Celebrity Cruises has launched Celebrity River Cruises, a premium river cruise holiday that will begin taking bookings this year and ordering 10 ships for the brand.
The transformative ships will take guests to historic cities on the world’s most iconic rivers, launching in Europe.
Celebrity Cruises said it will bring the elevated design and sophistication of the Edge Series ocean ships to the river.
“We’re thrilled to announce our entry into the river cruise market through our Celebrity Cruises premium travel brand. Our guests and travel partners should expect us to do what we do best – innovate and elevate the river cruise experience as we meet the growing demand for intimate, culturally enriching travel experiences,” Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO, Jason Liberty, said.
“With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to holiday on a river cruise, we know they will enjoy Celebrity’s elevated offering on the river. 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 holiday offerings. We are the best in the world at delivering the holiday of a lifetime, and this is the latest example of how we are building the capabilities to deliver a lifetime of holidays.”
Celebrity said Celebrity River Cruises is a natural extension of its premium offering that will bring its unique service-first approach to the river with locally inspired cuisine and unique shore experiences.
“Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe,” added Celebrity Cruises president Laura Hodges Bethge.
“We’ve redefined travel on the ocean with our best-in-class hospitality, award-winning food and beverage experiences, and elevated design and style. We are thrilled to bring these experiences to the river and combine them with authentic, destination-rich itineraries that will give our guests an experience unlike any other.”
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) also reported strong financial results in the US yesterday after WAVE season got off to a record start.
“2024 was exceptional, thanks to our incredible team’s flawless execution, which drove elevated demand across our leading brands, the early achievement of our Trifecta goals, and meaningful progress on our strategic priorities,” Liberty said.
“2025 is shaping up to be another great year, with expected adjusted earnings growth of 23 per cent, as our commercial and vacation experiences flywheel continues to accelerate the growing preference for our leading brands, the most innovative ships and world-class private destinations.
“We are never satisfied with the status quo, and we are obsessed with delivering the best vacation experiences in the world and driving exceptional shareholder returns. Today’s launch of Celebrity River Cruises is an example of our commitment to deliver on that promise and ultimately capture a greater share of the US$2 trillion global vacation market.”
