Key Aspects:
- Itineraries offered by the new Celebrity River Cruises brand will open for sale on September 25, 2025, offering cruises on the Rhine and Danube rivers in 2027.
- An earlier promotion, Priority Booking Access, indicated high demand for the river product, with the early access offer selling out in minutes on the day it became available.
- The line’s first two ships, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, will eventually be part of a 10-ship fleet operated by the river brand.
Demand is soaring for voyages aboard the first two ships, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, in the new Celebrity River Cruises brand, an offshoot of blue-water line Celebrity Cruises.
The river cruise brand will open all remaining inventory on 33 voyages on the Rhine and Danube in 2027 on September 25, 2025, following a Priority Booking Access offer that began on September 3, 2025.
Under that limited offer, guests were invited to place a refundable $500 deposit that could be converted into a reservation once bookings opened on the roster of 7-night sailings.
“We are thrilled to open the remaining inventory on 2027 Celebrity River Cruises sailings, following Priority Booking Access selling out earlier this month in just six minutes,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises.
“The response to the innovative design and unmatched experience Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker will deliver has been overwhelmingly positive,” added Hodges Bethge.
Celebrity River Cruises, a unit of Royal Caribbean Group, which also owns Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Silversea Cruises, ultimately will have a 10-ship fleet.
The ships will initially operate 7-night voyages on the two rivers. Cruises will sail between Vienna and Budapest, and from Budapest to Nuremberg for the Christmas market season in late 2027.
Also, Rhine itineraries will take guests to destinations such as Basel, Switzerland, Strasbourg, France, and Amsterdam.
Detailed itineraries will be available on the line’s website on the day bookings officially open.
The river brand was unveiled in January 2025, after feedback from Celebrity Cruises’ guests revealed that roughly half of them had taken or plan to take a river cruise.
Indeed, the river cruise market has grown at a robust annual rate of between 10% and 15% during the past 10 years, according to Cruise Lines International Association.
The niche market offers small ships, typically topping out at 220 guests, providing an intimate atmosphere and a mostly adult demographic. Also, river ships generally experience calm waters compared to sailing on the open ocean.
Ships’ Design Will Feature Edge-Class Inspirations
Celebrity River Cruises’ ships are poised to set new design standards in the river cruise space, including, for example, open decks, which are currently not seen on river vessels except for the top deck.
Read Also: What are the Different Types of Cruises You Can Go On?
Some venues planned for the river ships are inspired by Celebrity Cruises’ popular Edge-class ocean ships, including the cantilevered Magic Carpet space. On the river vessels, a similar cantilevered “dining pod” will be called Magic Edge.
The top decks of the river ships will feature an alfresco dining venue and a plunge pool, and guests will have a choice of eight restaurants and bars. This is a big departure from traditional river vessels, which typically have just one main dining room and lounge.
Another pioneering service for the river cruise market is all-day dining, also not found on other river lines. Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker will offer five stateroom categories.
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The new river cruise line will mirror existing river brands when it comes to inclusive amenities and services, as its cruise fares will include all meals and drinks, WiFi access, and a shore excursion in each port call.
Itineraries of the Celebrity ships will offer pre- and post-cruise land stays in Prague and Budapest.
