Celebrity Cruises announced this morning that they have placed an order for 10 river cruise ships with the first debuting in 2027.

The cruise line’s new river ships will sail on the most iconic rivers in Europe. They will offer an elevated design and be built on the sophistication of the Edge class ships, Celebrity’s newest class of ocean ships.
Royal Caribbean Group has placed an initial order for 10 river ships for Celebrity River Cruises. The company said that nearly half of Celebrity cruisers have taken a river cruise.
Celebrity River Cruises will offer a service-first approach and a premium experience when their first ship debuts in 2027.
Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, gave the following statement:
“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.
“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. 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.
“We are the best in the world at delivering the vacation of a lifetime, and this is the latest example of how we are building the capabilities to deliver a lifetime of vacations.”
Laura Hodges Bethge, president, Celebrity Cruises, added:
“Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with Europe.
“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.”