Behind the Scenes at Celebrity River Cruises' First Ship
Deep in the Zwijnenburg Shipyard in Rotterdam, a large faceless steel structure stands before me – and it takes a lot of imagination to believe that in just over a year this will be the first of Celebrity Cruises’ river cruise ships. Even before launching, Celebrity River Cruises has already been making waves in the river cruise market, having sold out its first year of sailings within five hours without a ship even touching the water.
The premium brand will launch its first foray into river cruises along the Rhine in June 2027. I visited Amsterdam for a behind the scenes tour of its first river cruise ship – Celebrity Compass – in which I would learn what guests can expect on board and during excursions.
It may be just a steel structure for now but I could feel the excitement as I stood in one of four blocks that will eventually house 86 cabins as part of a ship that aims to do river cruising in what the brand calls the “Celebrity way”.
Cabin Design and Accommodation
Celebrity River Cruises is taking inspiration from its Edge class ships, such as the recently launched Celebrity Xcel, in its bright decor and cabin design. It will be one of the few river cruise lines with king-size beds facing the water, meaning guests won’t have to get up to enjoy river views from the comfort of their bed.
There will be five different types of cabin to choose from:
- Balcony Suites and Vista Balcony Suites with private verandahs for two
- Infinite Balcony rooms featuring wall-to-wall windows that lower at the touch of a button, a popular feature on Celebrity Cruises’ Edge class ships
- Skylight Infinite Balcony suites with a retractable ceiling window and butler service
- Lower deck River View suites with just a window
Cabins will include snacks inspired by the destination where the ship is sailing, such as stroopwafels in Amsterdam.
Dining and Bars
Around the ship, guests will have six choices of dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus open-air bars and lounges. These include familiar favourites including Cafe al Bacio, the Martini Bar, and Sunset Bar. I saw some of these features during a virtual reality tour of Celebrity Compass – the first of 20 ships being constructed – and it feels like being on a slightly smaller but equally impressive version of Xcel.
An open-air deck offers 360-degree views from relaxing chairs, sunbeams, and retractable umbrellas in case of low bridges. There are hints of the orange, silver, and blue that you see on Edge class ships. There will even be magic pods that extend out to the side of the ship for dining, typically while sailing, inspired by the Magic Carpet platform on Celebrity’s more recent cruise ships.
Guests enter through the immaculately decorated Martini Lounge, next to Cafe al Bacio. This is a different approach to other cruise lines that welcome passengers through a hotel-style lobby entrance. It means passengers will enter straight into the action, with flair bartenders mixing drinks in the Martini Bar as they do on Celebrity’s ocean-going ships.
Other features include all-day dining with no set seating times and room service available 24 hours. Michael Scheiner, chief marketing officer for Celebrity Cruises, says guests will get more than just cookies when they return from excursions.
Entertainment and Excursions
Scheiner is looking to cook up something different when it comes to entertainment, which is still being developed. Rather than the traditional pianist or disco, entertainment will be inspired by the Bazaar concept on Celebrity Xcel where local talent is brought on board. There are also opportunities for onshore evening entertainment and events.
Celebrity Cruises is also thinking local when it comes to excursions. Guests will get the choice of its Storyteller Series, which are tours included in the price and led by local residents uncovering hidden stories of the destinations. We experienced one in Amsterdam where an enthusiastic local artist named Robert gave a guided tour around the Van Gogh Museum, highlighting paintings that had inspired him and ensuring we saw the famous Sunflowers. We then returned to his workshop to paint our own less-inspiring but fun masterpiece. It definitely felt more interactive than other river cruise excursions I have done, plus groups will be limited to 15 people.
Additionally, there will be a Skillmaster Series where guests cook, craft, and create alongside locals, and a Keys to the City Series, which gives guests an audio or digital guide to support them as they explore a destination at their own pace.
What's Missing
Some features found on other river cruise ships will deliberately be missing from Celebrity River Cruises. Scheiner says the brand has chosen not to have an onboard gym and spa to maximise space, but the cruise line plans to partner with local hotels if guests want these experiences, and a masseuse can also be brought on board.
The ship may just be a steel skeleton for now, but if the sold-out sailings for 2027 and demand for 2028 bookings are anything to go by, there is going to be plenty of life on board.
