Agents praise 'ground-breaking' designs for Celebrity River Cruises' first two ships

Agents have praised the designs of Celebrity River Cruises’ first two ships as “game-changing”, predicting the line’s entry into the market will encourage more people to try river cruising.

 

Members of the trade said the designs were “clean”, “modern” and “beautiful”, emphasising they would bring “a new audience” to the sector, including a new-to-cruise or younger clientele alongside loyal ocean-cruising passengers.   

 

Some agents shared their hopes that future ships in the fleet will have greater accessibility features for passengers travelling with disabilities.

 

The innovations, such as the retractable dining pods, always-open top deck and infinity plunge pool, were cited as reasons for Celebrity River Cruises to be sold at the premium or luxury end of the market. 

 

More: Celebrity River Cruises priority access sells out in six minutes amid ’significant demand’

 

A handful of agents who Travel Weekly spoke to had secured priority access for their clients, with the remainder waiting for a chance to book customers on in the general sale. 

 

Phil Evans, founder and managing director of Cruise Nation, said there was “a real appetite” for “something fresh and modern” in river cruising, which Celebrity River Cruises had supplied.  

 

He said: “I think Celebrity’s reveal of their first river ships is a real game-changer.  

 

“Traditionally, river cruising has had a certain image – smaller, quieter, and more understated – but Celebrity has just blown that out of the water.”  

 

Evans added this could be a step towards changing how people perceive river cruising to make it “exciting, social and aspirational in a way we haven’t seen before”.  

 

This was echoed by James Cole, founder of Panache Cruises, who said Celebrity Cruises’ “eye for innovation” combined with its marketing reach promised “fantastic things” for river cruise. 

 

He said: “I am confident that this move will not only attract people to Celebrity’s river product but will also attract more ocean cruise customers to sample river cruising across the board. 

 

“The ships’ design looks refreshing and certainly challenges some of the more traditional elements of a typical river cruise.” 

 

Connell Blackburn-Green, head of product and commercial for Six Star Cruises & River Voyages, said Celebrity River Cruises’ “fresh ideas, distinctive design, and new hardware” would keep other river suppliers “on their toes”.  

 

“It looks totally different to anything out in the market right now, while also feeling familiar at the same time,” he said. 

 

“These innovations [including the top deck, retractable dining pods and infinity plunge pool] are exactly what you’d expect from Celebrity.” 

 

He added Celebrity River Cruises could “lead the way” in terms of technology by offering an app integration to “elevate the guest experience”. 

 

“River cruising traditionally skews towards an older clientele, so anything that subtly makes the product more multi-generational could open up the sector,” he said.

 

Sarah Wikevand, chief commercial officer at ROL Cruise, called the new designs “fresh, modern and ambitious”, and predicted they would “set new expectations” for river cruising. 

 

She said: “This is a bold new chapter for river cruising. Celebrity has taken its signature ocean style and translated it seamlessly to the rivers, introducing features never before seen in this sector.” 

 

Wikevand said these were not “just clever ideas”, but "true differentiators that “fundamentally change" the experience. 

 

“The retractable dining pods will offer some of the most memorable dining in river cruising, while the infinity plunge pool and expansive top deck create a resort-like atmosphere that guests will love,” she said.

 

Wikevand said there was “room to bring even more creativity” to the onboard experience, such as flexible venues that can transform throughout the day, “innovative wellness spaces, and immersive entertainment. 

 

Bolsover Cruise Club head of sales Fran Hurst called the entry of Celebrity River Cruises into the market “a real turning point”, noting there had been “immediate interest” from clients.   

 

“Celebrity has already set such high standards at sea, so to see that same innovation and flair being applied to the rivers is exciting,” she said.  

 

“It’s going to raise the bar for everyone and, just as importantly, it will tempt people who’ve only ever considered ocean cruising to give river cruising a try.” 

 

She looked forward to further “surprises” in future, particularly around more choice in dining, entertainment and wellness. 

 

Patrick Hill, head of sales at Paramount Cruises, expected Celebrity River Cruises to be “a disruptor to the market”, with its “fresh ideas and design”. 

 

He said: “I can only see it as a positive, especially for ocean customers looking to try their first river cruise.

 

“They’ve taken the modern, stylish feel from their ocean ships and scaled it down beautifully for the rivers.”

 

He added the retractable dining pods and infinity plunge pool would be “a talking point”, but hoped for future announcements that paired technology with “a strong focus on being eco-friendly”. 

 

He said: “That would be a total game-changer, and it could really set a new standard.” 

 

Jonny Peat, director of cruise at Advantage Travel Partnership, called the designs, which are inspired by the Celebrity Edge Class series, “beautiful, sleek and stylish”.

 

He said: “Innovating is in the DNA at Celebrity Cruises, I love that guests will be closer to the outdoors, many cities are more alive at night, so this is clever planning.” 

 

However, he suggested “hooking in potential cruisers” on the inclusions and “upselling where appropriate”.

 

“A river cruise should be enjoyed by anyone, including those with a more modest budget, he added. 

 

Laura Clark, marketing director for Iglu Cruise, said the commitment from Celebrity Cruises to the river sector was “immense”.  

 

She said: “We’re curious to see how the blend of all the Celebrity ‘best bits’ works in the river sector, and the buzz around this launch has already created a lot of interest.  

 

“We know it will appeal to our customers who already love Celebrity, and predict, with the appealing new infinity pool, and the infinite balcony suites, plus the cantilevered dining pods, new-to-cruise customers will be booking in droves.” 

 

Hopes for accessibility developments

 

Deanne Moses-Wright, personal travel consultant with Premier Travel and author of Wheelie on the Waves blog, said she had got “really excited” when Celebrity Cruises announced it was entering the river cruise sector and was hopeful for innovations for passengers with accessibility needs mirroring the Edge Class. 

 

She said it would be beneficial to be able to see deck plans or have an indication from Celebrity River Cruises about accessibility lifts on board or accessible cabins, as without it, it is "impossible" to book her clients, 95% of whom are wheelchair users. 

 

Moses-Wright hoped the retractable dining pods could be used in a similar way as the Magic Carpet on the Edge Class ships to help embark and disembark passengers in a wheelchair, as well as the running track on the top deck which is suitable for wheelchair use. 

 

She called it “a massive opportunity”, adding: “I have my fingers crossed that river cruising will become accessible because, at the moment, it just isn’t, and I’ve got an awful lot of clients who would love to do river cruising, but it’s just not possible. 

 

“To make river cruising more accessible is the one thing that people really want to happen, and I would be surprised if Celebrity has not incorporated that into a new launch when they are advertising it as the most innovative way to travel on the river.” 

 

Gareth Harding, travel consultant at Travelosophers, echoed this as he said: “I would very much like to see a river cruise vessel that offers full accessibility with dedicated adapted cabins and lifts to all areas of the ship.” 

 

Jenny Cookman, a Travel Counsellors agent specialising in river cruise, added: “I often get asked about accessible cabins [by clients] and this would be lovely to see.  

 

“If there was a lift up to the top deck and access to all areas of the ship, this could attract some new clients.”

 

All three agents acknowledged the challenge with the logistics of river cruising and accessibility, especially when different ports have limited access and vessels need to be moored alongside each other.