First River Cruise Ship Floated for Celebrity Cruises
The Dutch shipyards building the first river cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises marked key milestones as the first hull was floated and moved to the fitting-out yard. The ship will launch the ocean cruise line into river cruising in August 2027.
The brand announced in January 2025 plans to expand its operations into European river cruising with a commitment to build 10 ships. As of June 30, 2026, the parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, reports that definitive building contracts for the first four ships in the initial order of 10 ships for Celebrity River Cruises have been executed. Celebrity River Cruises announced in January 2026 a further commitment for 10 additional ships that will expand its river cruise fleet to 20 vessels by 2031.
Construction of the first hull began in January 2026 at the Zwijnenburg shipyard in Rotterdam, and the float-out started on September 9. The yard has been contracted by TeamCo to build the hulls for the river cruise ships, and then they are being delivered to TeamCo in Heusden, which will complete the interiors. The first hull, which will be named Celebrity Compass, traveled approximately 50 miles, reaching the TeamCo yard on September 12. Zwijnenburg has said that the second hull will follow within 12 weeks.
The future Celebrity Compass was towed approximately 50 miles to the fitting-out yard (Celebrity Cruises)
Each vessel is approximately 135 meters (443 feet) in length with accommodations for up to 170 passengers. Celebrity highlights that the design has a modern exterior profile and that the hulls are built to be lightweight, which it says should provide smoother sailing even in low water conditions. It expects the design will permit “fewer itinerary interruptions along the way.” European river cruising and commercial river shipping were challenged this year by low water levels on sections of the rivers, including the Danube and the Rhine.
Extending the well-known brand into river cruising, Celebrity expects to attract many of its loyal passengers, whom it believes are also interested in river cruising. Mimicking the style of the ocean ships, the river cruise ships will feature six dining options and include a top-deck bar and lounge. Well-known spaces from the ocean ships, including the Martini Bar, Café al Bacio, and the Sunset Bar, are included in the design of the river ships.
Each of the ships will have 86 passenger staterooms. This includes 12 suites, 27 balcony staterooms, 31 with an "infinite balcony" (French balconies with lowering windows), and 16 river view staterooms.
Rendering of the river cruise ships due to launch for the brand in 2027 (Celebrity Cruises)
The expectations are high for the brand extension and how it will impact the European river cruise market. A travel advisor at Travelmation, Emma Guse, told The Maritime Executive that Celebrity is likely to bring “a fresh sense of innovation to ship design, dining, and excursions.”
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Celebrity is due to launch its river cruising in August 2027 with the first ship, Celebrity Compass, sailing on the Danube between Budapest, Hungary, and Vilshofen, Germany. It will be joined by the Celebrity Seeker in October 2027, and in December will expand to the Rhine before the season ends at New Year's. The brand plans to expand the offering with a more complete program in 2028, including the introduction of Celebrity Wanderer in April, Celebrity Roamer in July, and Celebrity Boundless in September.
The industry will be closely following the development of the new offering. Royal Caribbean Group’s executives have said they would also consider expanding the river cruise operation to more of its brands in the future. The group operates the contemporary, mass-market brand Royal Caribbean International and the luxury brand Silversea Cruises.
