CELEBRITY CRUISES ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF RIVER VACATIONS AND NEW FLEET THAT WILL SAIL THE MOST ICONIC RIVERS BEGINNING 2027
Rhea-AI Summary
Celebrity Cruises has announced its entry into river cruising with Celebrity River Cruises, starting operations in 2027. The company has placed an initial order for 10 ships that will operate in Europe, bringing the Edge Series ocean ships' design and sophistication to river cruising.
According to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, approximately half of their guests have experienced or shown interest in river cruising. The expansion aims to meet growing demand for intimate, culturally enriching travel experiences while leveraging loyalty programs across their three brands to enhance customer engagement.
The new river cruise line will focus on premium experiences, offering locally inspired cuisine, unique shore excursions, and 360-degree views of historic cities. The vessels will incorporate design elements from Celebrity's Edge Series ships, emphasizing elevated hospitality and sophisticated styling. Specific details about destinations, fleet specifications, and excursions will be announced in the coming months.
Positive
- Expansion into new market segment with 10-ship initial order
- Leverages existing customer base with 50% showing interest in river cruising
- Potential for increased customer retention through loyalty program integration
- Strategic growth into premium river cruise segment
Negative
- Significant capital investment required for 10 new ships
- Extended timeline to revenue generation (2027 launch)
- Entry into competitive river cruise market with established players
News Market Reaction – RCL
On the day this news was published, RCL gained 12.00%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
"We're thrilled to announce our entry into the river cruise market through our Celebrity Cruises premium travel brand. Our guests and travel partners should expect us to do what we do best – innovate and elevate the river cruise experience as we meet the growing demand for intimate, culturally enriching travel experiences," said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to vacation on a river cruise, we know they will enjoy Celebrity's elevated offering on the river. By leveraging our valuable loyalty programs across our three brands, we will deepen customer engagement and further our ability to keep guests within our ecosystem of vacation offerings. We are the best in the world at delivering the vacation of a lifetime, and this is the latest example of how we are building the capabilities to deliver a lifetime of vacations."
Celebrity River Cruises is a natural extension of Celebrity's premium offering that will bring its unique service-first approach to the river. Guests will get the keys to sail through the heart of culturally and historically significant cities, experience locally inspired cuisine and unique shore experiences – The Celebrity Way. With ships that will give guests 360 degrees of breathtaking views, every moment will be designed to immerse guests in the beauty of the journey.
"Celebrity River Cruises will bring the quality and sophistication of our Edge Series ocean ships to the most iconic rivers, starting with
This morning, Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCCL) today reported its 2024 financial results and announced the launch of Celebrity River Cruises. Click here to access the release.
More information about Celebrity River Cruises, including booking opportunities, destinations, fleet size and ship details, excursions and more, will be announced in the coming months. Go to CelebrityCruises.com and sign up to receive information first and follow on social media @CelebrityCruises.
About Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium vacation experience across their fleet of ships traveling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries spanning all seven continents. Uniquely offering the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of bigger ones -- guests can explore the world or get away from it for a little while. With every detail elevated beyond expectations, guests will never want to vacation any other way. An industry pioneer for more than 35 years, each Celebrity vacation offers experiences you won't find anywhere else aboard ships which continue to shatter industry expectations with the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel arriving Fall 2025. Celebrity Cruises is headquartered in
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is a vacation industry leader with a global fleet of 66 ships across its five brands traveling to approximately 1,000 destinations. With a mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly, Royal Caribbean Group serves millions of guests each year through its portfolio of best-in-class brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea; and expanding portfolio of land-based vacation experiences through Perfect Day at CocoCay and Royal Beach Club collection. The company also owns
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release relating to, among other things, expectations on timing and demand for river cruising offerings and future orders of river cruise ships constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "will," and similar expressions are intended to help identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, are based on judgments, are inherently uncertain and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, those included under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as our other filings with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at www.rclinvestor.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Celebrity Cruises
FAQ
When will Celebrity River Cruises begin operations?
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Where will Celebrity River Cruises operate initially?
What percentage of Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) guests are interested in river cruising?
How will Celebrity River Cruises differentiate from other river cruise lines?
