks to start your sightseeing or go back to the ship.
Celebrity also published a video for their new river cruise plans:
I’m curious if there will be a casino on these river cruise ships. That would be great, as that means they qualify for comp offers.
Conclusion
Celebrity Cruises made a big splash (all pun intended) when they announced this week that the cruise line is ordering a fleet of ten new vessels to enter the river cruise market.
It appears that Celebrity, which prides itself on being a premium cruise line, has identified river cruises as a field that yields high demand and high profits.
Celebrity has obviously not published any details yet, but I’ll definitely keep an eye on this. River cruise ships are considerably smaller and, therefore, much faster to build. The fleet of 10 ships should be ready very soon, as evidenced by the ambitious starting date of just two years from now.
