Celebrity Cruises’ Big Reveal: The Wait is Over for Celebrity River Cruises

When you’re a river cruiser, news like Celebrity Cruises venturing into the river cruise market is as monumental in size as its big ships that sail the world’s oceans. While the news may be significant to a smaller portion of the travel world compared to ocean-goers, it’s making waves nonetheless. Those waves just happen to be on the river.

The biggest names in river cruising are well-known globally, such as Viking and AmaWaterways. However, this year, Celebrity Cruises is making a big splash to potentially disrupt the river cruising market, setting sail in 2027. When pre-sales opened to book for the future when the ships debut, they sold out within six minutes. Though we can’t know for sure how many pre-bookings were available, it’s a fair indicator of the excitement surrounding the cruise line.

The ship names have been revealed, and renderings showcase some expected and unexpected spaces onboard, as well as pleasing finishes in a neutral palette.

Celebrity Reveals Its River Cruise Ship Names

Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker are the first two ships to sail Europe’s waters in 2027. They will cruise the Rhine River and the Danube River equipped with revolutionary technology and thoughtful amenities. Thirty-three seven-night sailings will be offered in its first year.

Innovation and Comfort on Europe’s Premiere Rivers

Design is an important element of Celebrity’s ocean ships, and the river ships will continue to uphold this standard. Celebrity River Cruises promise an innovative hull with a lightweight, versatile design that features a top-of-the-line hybrid propulsion system. Additionally, ships will feature cutting-edge waste management systems, alongside advanced technology to reduce noise and vibration. Noise is never really an issue on river cruise ships unless you have one of perhaps two rooms that are affected when the ship sails, but hopefully, Celebrity’s technology eliminates the possibility of being near a noisy room altogether.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Celebrity River Cruises’ announcement of how it will blend its surroundings with its decks, which is the most exciting piece of this puzzle. Just like the “Edge” of its class of the same name brings guests over the water, guests will be able to dine on the Magic Edge, the first-ever cantilevered dining pods, while enjoying regional cuisine.

Additionally, guests can look forward to an infinity plunge pool to cool down during hot summer afternoons. Imagine taking a dip while sailing past the famous castles on the Rhine River!

Luxurious, Well-Equipped Staterooms

Each stateroom will feature a king-sized bed, stocked mini-bar, luxury linens, bathrobes, slippers, and destination-inspired amenities. We predict that you can expect things like Bavarian-decorated keepsakes in Germany or special in-room spa products when in Budapest, though time will tell what Celebrity presents to guests upon debut.

There will be five categories of staterooms, and—just like Celebrity’s “The Retreat” upgraded offerings to suite class guests on its ocean ships—suite guests will enjoy complimentary butler service, exclusive dining, room service, and happy hour experiences, as well as complimentary laundry once per sailing, and priority booking for shore excursions. This also signals that not all shore excursions will be able to accommodate all guests, or a fee may be charged for upgraded experiences, a common practice in the river cruise industry.

Refining Culinary River Cruise Experiences

One of the things we’re most looking forward to seeing—or tasting—is the onboard culinary offerings. In a nostalgic and comforting nod to loyal Celebrity cruisers, spaces will share the same names as their ocean ships, delighting Celebrity Cruises’ loyal fan base, such as a top-deck Sunset Bar (complete with a grille), the interior Café Al Bacio, and Celebrity’s famous Martini Bar. Hopefully, “Shaken or stirred?” is the toughest question you have to answer during your river cruise on Celebrity Seeker or Celebrity Compass!

A novel offering includes complimentary breakfast via room service, and 24/7 all-day dining. This is a rarity for river cruises; we hope it proves successful for the brand and its guests.