Celebrity Cruises has floated out its first river cruise ship, the 135-metre Celebrity Compass, in Rotterdam as the company prepares to enter European river cruising in August 2027.
The hull was floated at Zwijnenburg after an operation that began on September 9. It then travelled about 50 miles to TeamCo Shipyard in Heusden, arriving on September 12 for interior fit-out.
“The float-out of Celebrity Compass marks a milestone for Celebrity River Cruises,” Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge said.
Zwijnenburg began building the first hull in January 2026 under a contract from TeamCo, which is responsible for completing the ship’s interiors. Zwijnenburg has said that the second hull is expected within 12 weeks.
Royal Caribbean Group has executed construction contracts for the first four vessels in Celebrity’s initial 10-ship river order. The group has also committed to 10 additional vessels and is targeting service for the full 20-ship European fleet by 2031.
Celebrity announced its entry into river cruising in January 2025. The first season sold out in under six minutes, according to the company, which cited that demand when announcing the additional ships and an expanded 2028 European deployment.
Celebrity Compass is scheduled to begin operating on the Danube between Budapest, Hungary, and Vilshofen, Germany, in August 2027. Celebrity Seeker will join the programme in October, before Celebrity extends operations to the Rhine in December.
Three further vessels have been named for 2028. Celebrity Wanderer is due to enter service in April, followed by Celebrity Roamer in July, while Celebrity Boundless is scheduled for September.
The 2028 programme will use five ships for more than 160 sailings serving over 50 destinations. Celebrity said the deployment will add 24 ports and increase the number of destinations by 80 per cent compared with its inaugural season.
The river ships are designed to carry up to 170 passengers in 86 staterooms. The accommodation plan comprises 12 suites, 27 balcony staterooms, 31 Infinite Balcony staterooms and 16 river-view staterooms.
Celebrity’s published vessel plans include six dining options, an infinity-edge pool and open deck areas. Infinite Balcony rooms will have wall-to-wall windows that can be lowered, while suites will include butler service.
The company said the lightweight hull design is intended to support smoother operation in low-water conditions and reduce itinerary interruptions. The ships will operate Rhine and Danube itineraries covering routes through cities including Vienna, Budapest, Amsterdam and Basel.
