Celebrity River Cruises commits to 10 more ships as 2028 European season opens

Celebrity River Cruises has confirmed plans to add ten additional ships to its fleet, expanding capacity to 20 vessels by 2031, as the cruise line opened bookings for its 2028 European deployment.

The move follows the start of construction on the company’s first river ship, Celebrity Compass, marking a significant expansion of Celebrity Cruises’ presence in the European river cruise market.

The 2028 programme introduces more than 160 sailings to over 50 destinations across Europe, representing an increase of approximately 80% in destinations compared with the brand’s inaugural 2027 season.

The expanded deployment will include five ships in operation during 2028, building on the initial launch year, which features Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, followed by the introduction of Celebrity Wanderer, Celebrity Roamer, and Celebrity Boundless.

“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 of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity.

“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,” he added. “With Celebrity’s expansion into river, we’re strengthening our connected vacation ecosystem, offering more choice, more access, and more reasons for guests to stay with us — turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”

The company said that its initial 2027 river cruise season sold out within minutes of opening for sale, prompting the decision to accelerate fleet growth and broaden the range of itineraries available in subsequent years.

“Our inaugural 2027 Celebrity River Cruises season sold out in under six minutes – a testament to how much guests value the unmatched hospitality and service Celebrity delivers,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, President of Celebrity Cruises. “To meet this extraordinary demand, we’re thrilled to open 2028 sailings featuring 80% more European destinations, five ships, and more than 160 itineraries. There are now more ways than ever to experience Europe’s rivers The Celebrity Way.”

The expanded 2028 season will introduce 24 new ports and extend Celebrity River Cruises’ reach across some of Europe’s best-known waterways, including the Rhine and Danube.

New itineraries will also see the brand venture further into Eastern Europe, including sailings along the Lower Danube that incorporate overnight land stays in Bucharest, a first for Celebrity River Cruises.

Seasonal sailings form a key part of the programme, with dedicated itineraries timed to coincide with spring tulip season in the Netherlands and winter Christmas markets along the Rhine.

The broader deployment is designed to offer a mix of longer cultural routes, shorter regional sailings and themed voyages, reflecting the brand’s stated intention to appeal both to returning Celebrity guests and travellers new to river cruising.

Celebrity River Cruises’ fleet expansion is part of a wider strategy by its parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, to diversify its vacation offerings across ocean, river, and land-based experiences. By 2031, the river cruise division is expected to rank among the largest operators in Europe by fleet size.

Bookings for the 2028 season are now open, with sailings scheduled throughout the year across multiple European regions.

Selected Celebrity River Cruises itineraries for 2028

Lower Danube Cruises (six sailings): Routes from Bucharest through the Iron Gates gorge, including overnight land stays in Romania’s capital

Rhine River Cruises (60+ sailings): Basel to Amsterdam itineraries via Strasbourg, Breisach and Rüdesheim

Upper Danube Cruises: Sailings between Regensburg or Nuremberg and Budapest, with select departures aligned to the Gäuboden Festival

Dutch Tulip Season Cruises: Spring itineraries between Brussels and Amsterdam, including Keukenhof Gardens and Kinderdijk

Christmas Markets Cruises: Winter sailings along the Rhine between Basel and Amsterdam, calling at Mainz, Strasbourg and Heidelberg