Speaking on fifth Edge series ship – Celebrity Xcel – on Sunday (16 November), ahead of its naming ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, US, Celebrity president Laura Hodges Bethge shared more details about the brand’s river ships.
Sailings on Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker sold out in minutes earlier this year when they went on sale. The maiden itinerary programme will start in 2027.
Hodges Bethge said: “Our river ships are going to be like a miniaturised Edge-class ship. There will be three marquee experiences that are throughout our entire Edge fleet that will be on the river ships.”
Each river ship will feature Sunset Bar at the aft, a smaller Martini Bar and Café al Bacio, said Hodges Bethge, who joked: “If we didn’t have Café al Bacio I think I would be lynched.”
She said the river ships would be “absolutely exquisite” and would take the “rich, elevated, sophisticated design to the rivers”.
Celebrity Solstice will be upgraded early next year during a two-and-a-half-month spell in dry dock.
Hodges Bethge confirmed The Lawn Club on the 2,850-passenger ship which features half an acre of live grass will become Sunset Park, another open space onboard inspired by a park.
“That decision has inspired us a little bit with the top deck of our river ships,” Hodges Bethge continued.
“Our top deck will never close even when we’re going under the locks. We built two-and-a-half deck hybrid river boats that allow us to keep that top deck always open. There will also be a gorgeous bar and grill up there.”
Meanwhile, Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group’s president, said Celebrity River Cruises sailings sold out in minutes because the brand’s guests “trust that we’re going to deliver what we deliver every day”.
“On our previous Xcel sailing, we had some trade on and they just said how easy it was to sell the Celebrity experience because our product matches our marketing,” he added.
“The experience is going to look and feel as you have here on this ship in a smaller form. I think where we’ll go to another level is on land. Guests expect that it’s going to be immersive.”
