Celebrity Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions and Trafalgar Tours capitalise on the strong demand for European river cruising with new ships coming as soon as April 2026.
River cruising is attracting the attention of a variety of travel companies – what will they offer new and dedicated river-cruise fans?
Celebrity Cruises is building 10 ships to sail on Europe’s rivers, with plans to open bookings for its first 2027 cruises later this year. Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, said, “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.”
Because the group reportedly has a database of 35 million customers, that is a sizeable number of potential new river cruisers.
Bookings for Lindblad Expeditions’ European river cruises have already opened for 2026 itineraries on the sleek new ship Connect. Her inaugural eight-day cruise from Amsterdam to Brussels departs on April 26, 2026 and she will cruise the Rhine on two different eight-day itineraries.
Trafalgar Tours’ first river cruises also start next April. Trafalgar Verity is sailing a 10-day itinerary from Amsterdam to Basel, departing April 12 and Trafalgar Reverie’s eight-day sailing from Budapest to Passau departs April 18.
Celebrity River Cruises
Although not many details have been released yet, Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge has said the ships will feature elements of Celebrity’s stylish Edge-class ocean ships and that the line’s first itineraries in 2027 will be on Europe’s two biggest rivers, the Danube and Rhine.
Celebrity’s river cruises are expected to be all-inclusive and have a strong focus on service, design and overall experience. As to the size of the ships, the website’s FAQ section says, “Ship size is contingent on the rivers we sail due to infrastructure constraints, so our ship size and capacity will vary and be finalised with deployment.” Which indicates there will probably be vessels built for smaller rivers such as the Douro and Seine.
Hodges Bethge said that river cruising opens up the possibility of Celebrity combining sailings in Europe that offer land, river and ocean segments.
Royal Caribbean Group’s Jason Liberty added that the group would also consider river cruise ships for sister line Silversea. “As we build up this engine for river under Celebrity, it will certainly provide opportunity for ultra-luxury guests to consider a river experience under Silversea.”
Watch this space!
Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad is partnering with Transcend Cruises to operate eight-day itineraries onboard the new 120-guest Connect on the Rhine – and may well offer cruises on other European rivers in the future.
Each cruise will be staffed by one of Lindblad’s veteran expedition leaders, several knowledgeable field staff and at least one National Geographic expert. Field staff will guide guests on private tours, for exclusive tastings and experiences.
Although Lindblad is best known for its oceangoing expedition cruises, it has extensive experience in river cruising – on the Peruvian Amazon, the Nile, and North America’s Columbia and Snake Rivers. Lindblad has also added voyages on India’s Brahmaputra River to its portfolio, with voyages aboard the classic Charaidew II starting in March 2026.
Designed with cutting-edge technology and sustainability at top of mind, Connect features an expansive wellness area, several dining options including an al fresco bar and grill, and the distinctive two-storey amphitheatre-style Forum, where briefings, recaps, lectures and presentations will be held.
The ship’s spacious staterooms are all situated above water-level and feature full-width floor-to-ceiling windows and spa showers. They can easily be combined into suites for families or friends travelling together.
Whether you sail Amsterdam-Brussels (and vice versa) or Cologne-Brussels (and vice versa), the cuisine onboard will highlight regional dishes and local ingredients. Wine and beer are included, while premium spirits are available to buy, and a sommelier will be on board to advise on wine pairings.
Trafalgar Tours
The same day that Lindblad announced its entry into luxury river cruising, Trafalgar Tours released the news that it, too is expanding into the river-cruise world. Trafalgar is chartering two ships from its ultra-luxe sister brand Uniworld but its river offering will be less inclusive and designed to appeal to loyal Trafalgar travellers.
Uniworld’s 128-guest ships River Queen and River Princess will be renamed Trafalgar Verity and Trafalgar Reverie, and more Trafalgar river ships are likely to follow soon.
Toni Ambler, MD Australia & New Zealand of Contiki, Trafalgar and Insight Vacations, spoke to Karryon about why the company is moving into river cruising – and Trafalgar’s differentiators in the market.
“We know that when Australians and Kiwis travel to Europe, they’re often looking to piece together multiple experiences into one unforgettable trip – and typically, a river cruise is just one part of a three- to four-leg itinerary,” she said.
“By enabling travellers to seamlessly combine both land and river journeys under the Trafalgar brand they already know and trust, we’re offering not only greater ease of planning and booking, but also the confidence of a consistently exceptional holiday.
“With our deep understanding of what our guests value – combined with the river cruise expertise we’ll draw from Uniworld – we’re delivering a travel experience that’s both effortless and unmatched in quality. It’s Trafalgar’s signature style, now on water.”
Itineraries will feature Trafalgar’s signature experiences, such as Be My Guest dining with locals or after-hours access to iconic sites, and fares will also include daily excursions, transfers, WiFi, gratuities and drinks with meals.
For more information, visit Celebrity Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Trafalgar
