Royal Caribbean Group announced that its premium brand, Celebrity Cruises, will usher in a new era in river cruising with the 2027 launch of Celebrity River Cruises. The group placed an initial order for 10 river vessels and said the new premium river line will begin taking bookings for its launch in Europe sometime this year.
"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," says Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. Specifically, look for Celebrity River Cruises to "bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge-series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe,” adds Laura Hodges Bethge, president, Celebrity Cruises.
Christy Newsom Scannell, franchise owner, Dream Vacations, tells Travel Agent that she's looking forward to seeing how Celebrity "interprets rivers." For example, "they've shown with their Flora suite-ship in the Galapagos that they know how to diversify and improve on an existing product," she satys. "So, there's no reason to think their river product won’t be a gamechanger as well. I’m looking forward to seeing how they shake up the river market."
In its press release announcing the new premium river line, Royal Caribbean Group revealed that half of its ocean cruise guests have either experienced or intend to vacation on a river cruise. That was clearly a catalyst for the decision to expand the company's vacation choices onto global rivers. And by leveraging its loyalty programs across three diverse brands—Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea—the cruise company says it will deepen customer engagement and extend its ability to keep guests within the company's portfolio of vacation offerings.
"It makes total sense to capture not only new-to-brand guests but also their loyal, repeat customers who are always looking for new travel experiences," says Theresa Scalzitti, chief operations officer, Cruise Planners. That organization's executives, home office team, franchise owners and advisors are "incredibly excited" about this new premium river line, she stresses "We think this will be a home run," Scalzitti adds.
Jackie Friedman, president, Nexion, wasn't surprised to learn about Celebrity’s plans to enter into the river cruise market. It's a "natural complement" to what they already do on the high seas, she believes. And when they start marketing to their ocean cruise guests, that "should introduce new clients to the river cruise product. I look forward to learning more about their ship designs and itineraries."
Look for more details from Royal Caribbean Group in the coming months about Celebrity River Cruises, including booking opportunities for advisors, as well as destinations, ship details, excursions and more.
For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com.
Related Stories
Celebrity to Host First Grand Voyage, More in 2026-27 Season
Riviera Travel Adds Andy Stewart as Regional Sales Director
Royal Caribbean Places Order for Three More Icon-Class Ships