Celebrity Cruises floats out 1st river cruise ship Celebrity Compass ahead of 2027 debut

Celebrity Cruises has marked the float-out of Celebrity Compass, its first river cruise ship, ahead of its planned debut in Europe in 2027.

The milestone moves the vessel into the next stage of construction as Celebrity Cruises prepares to enter the river cruise sector with a fleet that is expected to grow to 20 ships by 2031.

Celebrity marked the first steel cutting for Celebrity Compass at the beginning of 2026, when the cruise line also announced a commitment for 10 additional river ships.

The new vessels will expand Celebrity’s planned European river fleet to 20 ships by 2031 as the company establishes a presence in a sector traditionally separate from its ocean cruise operations.

Celebrity’s river ships are being developed with elements drawn from the design and onboard experience of the cruise line’s Edge-class ocean vessels.

During a recent earnings call, Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, said the river product would form part of the company’s wider strategy to retain guests across different types of holidays within its cruise portfolio.

“We’re effectively miniaturising an Edge Class ship and putting it on River,” Liberty said.

The approach is intended to adapt elements of Celebrity’s existing ocean product to the smaller dimensions and operational requirements of European river cruising.

Celebrity Compass will become the first ship to introduce the concept when it enters service in 2027.

Its float-out represents the transition from initial hull construction towards further outfitting and completion work ahead of delivery.

The ship forms part of a significant expansion into river cruising for Celebrity, which has outlined ambitions to build a sizeable fleet within a relatively short period.

The initial steel-cutting milestone at the start of 2026 was accompanied by the announcement of a further 10-ship commitment, bringing Celebrity’s planned river fleet to 20 vessels by 2031.

The expansion will give the company a river product alongside its established ocean cruise operation and allow it to target existing Celebrity passengers seeking different types of European itineraries.

Liberty said the company held “high ambitions” for the river business and identified it as part of a broader effort to deepen guest loyalty across Royal Caribbean Group’s portfolio.

Further construction and outfitting work on Celebrity Compass will now continue ahead of the ship’s introduction in 2027.