Celebrity Cruises announced that its highly anticipated European river cruises will open for deposits on September 3, 2025. Sailings start in 2027 on the Danube and Rhine Rivers.
Guests who place a $500 deposit will get early access to Celebrity's river cruises ahead of the general public. The deposits can be booked starting at 9:00am EDT on September 3, 2025. They're fully refundable.
The reason that those with deposits will earn special access is due to the demand for the new cruise product. It's the first time a mainstream cruise line will launch river cruises.
"There's an avalanche of demand," Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, told Seatrade Cruise News.
The cruise fares will be all-inclusive, so guests won't have to worry about paying extra for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, and other onboard experiences. This differs from their traditional ocean cruises but is similar to their sailings aboard Celebrity Flora in the Galapagos.
Additionally, cruisers have the option to add a pre- or post-cruise stay in Prague and Budapest when Celebrity's river cruises open for booking.
"We are excited to offer guests the chance to experience the first-ever Celebrity River Cruises vacations in 2027 with Priority Booking Access," said Laura Hodges Bethge, President of Celebrity Cruises.
"Guests will enjoy the warm hospitality Celebrity is known for, on innovative ships, with land experiences unlike any other, as we set sail on Europe’s iconic Danube and Rhine rivers."
There are a few ways to place a deposit, such as by visiting celebritycruises.com/river or calling Celebrity River Cruises at 1-833-474-8803. You can also visit Future Cruise on board or contact a trusted travel advisor.
Celebrity ordered 10 river ships
According to Celebrity, each ship will hold about 180 passengers and will be designed to look like the cruise line's award-winning Edge Class vessels.
Celebrity Edge was revolutionary for the cruise industry when she launched in 2019. Since then, each of the Edge Class ships has continued to focus on connecting guests to the ocean with their outward-facing designs and innovative features like the cantilevered Magic Carpet.
Celebrity's newest Edge Class ship, Celebrity Xcel, is launching this November.
Read more: 10 New river cruise ships ordered for Celebrity Cruises – what we know so far
Half of Celebrity's guests have already sailed or plan on sailing on a river cruise
Although Celebrity already focuses on offering world cruises to places like the South Pacific, Asia, and Europe, there are only so many ports of call that can accommodate Celebrity's smallest Millennium Class ships.
As such, Celebrity's smaller river ships will invite guests to experience some of Europe's culturally and historically significant cities that can't be accessed by ocean vessels.
River cruises also tend to be more immersive than traditional cruises, which means that guests can look forward to more cultural enrichment, trying local cuisine, and venturing on unique excursions.
