Celebrity announced that it has ordered 10 ships that will ply European rivers starting in 2027.
The line has already booked berth space, but it did not announce where.
Celebrity’s statement said its new river cruise boats will “bring the elevated design and sophistication of the Edge Series ocean ships to the river.”
That could mean anything, but to see what the Edge ships look like, see Frommer’s review of the Celebrity Edge, launched in 2018 and the Celebrity Ascent, launched in late 2023.
The line's announcement was made on the same day its parent company announced strong financial results.
Travel Weekly reports that the new Celebrity River Cruises boats will carry about 180 passengers each, and unlike on some of the upscale river cruise lines, children will be welcomed.
Also unlike many river cruise, Celebrity’s river boats will not be fully all-inclusive, Travel Weekly reports, although details about add-on packages for options such as alcohol, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions have not been announced.
All of Celebrity’s ships, including ocean-going and river-based, will use the same loyalty points system.
Celebrity intends to begin accepting bookings for its river cruise itineraries in late 2025, and the line says sailings are scheduled to begin in 2027.
The move will mean that soon, two upscale mainstream cruise lines, Viking and Celebrity, will both perform double duty operating inland river cruises along with ocean-bound trips. A decade ago, Viking River Cruises expanded in the other direction, from fresh water to salt water. Viking Ocean Cruises now has more than a dozen ships in its fleet.
