Celebrity River Cruises has revealed an order for 10 additional river ships, doubling its planned fleet to 20 ships by 2031. Celebrity says the new order will make it one of the largest European river cruise operators.
Alongside the announcement, Celebrity River Cruises has also revealed that the first steel has been cut for Celebrity Compass, the brand’s debut river ship.
Celebrity will launch its river cruise offering in 2027 with Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker.
Three more ships will follow in 2028, with further vessels rolling out through to 2031.
Meanwhile, Celebrity River Cruises has opened bookings for its 2028 European season, with the program featuring more than 160 sailings and over 50 destinations.
The season represents a significant 80 per cent increase on its inaugural 2027 deployment.
According to the cruise line, the expanded itineraries span Europe’s most in-demand rivers, including the Rhine and Danube, while also pushing into new territory. That includes journeys along the Lower Danube, Dutch tulip season sailings and Christmas market cruises.
“Guest demand for Celebrity River Cruises has exceeded our expectations, and expanding the fleet allows us to bring this highly anticipated experience to even more travellers,” says Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises.
“Whether guests already love the Celebrity experience or are discovering it for the first time, they now have new ways to enjoy it along some of Europe’s most iconic rivers.
“With Celebrity’s expansion into river, we’re strengthening our connected holiday ecosystem, offering more choice, more access, and more reasons for guests to stay with us – turning the holiday of a lifetime into a lifetime of holidays.”
Celebrity Cruises president Laura Hodges Bethge says Celebrity River Cruises’ first season sold out in “under six minutes”.
This, she says, is a “testament to how much guests value the unmatched hospitality and service Celebrity delivers”.
“To meet this extraordinary demand, we’re thrilled to open 2028 sailings featuring 80% more European destinations, five ships, and more than 160 itineraries,” she adds.
Royal Caribbean Group revealed its plans to enter the river cruising market under its premium brand, Celebrity Cruises, in January 2025.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Celebrity isn’t dipping a toe into river cruising. It’s diving in. For Australian travel advisors, this signals long-term capacity, brand-backed confidence and a serious new player competing for Europe’s most valuable river cruise guests.
