Royal Caribbean Group’s River Cruise Ambitions Extend Beyond 10 Ships

When Celebrity River Cruises debuts in 2027, it will feature a fleet of two ships, each holding about 180 passengers. (This makes them slightly smaller in capacity than Viking longships, but larger than most of the rest of the ships on Europe’s rivers.)

Following quickly behind will be another four in 2028 and again in 2029.

But these 10 ships are not the be all and end all for Celebrity River Cruises, Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said during a call with investors yesterday.

“… we are very intentful in our words. The word put in front of it was an initial order of 10 ships. And so this is not a hobby for us. We are going into this space,” he said. “We see river cruising as an exciting growth opportunity that aligns with our strategy of turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations…”

He continued, “It is a very fragmented market that presents an exciting opportunity for us to win substantial market share.”

Liberty also hinted that river ships could be coming to the Silversea Cruises brand.

“As we build up this kind of engine for river under Celebrity, it will certainly provide opportunity for our ultra-luxury guests to consider a river experience under Silversea,” he said.