Europe’s great rivers are about to feel different, in the best possible way. Celebrity Cruises has confirmed two breakthrough vessels for the Rhine and Danube, with design cues borrowed from the brand’s much-loved Edge Series and reimagined for intimate waterways. Priority Booking Access is now live for 2027, which means you can reserve early and be among the first to try Celebrity River Cruises when the fleet launches.
Why This Launch Matters for River Cruising
The rivers have their icons, yet fresh thinking has often arrived in small increments. This launch by Celebrity Cruises is different, because it tackles the core of river life, time outdoors and time looking outward. If you have ever wished for more space on deck, more daylight in your stateroom, and more flexibility at mealtimes, these ships were built with you in mind.
A New Take on Open Deck Living
The headline feature is open decks that remain usable for the whole journey, not just when weather blesses you. Expect uninterrupted 360-degree views, shaded nooks when you want them, and a top-deck bar and grille that turns sailing stretches into something you actively plan around.
There is even an infinity-edge plunge pool, a rare sight on the rivers, that makes transits feel like part of the holiday rather than a pause between ports. For travellers who love to walk, sit, and simply watch the landscape roll by, this is a genuine step forward.
Edge Series DNA, Scaled for the Rivers
Celebrity has taken the Edge Series design language and compassionately scaled it to suit waterways lined with history. The profile is sleek, the layout intuitive, and the flow from indoors to outdoors is natural.
The patent-pending hull aims to keep things smooth and quiet, which matters when you are gliding past riverbank villages at night. Importantly, the ships keep a respectful silhouette so the destination, not the ship, remains the star of the photo.
Priority Access and What It Means
From today, you can place a fully refundable $500 (approx. A$750) deposit to claim your preferred stateroom while full itineraries and deck plans finalise. Early access is not just bragging rights, it is practical. Rhine and Danube seasons are finite, spring and autumn shoulder weeks are coveted, and suites on new ships get snapped up quickly.
What to Expect on Board Celebrity Compass and Seeker
Two sister ships, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, will debut together with a familiar Celebrity vibe, the welcome at Café Al Bacio, the clink at Martini Bar, the glow of Sunset Bar, and the kind of service that makes the ship feel smaller in the best way. The difference is how that ocean heritage has been tailored to the scale and pace of river days.
Staterooms That Truly Live Like Rooms
Five boutique categories focus on daylight, storage, and the feeling of space. The Infinite Veranda concept returns in a river-ready form, letting you invite the landscape inside at the touch of a button.
The new Skylight Infinite Balcony Suite adds a separate living area and a ceiling window for extra natural light, while Vista Balcony Suites maximise usable outdoor space for morning coffee or a quiet read after dinner.
Even River View staterooms lean into generous windows and calming, residential styling. Expect king-sized beds in every category, luxury linens, plush robes and slippers, and a complimentary stocked mini-bar to make settling in feel effortless.
Eight Venues for Coffee, Cocktails and Conversation
Choice matters on longer journeys, so there are eight restaurants and bars on board, including favourites Café Al Bacio, Martini Bar, and Sunset Bar. Menus evolve with the itinerary, from local pastries at breakfast to regionally inspired dinners. Flexible dining truly means flexible here, with complimentary breakfast room service and the only round-the-clock meal options on the rivers. You can linger ashore and still return to something delicious that suits your timing rather than the other way around.
Top-Deck Spaces Designed for Every Mood
Look up to find Magic Edge, cantilevered dining pods that let you float visually above the water while tasting what the region does best. Shade structures adapt as the day warms or cools, furniture zones nudge you toward socialising or solitude as you prefer, and a top-deck bar and grille makes al fresco lunches an easy habit. It is a deck built for real life, reading, chatting, napping, sketching, and for the simple joy of watching Europe slide by.
How the Itineraries Bring Europe to You
Seven-night journeys on the Rhine and Danube anchor the programme, with multiple ports most days and strategic overnights where evenings matter. Think Budapest lit after dark, or a long, unhurried afternoon in the Wachau Valley when sun and vineyards are at their best.
Two Rivers, Countless Perspectives
The Rhine is your corridor to storybook towns and bold riverfront cities, while the Danube layers imperial capitals with tiny villages where the local bakery still sets the day’s rhythm.
Both rivers deliver contrasts that make river days feel fresh, and these new ships are designed to keep you looking out and looking forward. Sailing stretches become part of the experience rather than downtime to be endured.
Immersion From Day to Night
This programme pushes into lived-in culture, private wine tastings in Austria, cycling the riverbanks, and the restorative ritual of Budapest’s thermal baths. With late stays and overnights, evening energy is not something you miss from the quay, it is something you walk into. Morning markets, afternoon galleries, night-time music, the itineraries are timed to let you be part of the city’s day rather than just a visitor ticking sights.
Pre and Post Stays Made Seamless
From early 2026, elevated stays in Prague and Budapest will be bookable to extend your time on shore. These are crafted to be frictionless, transfers, hotels that suit the trip’s mood, and pacing that respects jet lag and curiosity in equal measure. If you have ever wanted a river journey plus a city break without the planning faff, this is precisely that.
Behind the Design, a Smoother Way to Sail
What you do not see matters as much as what you do. A modern hull and quiet-running systems aim to make the ride calm, the air cleaner, and the soundscape more peaceful. It is technology chosen not for bragging rights but for how it feels on board.
An Innovative Hull for Calm, Quiet Cruising
The patent-pending hull uses a lightweight, versatile design to improve navigation and reduce vibration. On a river, where banks and bridges are close and lock approaches require finesse, that translates to fewer jolts and more glide. It also means late-night transits can stay comfortably hushed so your sleep and the riverside remain undisturbed.
Hybrid Propulsion and Smarter Systems
Best-in-class hybrid propulsion pairs with advanced waste management and low-noise technologies. The result is a ship that minimises its footprint while maximising the quality of life on board. Royal Caribbean Group’s decades of sustainability work are evident here, not as slogans, but as choices that let you travel well and travel responsibly.
Respect for Rivers and Historic Vistas
The exterior profile is intentionally refined to live within the landscape rather than dominate it. That makes your photos better, yes, but it also keeps the focus where it belongs, on castles, steeples, vines, and village squares. The approach is simple, build ships that enhance the view, then get out of the way.
Making the Most of Your Priority Booking
Priority access is open now, and there are smart ways to use it. Early holds secure the weeks with the best light, the cabin types with the most demand, and the suite perks that make life easy.
Who Will Love These Ships
New-to-river travellers who value space and design will feel at home, and ocean fans of the Edge Series will recognise the brand’s warm hospitality in a more intimate setting. Food-forward couples, active friends, and families with adult children will appreciate the deck life, the flexible dining cadence, and the unhurried evenings ashore. If you want culture without crowds and scenery without compromise, you are in the right place.
Cabin Categories to Target First
If daylight is your love language, start with the Skylight Infinite Balcony Suite for ceiling-height glow and a separate lounge. For an outdoor nook you will use, Vista Balcony Suites add genuinely practical space for morning or night.
Travellers who prefer value plus views should look closely at River View staterooms, which punch above their weight thanks to smart storage and calm, residential styling. Suite guests also unlock Butler Chat for on-demand help, complimentary specialty dining, a hosted happy hour, one complimentary laundry per sailing, and priority access for shore excursions.
Loyalty, Value and Timing Tips
Captain’s Club recognition carries across to the rivers, so status comfortably follows you from ocean to inland waterways. Members will earn 8 to 18 points per night on river sailings, with more tier details due in 2026.
Value lives in the details here, the 24-hour dining access, regional menus, and the way multiple ports per day and overnights add depth without adding days off work. Book now to hold your preferred week, then refine your stateroom choice as deck plans and full fare grids publish.
Before you decide on dates, it helps to see everything in one place. We keep an up-to-the-minute view of 2027 Rhine and Danube sailings alongside connecting flights and pre or post-stay options. If you are browsing on your phone over coffee, that overview can turn ideas into a shortlist fast.
If you are comparing this launch to other brands, our Cruise Finder is the simplest way to line up ships, weeks, and inclusions side by side. When something catches your eye, save it and we will translate it into an easy plan.
Plan Your 2027 River Escape With Us
The first season of Celebrity River Cruises is not just another entry on the calendar, it is a chance to try a different style of Europe, closer to the water, closer to the culture, and with more time outside looking at the world you came to see. Hold a refundable spot with $500 (approx. A$750) today, then lean on us for fine-tuning, from the right week for autumn vineyards to the suite that fits how you actually travel. When you are ready to lock it in, reach out and we will take it from there. Start a conversation with a cruise specialist now to reserve your slot.
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