Celebrity Cruises isn’t the only brand adding river cruises
Travel brands are recognizing major opportunities in the European river cruise market.
Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises made waves early this year when it announced its bold entry into the river cruise market.
Recognizing the growing demand for intimate, culturally enriching travel experiences, the premium travel brand placed an initial order for 10 river cruise ships that will take passengers to historic cities along Europe’s iconic rivers in Celebrity style beginning in 2027.
Related: Royal Caribbean drops popular port from months of cruises
The cruise line intends to bring the quality and sophistication of its Edge Series ocean ships to its new river cruise fleet. The intimate ships will be designed to offer 360-degree views and immerse passengers in journeys that feature destination-rich itineraries, locally inspired cuisine, and unique shore experiences.
Royal Caribbean Group’s research showed that about half of its passengers have taken or intend to take a river cruise, and the company is confident that its loyal cruisers will appreciate how Celebrity’s elevated vacation experience translates to river cruising.
While major cruise players like Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line don’t anticipate following Celebrity Cruises into the river cruise market, at least not anytime soon, other travel companies see Celebrity’s investment as a huge vote of confidence for river cruising’s potential.
And two well-known travel brands are already seizing the opportunity to set sail on Europe’s rivers, too.
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Trafalgar expands into European river cruising
Trafalgar, a global guided vacation company known for its expertly guided land tours, is expanding into river cruising with Europe itineraries debuting in spring 2026.
Trafalgar will launch two signature river cruise journeys to begin in April 2026: an eight-day cruise along the Danube on the 128-passenger Trafalgar Reverie and a 10-day cruise along the Rhine on the 128-passenger Trafalgar Verity.
Both river cruise journeys will feature signature Trafalgar experiences that offer local connections, deep destination insights, and opportunities to contribute to sustainability initiatives. Passengers will also enjoy locally inspired onboard entertainment, wellness options, and regional dining.
Related: Why Royal Caribbean Group will add new kind of ship to fleet
Trafalgar is chartering the two ships from sister brand Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, and may buy the Uniworld ships in the future, Melissa DaSilva, deputy CEO of Trafalgar’s parent company TTC Tour Brands, told Travel Weekly.
Trafalgar also has big plans to grow its presence on the river, with additional itineraries and more ships to come. The brand expects to add a third Uniworld ship to its fleet in 2027, and it may even build its own river cruise ships in the future, DaSilva shared with Travel Weekly.
European river cruises by National Geographic are launching, too
National Geographic will also break into European river cruises for the first time through its partnership with Lindblad Expeditions, a longtime operator of expert-led expedition cruises.
Like Trafalgar, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions will debut its first two European river expeditions in April 2026. Two eight-day itineraries will sail along the Rhine — including sailings from Amsterdam to Brussels and Cologne to Basel.
Related: Celebrity Cruises shares new onboard experiences
Each voyage will be staffed by one of the brand’s veteran expedition leaders, knowledgeable field staff, and at least one National Geographic expert. Field staff will guide passengers on private tours, exclusive tastings, and expertly curated experiences.
The new European river expeditions will sail aboard Connect, a newly built 120-passenger river cruise ship custom designed to sail immersive voyages through Europe’s iconic destinations. With the chartering of the brand-new Connect from Transcend Cruises, the Lindblad Expeditions fleet now consists of 23 owned and chartered mission-built expedition ships that it operates on behalf of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions co-brand.
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