Celebrity River Cruises: Excursion Updates

Celebrity River Cruises is making waves before launching, and we're breaking down the four excursion categories that make up their new Destination Discovery program to see if it lives up to the hype.

We cover the:

• Storyteller Series - locally-led experiences with cultural insiders
• Skillmaster Series - hands-on time with local makers and artisans
• Keys to the City - a self-guided digital platform with stationed local hosts. A hotspot and battery pack are likely essential for this type of experience. Our favorite battery pack is this: https://amzn.to/4uiKG2C – and our essential hotspot is explained here: https://sometimessailing.com/6nm8  
• Celebrity Takeover Series - one private, exclusive event per sailing

We share our honest take on whether this is a genuine shift toward immersive river cruising or clever marketing,  and where we think the real operational challenges lie.

We also touch on what's included in the base fare, how gratuities work, pre- and post-cruise stay options in Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam, and what details we're still waiting on before the 2027 debut.

If you're watching Celebrity River Cruises — whether you've already booked or you're on the fence — this episode is your update.

Helpful links from this episode include:

• Celebrity River Cruises: Early Insights & Expectations podcast episode Audio version:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448059/episodes/18599836 YouTube version: https://youtu.be/oP_tGXG7ixI
• Utilize Mikkel's Travel Planning services: https://sometimessailing.com/au63
• See renderings of the Celebrity River Cruise ships on our website: https://sometimessailing.com/celebrity-cruises-makes-waves-ocean-cruise-line-enters-the-river-cruise-market/  
• Book tickets for a private concert in Vienna: https://sometimessailing.com/dhhs 

Transcript

Mikkel (00:35)

What an exciting episode for you today. We are updating our info on Celebrity River Cruises. This is the Celebrity Cruises that you know and love venturing into the river sector. Now we have talked about this before. 

We talked about it a few weeks are recording this in May of 2026 and this was an episode that came out in February, 2026, talking about Celebrity River Cruises: Early Insights and Expectations. If you haven't listened to that, no worries. You can listen to it after you listen to this. It's not necessarily sequential and we will do a recap of the info you need to know that pertains to this update, but it's a brand new venture for Celebrity. 

It's Celebrity River Cruises, again, and they are still in pre-launch mode, so news is trickling out here and there, but the cruises did go on sale this spring and they've sold out twice already. They released some to start and then more to continue that momentum. So today, sit back, listen to our thoughts on Celebrity River Cruises and some really exciting announcements.

Dan (01:53)

We've got a long way between now and the launch in 2027. So make sure you follow along, hit that subscribe you listen to us or watch us on YouTube. We're gonna continue to talk about Celebrity River Cruises and what this looks like for the entire industry and what it looks like for the European rivers that they're cruising. 

Mikkel (02:12)

Yes, you do not want to miss a single episode.

Today is We are going to discuss the four main pillars of what Celebrity has shared about their river cruise programming and give you our thoughts from our expertise in river cruising and being on various river cruise lines. Can Celebrity River Cruises pull off what they are selling and talking about? We are also going to just give you a little bit of information about the pre- and post-cruise stays option that they are debuting in 2027 and taking in 2028.

If you have a friend that could benefit from this episode, please share this with them.

So recapping our previous information, Celebrity River Cruises is a division of Royal Caribbean Group. And, as Dan said, they are launching in 2027, and they will have two ships when they launch in August. And they are going to be sailing Europe's most popular rivers, which are the Rhine and the Danube. And this includes hitting those hotspots like Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, and Bratislava.

Dan (03:27)

Coming out with two ships in 2027, then five ships to follow in 2028, and then also a huge number, 20 ships by 2031. So they are aggressively coming into this space. There's gonna be plenty of news.

Mikkel (03:44)

Coming in with a bang.

Yeah, yeah.

Dan (03:47)

Plenty of news to talk about. And we're definitely excited just to see what they do watch how they bring that energy, maybe that big ship energy onto the rivers.

Mikkel (03:57)

Ooh, big ship energy. BSE. OK, this could be like a new anagram.

Dan (04:02)

That has legs. That might outlast...

Mikkel (04:06)

Or fins, does she have fins?

Dan (04:09)

Yeah, maybe I'll send an email to Celebrity and say, I got your campaign for you.

Mikkel (04:15)

I love it.

Dan (04:16)

As part of what we've learned since last episode and specifically what we're going to talk about in this episode is kind of what's included around shore excursions. So we've got a little bit more of a glimpse into what they're announcement was that there is going to be one shore excursion included per day. And then, we had also talked about, in the last episode, hidden fees. That's kind of an ocean thing and a big ship thing. cruise that way, you're used to it. And we were kind of speculating whether or not there would be that surprise check at the end of the cruise for the smaller river cruises - right, that surprise bill. Now, we learned that gratuities are not included in the base fare, but there is an option to prepay for those gratuities alongside your booking. 

Mikkel (04:53)

surprise bill.

Dan (05:05)

And then also Celebrity River Cruise fares include, this is really interesting,

Mikkel (05:13)

drum roll. We know this already, but recapping.

Dan (05:15)

Unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi and dining. So you've got pretty much the basics covered. What else do need besides unlimited drinks and Wi-Fi?

Mikkel (05:27)

Right, and I would say that the Wi-Fi and dining across any river cruise line. Unlimited drinks, it depends on the cruise line. Wine and beer with river cruises are always included for lunch and dinner. Outside of that, it really depends on the cruise line. Viking, for example, you have to buy the Silver Spirits package, or you can pay for drinks a la carte. AmaWaterways has a Sip and Sail. Emerald, it's a la carte. it really varies. 

But it is fun that they're including unlimited drinks. I'd love to see alcoholic and non-alcoholic included on that, but that is TBD. Also, guests have the option to take advantage of Flights by Celebrity for airfare. Now that's not included in the flights. Maybe, maybe not. They'll run like specials on it, but it is an option if you kind of want to use their travel agent arm to book your airfare.

Dan (05:58)

Mm-hmm.

Right. So those are the developments that we know. And the new stuff is all about the Destination Discovery program. They announced that in the spring of '26 and we're excited to really dive into the four different categories that they announced and, you know, give a give our speculation and our opinion on what we know thus far.

Mikkel (06:37)

And again, if you are following us and you are listening to this after 2027 when they've already launched, well then be sure to check our episodes because I can guarantee you we're going to have additional information that is hopefully firsthand information about this. So let's dive into what these four categories of included short experiences are.

Dan (07:03)

The first category we’ll lead with is the "Storyteller Series."

The way they describe this is it's locally-led experiences guided by residents and cultural insiders. example they gave was in Amsterdam, you're going to do your shore excursion with a canal captain. Or in Prague, you're going to be hanging out with a brewer. Right? So it's those local experts really have inside information.

Mikkel (07:29)

The brewer is probably from the 20th or 21st century. But the brewery might be from the 14th century. I don't know. I'm just spitballing ideas here, knowing what we know about European breweries. Maybe monks are involved. Maybe they weren't. We don't know.

Dan (07:46)

That would be really good if there was monks involved.

Mikkel (07:48)

You would be there in a heartbeat.  Zen. Bubbles and zen. Carbonation and zen. Yeast and zen. All right, I'm still workshopping it.

Dan (07:51)

Yeah, but I think that would be definitely different.

Sure, yeah. I won't send that one to Celebrity yet.

Mikkel (08:04)

Speaking of making beer, the second category is "Skillmaster Series." So this is hands-on experiences with local makers and artisans. So think you're in Budapest in your grandmother's kitchen making some pastries, or you're in a painting class in Amsterdam at the Van Gogh Museum, or if you are Dutch, "Van Gogh."

Dan (08:27)

Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Not to be confused with the Beastmaster series, and that is where you go and it's at a petting zoo. No. This is not on.

Mikkel (08:40)

Look, what you're throwing, I'm catching. I'm here as your partner in crime, co-host extraordinaire, partner for life, says our marriage license, right?

Dan (08:52)

Yes. So going back, the Skillmaster Series is hands-on participation with locals, makers, and artisans. And I think it could be interesting. I like the idea of being in Budapest and in some grandma's kitchen making dumplings or something like that.

Mikkel (09:09)

I'm hungry. Not good to talk about this when we're hungry. So let's move on to the "Keys to the City" series. So, this is actually one of the ones that is most intriguing to me because it brings the best of both worlds when you are cruising with a big name. So let me tell you what this is about. It's a self-guided digital platform with interest-based route maps and stationed local hosts are at key stops for behind-the-scenes access. Now, a part of me thought, is this the Amazing Race reimagined? Mm-hmm. You can do it on your own time. 

So I think it's amazing that Celebrity is potentially — we don't know exactly what this Keys to City series looks like, but speculating, and based on our expertise in river cruising — it could mean that they are

Dan (09:44)

Hmm.

Mikkel (10:01)

working with destinations for exclusive access, but you don't have to necessarily go and be there at, let's say, 10 am. Maybe there's like a timeframe, so you could be there between 10 am to noon. 

That means that if you're not somebody who wants a scheduled tour every day, morning and afternoon, that this is going to open up to going at your own pace, but still getting some key information, let's say historical information about the town you're walking around in and that only Celebrity River Cruises could give you access to and just more flexibility in your own schedule during your vacation.

Dan (10:41)

It truly makes sense. It's like if you go to a museum or a gallery and you get the audio guide, it feels like it's something very similar to that. So maybe you don't want to stop and look at something and you can bypass it. And then you can really just hit the hits, hit the hits that you want to, that you want to see throughout the city.

Mikkel (10:56)

Hit the hits.

Can I just say this actually brings up two points that I am so glad we already have in our routine when we river cruise. But, having a hotspot, we always bring a hotspot. We can connect multiple devices. So it's different than an eSIM card, which only goes on one device. We bring our hotspot — I will link it in the show notes — because we want to be connected to the internet on multiple devices and Wi-Fi without having to pay for a separate plan on our cell phone abroad. It works in Asia. It works in South America. It just works everywhere. It works all over Europe. We've taken it everywhere. And also you need a battery pack. We're going to link our current favorite battery pack. Of course, there are always battery packs that are coming on the market, but Tessin sent us one that we are absolutely loving for multiple reasons. I will link the video of us showcasing why we love it. But you need a battery pack to keep that cell phone charged, and you need to be hooked up to Wi-Fi.

I am off my soap box now. I just wanted to mention that the key to success of some of these isn't always with the river cruise line. It could also be in the way that you pack.

Dan (12:13)

It's a great point. The other piece that they are talking about is something called a "Celebrity Takeover Series." And this is one exclusive experience per sailing. So, they're calling it a private transformation of a landmark or a venue. And it sounds top secret. It sounds really interesting. But overall, it could be really, really cool to be at a private event that not everybody gets access to. So really interested to see what this one looks like.

Mikkel (12:46)

And as a reminder, everything in this program, so they say, is included in the fare.

Now my take on this, tell me what you think, Dan, is that it doesn't include every single one. Like maybe you choose one out of the options for the day because they include one excursion per day. So it should be interesting to see how they're going to work that into... I'm guessing it's going to be an online selection. So pre-cruise, you know, let's say 60 days out, you get to choose your shore excursions.

So it'll be interesting to see how they finagle what that included shore excursion means, what's gonna cost extra, what's kind of premium. And also, you know, maybe they don't have all these options in every port. There could be logistical challenges for why they can't. I don't know, what do you think?

Dan (13:40)

I think the two to stand that you would be able to choose from is Storyteller Series and the Skillmaster series. Right. So maybe every day you choose whether or not to do one of those. My takeaway from the Keys to the City series is it's almost an app or something that you can just do, would be almost always on or always available for you.

And then the Celebrity Takeover series, I kind of thought of when we sailed with Viking in Bordeaux and we went to a chateau and like the entire ship went to the chateau for dinner. It feels like that's like the one special event of the cruise. So everybody's invited to that one.

Mikkel (14:10)

That was amazing.

Right. So, my thought on the Keys to the City series, though, is that, it's a self-guided digital platform that you can, you know, like, let's say, log in by yourself and hopefully the app works. It doesn't crash, let's just say, because Quietvox — that we've talked about on this a couple of episodes back about One Device That Will Improve Your Trip: the AirFly, that we said works with the Quietvox — Quietvox makes an app that you can tune into and you can see the castles along the Rhine River. 

It's kind of like geo-triggered, I would say, as you pass them. But the other piece of this that Celebrity has included is that there's a local host at key stops for behind-the-scenes access. So, like

Dan (14:52)

Mm-hmm.

Mikkel (15:02)

you're saying, maybe you can do this digital platform per port. And maybe they launch in 2027, it's one port or two. And then as time goes on, they're going to add all the ports to it. Because I can't even imagine the resources it takes to make your own digital guide. This is a whole separate industry. So maybe it's a third party. We use Guide Along apps that are amazing that are kind of

Dan (15:22)

yeah.

Mikkel (15:28)

geo-triggered too. But what piece of is included in every port? Is it included in every port, but only certain ones have behind the scenes access? So TBD on that. It'll definitely be interesting to see how that develops. And then the other thing about the Celebrity Takeover series:

What's going to differentiate them from Viking and their castle dinner in Bordeaux, like you said, right? So like, that's amazing. And, you know, I also thought of every cruise line pretty much does a "private concert" in Vienna at night. It is private, but everyone does it. Right? So like they all, whether you go on AmaWaterways or Emerald or Scenic or, you know, fill in the blank, they all do their own private concert in Vienna.

And you can also sign up, just as any traveler going to Vienna, a private concert off of Viator. I'm also going to link Viator in the notes, because we did that last time we were in Vienna. We were like, well, we've done the one with the ship with AmaWaterways, so let's do a different one and see what that is like. So I don't know. I guess just brainstorming, blue-skying ideas, how cool would it be if Celebrity rented a castle for the night and did a light show on the outside of the castle.

Dan (16:47)

Oh, wow, yeah, that would be interesting. Or even you got to stay in the castle.

Mikkel (16:51)

Oh, now you're talking! That would be bringing an overnight in a port to a new level.

Dan (16:59)

Yeah. So do you feel like with the information that we have, do you feel like it's a genuine shift towards immersive travel or do you just kind of think it's marketing fluff?

Mikkel (17:13)

A little of both. What do they say? Hope for the best, expect... I shouldn't say the worst. That's not how I feel in this situation. I want to be wowed. So I want to believe that they are really going to knock it out of the park with these experiences. They sound amazing. They sound like there's so much potential. It's like when a child dreams, you're like, "Oh my god, that's amazing!" And then you have somebody saying, "Oh, but the budget."

Dan (17:14)

Mmm. Okay.

Mikkel (17:41)

You know? "The budget. We have to cut these things." we're not going to get this launched in time," and then like it never happens for some reason. How do you feel about it?

Dan (17:42)

Hahaha.

I feel the European river cruise industry is ripe for some sort of disruptor. Who was it? Tried it a couple of years ago, with the black barges? A &B was the name of the ship.

Mikkel (18:05)

It was like, I think it was Uniworld A and B like ships appealing to, you know, 20-year olds, but the price wasn't matching up to that. Yeah.

Dan (18:13)

Right. They tried. Right. And I like that. I like that they try. I think there needs to be an adult version of a disruptor. And I would I would be really excited if Celebrity can do this. I like Celebrity as a product on Big Ship. So I mean, I'm optimistic. But there's truly only so much you can do logistically and operationally that there are constraints.

Mikkel (18:41)

Right, and the last episode, a couple of weeks ago that, again, is linked in the show notes about Celebrity, we had mentioned the festival that they were going to do, the German Beer Festival. It's like the second biggest German beer festival in Germany as opposed to Oktoberfest. And that was really exciting, too. called Gauboden Festival. But yeah, you're right. I mean they could be a great disruptor and also it's Celebrity Cruises/Royal Caribbean — who owns them — dollars behind this and that says a lot, right?

Dan (19:16)

Yeah.

Yeah. But also how many grandmas in Budapest want 20 sweaty tourists in their kitchen? You know?

Mikkel (19:23)

Let's find out. Let's find out. Oh my gosh, could you imagine eating the lavash, the bread? That's probably what they're going to make, the little Hungarian pizzas that are so delicious. Yum.

Dan (19:37)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

So like where their heads at. I like where they're going. Definitely curious to see, operationally, how they pull it off and then how it evolves, right? So this is out of the gate thinking and everything's going to be shiny and new. But then bringing it to life in the streets of Europe and with various vendors and operators it's going to be really interesting.

Mikkel (20:00)

Another thing that we should mention and talk about right now is the pre- and post-cruise stays. This is getting ever-more popular. River cruise lines are really leaning into the extensions before and after. We always do it, whether it's with the cruise line or on our own. Most of the time we do it on our own, but if we're going all that way for a trip, why not stay a little before and/or a little after? 

So we've seen this with Abercrombie and Kent, with Crystal Cruises. We've seen this with AmaWaterways partnering with the Mandarin Oriental for land stays before and after just as two examples. So for Celebrity River Cruises, this is going to be available in Prague and Budapest starting in 2027 and in 2028. They are adding Amsterdam as an option. Now, I do travel planning. So if you want Amsterdam and you want to know what to do there in 2027 and Celebrity doesn't offer it, reach out to me. That link is also in the description of this, but pre and post days will be available in the future for Celebrity River Cruises if you want to book through them.

Dan (21:10)

I mean, I see where they're going with it. It's meant to be a seamless add-on and really just extend that travel ribbon all the way through. How they truly gain revenue all the way through your entire journey?

Mikkel (21:25)

I didn't think you were going to say it, but you said it. The revenue. The big R.

Dan (21:31)

But it’s about extracting as much revenue as possible, but it's also about controlling the entire journey. Right. And being able to brand that and have those touchpoints along the way.

Mikkel (21:36)

The Celebrity Experience.

Right, right.

So, for the future, what we're still watching and waiting for: ship details. So we have renderings in our article on our website about this, also linked in the show description. I mean, I think it's fair to say anytime we mention something that we've already done in the past, it's in the show description. 

So this shows what the ship looks like and feels like, some of the staterooms, some of the and lounge areas, they're bringing that martini bar on board. But we don't know what's on the menu. We don't know what the restaurant looks like. So we're looking forward to those details in the

Dan (22:16)

2027 sailings are right around the corner. They're gonna be here before you know it. So if you've booked, we'd love to hear from you. Like, what are you excited about? And then if you haven't booked yet and you have questions, we'd also love to hear from you. We don't have all the answers, but we'll do our best to get you some answers or else, you know, we'll make up something that sounds very convincing.

Mikkel (22:41)

That's absolutely not true. We will not make anything up. But you know, if you don't want to book with Celebrity, I want to hear that too. I would love to know why you are or are not considering this if you're considering a river cruise at all. So comment if you're watching us on YouTube or if you are listening to the audio version, you can drop us a note.

Dan (22:43)

Hahaha

Mikkel (23:05)

We are @sometime-sailing on YouTube. We are @SometimesSailing on Instagram. You can message us there. If you're listening through Buzzsprout, check the notes. You can send us some fan mail and record your thoughts that way.

Dan (23:19)

And just a quick thank you. We do this for listeners like you.

We enjoy talking about cruising and we enjoy passing along information to you, our listeners, and we just really appreciate you tuning in. So until next time, keep cruising.