Celebrity launches first river cruises in 2027 with two new luxury ships
Celebrity Cruises is making its first foray into the world of river cruising with plans to sail two new luxury ships on seven-day European itineraries starting in 2027.
The Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker are set to sail on the Rhine and Danube rivers with destinations in Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The new ships feature four decks and 86 cabins, each with plenty of outdoor space, an infinity-edge plunge pool and dining pods that can float above the river.
“Celebrity River Cruises ships will be the most innovative on the river, with a patent-pending industry-leading design that offers more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, in a news release. “With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to take a river cruise, we know guests are going to love sailing Europe’s Rhine and Danube rivers the Celebrity way on our fleet of elevated, cutting-edge ships.”
Celebrity opened priority booking access with a $500 deposit on Wednesday, only to close it minutes later due to “unprecedented demand.” Public booking will be available later this month.
The top deck features Sunset Park with transformative shade structures and a bar and grill at the front of the ship. Decks two and three feature their own areas for relaxing, dining and drinking, including familiar venues like the line’s Martini Bar, Sunset Bar and Café Al Bacio. A 24-hour dining option is available onboard the new ships.
All staterooms feature a king-sized bed, and four of the five categories allow access to fresh air. The “Infinite Balcony” rooms have wall-to-wall windows that lower at the touch of a button, similar to the same category that debuted with Celebrity Edge in 2018.
The Skylight Infinite Balcony Suite has a ceiling window that opens, while both the balcony rooms and the Vista Balcony Suites have dedicated outdoor spaces. At 258 square feet, the Vista Balcony Suite represents the largest accommodation on board, while guests in River View staterooms get 157 square feet of space.
All reservations include meals, select alcoholic beverages, coffee and soft drinks, Wi-Fi and one shore excursion per day. Suite stays include an on-demand butler service, priority booking for shore excursions, a premium drink package and one included specialty dining experience.
The inaugural season for the Seeker and Compass includes 33 seven-night sailings on the Rhine and Danube rivers. Sailings start at $2,999 for the River View cabins, and top out at $8,999 for the Vista Balcony Suite during a specialty Nuremberg to Budapest Christmas Markets itinerary. Celebrity can also facilitate pre- and post-cruise stays — available for booking in early 2026 — in destination cities like Prague and Budapest.
For more information, visit celebritycruises.com/river.