Celebrity is making a commitment for 10 new ships that will expand its European river cruise fleet to 20 vessels by 2031.
The announcement marks the start of construction, with the first steel cut for Celebrity Compass – the line’s debut river ship.
The expansion will make Celebrity one of the largest European river cruise operators, offering more itineraries and destinations than ever before.
The 2028 season is now open for booking, featuring an 80% increase in European destinations compared to the brand’s inaugural 2027 deployment. The line now offers more than 160 sailings to more than 50 destinations across Europe.
Guests can sail the Rhine to the vineyards of Alsace, follow the Danube to Budapest’s centuries-old market halls, or wake up in Prague and end the day at a café in the heart of Vienna.
Celebrity River Cruises launches in 2027 with Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, followed by Celebrity Wanderer, Celebrity Roamer and Celebrity Boundless joining the fleet in 2028.
“Guest demand for Celebrity River Cruises has exceeded our expectations and expanding the fleet allows us to bring this highly anticipated experience to even more travellers,” said Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, parent company of Celebrity Cruises.
“Whether guests already love the Celebrity experience or are discovering it for the first time, they now have new ways to enjoy it along some of Europe’s most iconic rivers.
“With Celebrity’s expansion into river, we’re strengthening our connected holiday ecosystem, offering more choice, more access and more reasons for guests to stay with us.”
2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries include:
- Lower Danube Cruises (six sailings): Journey from Bucharest through the dramatic Iron Gates gorge to destinations where history, culture and natural beauty converge. Each sailing includes an overnight land stay in Bucharest.
- Rhine River Cruises (more than 60 sailings): Sail between Basel and Amsterdam through Europe’s castle country, passing vine-covered hillsides and storybook villages including Strasbourg, Breisach and Rüdesheim.
- Upper Danube Cruises: Travel between historic Regensburg or Nuremberg and Budapest, discovering grand castles and cultural treasures along the Danube through Germany, Austria and Hungary. Select sailings coincide with the Gäuboden Festival in Straubing, one of Germany’s largest heritage celebrations.
- Dutch Tulip Season Cruises: Glide between Brussels and Amsterdam during peak spring bloom, visiting the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens, the windmills of Kinderdijk and Maastricht.
- Christmas Markets Cruises: Experience a European holiday tradition on sailings between Basel and Amsterdam, with stops at Rhine Valley villages including Mainz, Strasbourg and Heidelberg.
