Best known for its amenity-packed mega-ships, Celebrity Cruises plans to launch 10 river vessels, with the first operating in Europe by 2027. It will be the first time Celebrity has operated river ships of any kind, said Laura Hodges Bethge, the line’s president, in an exclusive interview with T+L.

Celebrity Cruises (part of the Royal Caribbean Group), a brand known for its high-end ocean voyages, is now planning to set sail on Europe’s rivers.

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Building on its reputation as a premium ocean cruise line, Celebrity Cruises announced a new offering, Celebrity River Cruises, a luxury river cruise line. The line has already ordered ten new ships to compete in the highly profitable river cruise market.

Celebrity will begin taking bookings this year for Celebrity River Cruises, a new premium river cruise offshoot that will begin sailing in 2027. Royal Caribbean and Silversea could be next.

Destinations and itineraries haven’t yet been revealed but Celebrity Cruises said it will sail “through the heart of Europe’s culture and history” and on the “world’s most iconic rivers”. Bookings will open later this year and sailings will start in 2027.

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 Rive | Royal Caribbean Group's premium brand, Celebrity Cruises,

Celebrity Cruises is launching a new river cruise brand, Celebrity River Cruises, with 10 ships to sail Europe's iconic rivers, offering premium travel experiences.

Bookings are already off to a record start in 2025 for Royal Caribbean, and the company is now set to expand its offerings further by breaking into river cruises, the CEO told Skift.