TORONTO — When you sell a brand a lot, you get to know that brand very, very well.

It’s no surprise then that travel advisors who are top sellers for Celebrity Cruises have some thoughts on the company’s much-anticipated river cruise line.

Bookings for the new line are set to open soon, for sailings starting in 2027. The initial order is 10 ships, for Danube and Rhine itineraries.

Travel advisors Travelweek spoke to are excited about the prospect of one of their favourite ocean-going cruise companies entering the river cruise market.

They’re also waiting to see how the arrival of a big-name new entrant in the river cruise space will impact their strong partnerships with already established river cruise lines.

“A GROWING MARKET FOR FAMILIES”

For William Gu, Sales Director for On The Go Groups in Surrey, B.C., the appeal of Celebrity’s upcoming river cruise line is very much about families.

“We sell both river and ocean cruising and in market currently Viking is the only one that sells both. But they are very limited to 18+ clients and we have a huge growing market for families who want to take river cruises,” says Gu.

Gu notes that major river cruise lines like AmaWaterways, Avalon and others also welcome children, but in his view, “Celebrity carries the brand loyalty … it’s a huge opportunity in this river cruise market.”

He adds: “I believe if Celebrity can keep the quality of food and service on their river cruise products then the market is wide open, especially for families who have already sailed on Celebrity ocean cruises and want to try river.”

He also likes the idea of capitalizing on Celebrity’s soon-to-expand product range with river + ocean packages. “This would be a very unique product, particularly in Europe. For example, a Rhine river cruise combined with Norway fjords, both from Amsterdam.”

Gu says his travel agency likes selling one brand and forging a strong relationship between the supplier and the agency, “instead of selling 10 different brands. Overall I am very looking forward to Celebrity launching its river product.”

Q&A WITH CELEBRITYʻS KATINA ATHANASIOU

Is there room for another river line? Celebrity certainly thinks so. And no doubt the river cruise segment has been selling like gangbusters for years, and demand shows no sign of slowing down.

Travelweek asked Katina Athanasiou, Celebrity Cruises’ SVP Sales & Services, The Americas, what gap in the river cruise market Celebrity is looking to fill.

“Our market research shows that more than half of our guests are either interested in or have already experienced a river cruise. The river cruising market is growing, and we’re excited to bring The Celebrity Way to this space, meeting the demand for unique travel experiences,” she said.

“For advisors with clients who have sailed with Celebrity Cruises and already love our brand, this presents a new and exciting product to try. For travel advisors with clients interested in river cruising, Celebrity River Cruises is a natural extension of Celebrity’s premium offering that will bring our unique hospitality-first approach to the river.”

She added that Celebrity River Cruises will take inspiration from the elevated design and sophistication of Celebrity’s Edge Series ocean ships, giving Celebrity River Cruises guests “an even deeper connection to destinations in elevated surroundings.”

Travel advisors are looking forward to seeing the first Celebrity River Cruise itineraries, and getting their clients booked on the ships

“WOULDNʻT WANT TO SEE MARKET SHARE SHIFT AWAY FROM THEM”

Kyle Oram, CEO, KVI Travel in Victoria, B.C. sells a lot of Celebrity Cruises. His agency is also a top seller for AmaWaterways.

“It’s an interesting situation because Celebrity is typically at or near the top of our list of preferred suppliers as well as our top supplier by volume,” Oram tells Travelweek.

“On the other hand, when it comes to rivers, we are extremely loyal to AmaWaterways and wouldn’t want to see market share shift away from them.”

With that in mind, says Oram, “what we really want to see from Celebrity on the rivers is a product that provides something different – and doesn’t compete too much with AmaWaterways.”

Easier said than done? Maybe not, according to Oram. He shared three of his suggestions with Travelweek, including one that dovetails with Guʻs idea, and what (hopefully for the travel trade) could be a big hit with travellers: river-ocean combos.

This is something that Celebrity has already explored with a partnership with Amras River Cruises, however a Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity River Cruises combo trip would be a thoroughly Celebrity experience.

Sail to different ports: “Overtourism is becoming an issue on the most popular itineraries (especially the Rhine and the Danube), but if Celebrity developed new itineraries with new excursions, that would be great. For example, instead of visiting Cologne on a Rhine cruise, go to the equally charming but much less visited Dusseldorf instead.”

Create an entirely new atmosphere onboard the ship: “Something so radically different from the other river lines that it creates its own niche market. This is exactly what Virgin Voyages did with their unique, adults-only concept. We sell a lot of Virgin, but I don’t see much of those sales taking away from our other cruise line sales.”

Take advantage of Celebrity’s ocean component: “Have a Rhine river cruise to Amsterdam sail back with a Baltic ocean cruise embarking in Amsterdam.”

Athanasiou said travel advisors are “incredibly important” to Celebrity Cruises.

“They play a key role in matching their clients to the right vacation product which meets their needs. We appreciate the valuable role advisors play in helping guests understand the elevated, premium vacation experience that Celebrity delivers,” she told Travelweek.

So whenʻs the big day? The industry is looking forward to seeing the first itineraries, and getting their clients booked on the ships. Celebrity River Cruises will no doubt make a big splash, and every good surprise comes with anticipation. “We’ll be open for booking this summer and look forward to sharing more details over the coming weeks,” said Athanasiou.

This article appears in the July 17, 2025 issue of Travelweek; click here.