Celebrity River Boats
By Anne Kalosh
Branching into European river cruising, Celebrity Cruises ordered 10 vessels of a new design with plans to begin sailing in 2027.
And — look out Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon, Scenic and others — that is only a start.
New Design
The first 10 vessels, of a new design, have been ordered from TeamCo Shipyard, the Netherlands-based builder for brands including Amadeus, AmaWaterways and Emerald Cruises.
For its 180-passenger vessels, Celebrity River Cruises promised the “quality and sophistication” of its Edge-class ocean ships. (Those are popular; a fifth is coming this year and a sixth was just ordered, for 2028 delivery.)
Celebrity said its river vessels will have 360-degree views, destination-rich itineraries, locally inspired cuisine and offer unique shore experiences.
Celebrity River Cruises logo. * Image: Celebrity
Two Vessels In 2027
The plan is to introduce two in 2027, then ramp up to four a year.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty expects to order more river new builds before 2027, and there may be opportunity for a Silversea river product, too.
“We're going to start off with Celebrity,” Liberty said. “We think there is great scale opportunity and we'll be looking to see if there's opportunity to expand for our other brands.”
‘Exceptional' Demand
Within just a few hours of Celebrity River Cruises being announced, the “amount of interest from travel partners and guests to get on one of our river ships has been exceptional,” according to Liberty.
He insisted Celebrity isn't going to be chasing Viking customers. Liberty thinks there's plenty of demand within Royal Caribbean Group's existing customer base to go around.
Viking often touts its huge database. Royal Caribbean Group, Liberty noted, carries 8 million cruisers a year, has an active database of 35 million and a loyalty program with reciprocity among three brands that will incentivize people to try Celebrity River Cruises.
“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,” Liberty said. “By leveraging our valuable loyalty programs across our three brands, we will deepen customer engagement and further our ability to keep guests within our ecosystem of vacation offerings.”
Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge's team will manage Celebrity River Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said growth beyond 10 vessels is planned. * Photo: Anne Kalosh
Berthing Slots
With river cruising's popularity, the berthing at some of Europe's iconic destinations is getting crowded.
Celebrity hasn't announced its itineraries yet, but Liberty said the line has secured berthing slots.
Plus, in a teaser, he mentioned other rivers around the world present opportunities for Celebrity river boats.
Numbers Compared To Viking
Ten vessels is an eye-catching number, especially for a new brand.
For comparison, Viking is set to introduce 10 of its own on the rivers in 2025 alone.
And, with planned deliveries, Viking's fleet will number 107 in 2028.
Celebrity River Cruises has a long way to go to catch Viking in sheer numbers. Here, a past Viking River Cruises inaugural introduced eight vessels. * Photo: Anne Kalosh
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