| Celebrity opens doors to its river ships

CELEBRITY Cruises has pulled back the curtain to offer a look at its forthcoming river ships, which it says will feature “game-changing” open decks, an infinity-edge plunge pool, and more.

The cruise line’s 33 new Rhine and Danube cruises for 2027 opened to priority-access bookers overnight, with the allocation selling out in under 10 minutes.

The newly named Celebrity Compass (pictured) and Celebrity Seeker will feature more usable outdoor space than any river vessel, the cruise line said, with both ships to offer guests the option to dine floating above the river on the ‘Magic Edge’, inspired by the ocean-going Edge-class ships’ Magic Carpet.

The Magic Edge will offer the first-ever cantilevered dining pods on a river cruise ship, as guests enjoy regional, destination-driven culinary offerings.

Celebrity’s open decks will also feature “transformative” shade structures, and a top-deck bar and grille, maximising guests’ time on deck, while offering zones for a variety of moods.

The flexible public spaces aim to ensure pax enjoy more of their time outside, both in destination and on board the ship.

The vessels’ stateroom design delivers king-sized beds in every stateroom and spacious balconies to make guests feel at home on the river (inset).

All guests can enjoy complimentary stocked mini bars and destination-inspired amenities, while suite pax also have access to a dedicated, on-demand butler; complimentary exclusive dining; room service and happy hour experiences; complimentary laundry once each sailing; and priority booking for shore excursions.

A first across the entire fleet will be the new skylight infinite balcony suites, which feature a separate living area and a skylight for a more open feel.

Guests can dine at eight onboard restaurants and bars, including Celebrity-favourite venues Martini Bar, Sunset Bar, and Cafe Al Bacio.

“Celebrity River Cruises ships will be the most innovative on the river, with a patent-pending industry-leading design that offers more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations,” President Laura Hodges Bethge said.

“With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to take a river cruise, we know guests are going to love sailing Europe’s Rhine and Danube rivers ‘The Celebrity Way’ on our fleet of elevated, cutting-edge ships,” she added. MS