Celebrity Cruises generates excitement with its river cruise expansion

By Andrea Zelinski 

By Brinley Hineman 

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Jan 31, 2025

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Celebrity Cruises is putting more than a toe in Europe's rivers. Parent company Royal Caribbean Group ordered 10 ships. Photo Credit: Celebrity Cruises

Royal Caribbean Group's river cruise launch may have been a surprise move from the ocean-cruise titan, but travel advisors say the rivers are ready for a new player with Royal's reach. 

Royal placed an order for ten 180-passenger ships for its Celebrity brand and plans to launch Europe operations in 2027. The company also signaled that Celebrity River Cruises may be followed by luxury river cruises from sister brand Silversea. 

"This is not a hobby for us," Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty told investors during the company's Q4 2024 earnings call on Jan. 28. "We are taking this extremely seriously, and we want to make sure we can live up to delivering the best vacation experiences in the world and make sure we're doing so in a responsible way."

Liberty said about half of the group's guests have experienced or intend to take a river cruise, so there's a great opportunity keep that demand in the corporate family. River cruising has seen double-digit growth over the past decade, he said.

After launching a loyalty program in 2024 that applies a guest's highest status with one brand to the company's other two, Liberty said past passengers have become "stickier" within the Royal Caribbean Group.  

"We have well over 8 million guests a year, we have a database of 35 million people who are continuing vacationing with us," he said. "So it's a great opportunity to use that flywheel to generate high-quality demand." 

How will Celebrity stand out?

Travel advisors concurred. Alex Sharpe, CEO of Signature Travel Network, said there is "tremendous" opportunity in river cruising and that Celebrity fans would place it high on their list when considering a river cruise, opening the line to a higher-yielding passenger. 

"With river, you are talking about fewer guests and higher-impact guests, spending more money ashore and really digging into local cultures," Sharpe said.

Royal said it may go after those higher-spending river cruisers more intentionally, with the possible launch of a luxury river product with Silversea.

"We're going to start off with Celebrity. We're going to assume that's where we think that there is great scale opportunity," Liberty said. "And then, of course, we'll be looking to see if there's other ways to expand it for our other brands as it sees fit."

Jennifer Kellum, president of Neverland and Main Travel in Jacksonville, N.C., called river cruising a "trending" sector, and said Celebrity would have an "undeniable following out of the gate."

The big question for Kellum is what Celebrity will do to differentiate itself from other river cruise lines. The brand will need to make a bold entrance into the market, she said, such as offering new experiences on the traditional mode of sailing in Europe.

Kellum and Karen Quinn-Panzer of Dream Vacations, who specializes in river cruising, said Celebrity could introduce the river cruise industry to a younger audience. 

Quinn-Panzer said Celebrity's "fun, hip perspective" could attract younger cruisers. Kellum said Celebrity could tap into a trend that river cruising is already seeing.

"The demographics of river cruising are changing, and we're seeing a younger population onboard," Kellum said. "I think brand loyalty could work to their benefit with a demographic change."

A 10-ship order indicates that Celebrity is not just dipping its toes in the river. 

"They're not going to be a new river cruise line on the Danube," said Richard Turen, owner of the Churchill & Turen agency and a Travel Weekly columnist. "They are going after Europe, and they're going to have ships on every major European river."

Quinn-Panzer also said the large ship order signaled the company's intent to invest in a growth market, noting that there are still plenty of baby boomers looking to travel -- the prime demographic for river cruising. 

She has high expectations: "Celebrity's elevated hospitality is second to none," Quinn-Panzer said.

Royal said the Celebrity River ships would mimic the design of Celebrity's Edge-class ships. Liberty said that in terms of brand offering, the Celebrity river vessels will differ from many existing river lines by extending Celebrity policies such as not being all-inclusive and allowing children to sail. 

However, Henry Dennis, a luxury-focused travel advisor with Frosch based in Charlotte, wondered how Celebrity would distinguish itself in what "many people think is a market that is getting oversaturated. In some ports you already have to walk across three or four ships to get ashore. And there are only so many rivers."

He also suggested it could be a challenge for a company that has specialized in big-ship ocean cruising to pivot to such a different product.

"Are they going to put the Magic Carpet on the side of their ships?" he said cheekily, referring to the platform on Edge-class ships that moves up and down on the exterior of the vessel.

A Family Travel Guide to Sydney, Australia

Jan 28, 2025

Arts & Entertainment  Australia  Family Travel  

A surf lesson at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach is a great activity for families.
Credit: 2025 Let’s Go Surfing

It’s easy to see why Australia tops many travelers’ bucket lists — and Sydney, the country’s largest and oldest city, offers a wealth of immersive outdoor and cultural experiences along with easy access to fabulous beaches, parks and wildlife. 

From free activities to splurge-worthy epic adventures, here’s a guide to family-friendly Sydney fun.

Send clients to local operator BridgeClimb Sydney for a chance to see the city from up high.
Credit: 2025 BridgeClimb Sydney

Rise to Great Heights

My teenage son dared me to take an adrenaline-pumping hike up and across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, and after eyeing groups of people cheering atop the structure over several days from my balcony at InterContinental Sydney, I decided this city symbol would mock me until I conquered it.

Skywalk tours at the Sydney Tower Eye is another way to get incredible city views.
Credit: 2025 Destination NSW

BridgeClimb Sydney was an exhilarating way to spend a sunny afternoon. The panoramic views are spectacular, and clients can book a slot at sunrise or sunset for even more beauty. Kids ages 8 and up can participate, and families save with bundle pricing. Groups can also hit the summit with a First Nations bridge guide and storyteller, who will provide a fascinating perspective of the area. Visitors craving higher peaks, meanwhile, can book a 60-minute Skywalk tour atop the Sydney Tower Eye, the city’s tallest building.

At Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, clients can feed giraffes and visit its new reptile center.
Credit: 2025 Destination NSW

Get Hands-On With Creatures Great and Small

Watching sharks through a glass tank is fun. But why not up the ante by booking an up-close-and-personal Penguin Encounter with adorable king and gentoo penguins at the Sea Life Sydney aquarium? Children will love gearing up in high rubber boots and a special sub-Antarctic snowsuit before heading onto the ice to learn about the penguins’ habitats and behaviors.

RELATED: What's New in Australia: Hotels, Activities and More in Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and Beyond

Wildlife buffs will enjoy Taronga Zoo’s recently opened Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Centre, a multilevel experience where guests can see 42 slithery, crawling species such as the eyelash viper, alligator snapping turtle and native frilled lizard. Make sure clients don’t skip the unique nocturnal section to see bats, platypuses and other night creatures.

Travelers ages 8 to 12 years old can also become a zookeeper for the day at Sydney Zoo, where they’ll participate in hands-on feeding and cleaning tasks and learn about conservation — plus, take plenty of selfies with Aussie animals.

Set Out on a Whale-Watching Cruise

Sydney’s whale-watching season runs from May through November, when the sub-Antarctic waters become the “Humpback Highway” for more than 20,000 whales making their 2,100-mile trek to the Great Barrier Reef. Whales weighing up to 40 tons have been in this neck of the woods for 50 million years, according to my Captain Cook Cruises guide. That morning during my sail with the operator, I spotted more than a dozen glorious whales, along with dolphins. Clients can book a slot that also includes roundtrip transportation to Taronga Zoo. As a bonus, every cruise comes with a whale-spotting guarantee. 

Enjoy Thrills, Chills and Spills

It’s free to get into the historic waterfront Luna Park, accessible by ferry from Circular Quay. Clients pay per ride or attraction at the amusement park. Kids can also opt to go aqua racing at Raging Waters Sydney, the city’s largest waterpark, or navigate the ropes courses at Treetops Adventure. During the summer, families will love splashing around in one of Sydney’s unique ocean pools that dot the Aussie coastline. Bondi Beach is home to the world’s most famous one, Bondi Icebergs, which dates back to 1929. 

Meanwhile, visitors itching to learn a new sport can book a sharp-shooter archery session at Sydney Olympic Park or take a beginner surfing lesson at Urbnsurf Sydney, the city’s first wave park.

Find Some Kid-Friendly Zen

Need a break from hectic sightseeing? Free yoga classes for preschoolers take place every Friday at the Playground Lawn in Darling Quarter. The half-hour sessions — led by instructor Danielle Connor, who specializes in children’s yoga — are open to parents and older siblings, too, and mats are already on-site.

Families can also wander through lush landscapes to see gorgeous Australian flora at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, which are free to tour. The site has picnic areas with complimentary barbecues, walking and biking paths and plenty of birds and native animals to spot. There’s also the lovely Garden’s Playground, where kids up to 12 years old can enjoy sand pits, slides, climbing walls and swings while parents grab coffee from The Garden’s Cafe next door.

Badu Gili: Celestial, a new projection program visible on the sails of Sydney Opera House, showcases the work of female First Nations artists.
Credit: 2025 Wendy Helfenbaum

Soak up Aboriginal Culture

Sydney is the perfect place for meaningful and authentic Australian experiences. Clients can take The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour or choose from many immersive, educational activities designed to promote and preserve local history and culture offered by Cultural Attractions of Australia. 

Families interested in naval history will love unlimited access to the Australian National Maritime Museum, which has one of the world’s largest floating museum fleets and an impressive replica of Captain Cook’s HMB Endeavour ship. The entire family will be mesmerized while watching the sails of Sydney Opera House light up after sunset with Badu Gili: Celestial, a new projection celebrating the work and stories of two female First Nations artists from Australia and New Zealand.

Visit California and Los Angeles Tourism Say Los Angeles Is Open to Travelers

Jan 31, 2025

California  Los Angeles  Travel News  

In the wake of the region's recent wildfires, Los Angeles is encouraging travelers to keep their trips to the city.
Credit: 2025 frank peters/stock.adobe.com

After most natural disasters, there comes a time when the travel industry in that region is ready to come together and officially welcome back visitors. For Los Angeles, that time is now.  

Adam Burke, the president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and Caroline Beteta, the president and CEO of Visit California, recently issued a joint letter to the travel industry — as well as press releases from their respective agencies — sharing that the second largest city in the U.S. is relying on the return of leisure and business travelers.  

In the most recent letter, Burke and Beteta explain that more than 98% of Los Angeles County was not directly impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires and that most of the region’s iconic destinations and landmarks are untouched, while restaurants, venues and hotels remain fully operational. At this point, the fires have been nearly fully contained and the acute phase of the disaster has passed. 

In moments like these, tourism does more than drive our economy — it becomes a lifeline in supporting our community’s recovery.

Some visitors might be concerned about the air quality in Los Angeles. Beteta is encouraging visitors to use AirNow.Gov for guidance about current air quality and air quality forecasts; the site is easily searchable by ZIP code.  

Our Analysis: Visiting Los Angeles Fuels Recovery and Averts a Secondary Crisis

Following a natural disaster, travel advisors often fill the important role of destigmatizing a return to travel by visiting firsthand and spreading the message that all is well. This is important work because livelihoods are on the line, particularly in destinations such as Los Angeles that have a strong tourism industry.

One in five tourism-related jobs in California is based in Los Angeles County, and more than half a million Angelenos depend on the city’s conferences, meetings and events as their source of income. By continuing to travel to Los Angeles as usual, the city will avoid an economic crisis — and travelers can feel good about knowing their visit will directly fuel the city’s recovery. 

RELATED: This Travel Advisor Is Helping LA Fire Victims — Despite Losing Her Own Home

And it’s not just Los Angeles that stands to be affected. The city is the gateway to numerous other locations in Southern California — all of which were not directly impacted by the fires and are open for business and tourism. 

What They Are Saying: Visiting Los Angeles Has Never Been More Critical

“With over 540,000 Angelenos working in the tourism sector and more than 1,000 local businesses relying on our industry for their livelihoods, travelers continuing to visit our City of Angels for leisure, business, and meetings and conventions has never been more critical,” Burke said. “In moments like these, tourism does more than drive our economy — it becomes a lifeline in supporting our community’s recovery.” 

“Los Angeles has always been a beacon to the world — a place where dreams are born and stories unfold from the silver screen to iconic landmarks,” Beteta said. “Now this resilient city needs your help in its recovery story. One of the best ways to support the comeback of Los Angeles is to plan a trip. Impacted communities and businesses need the tourism economy to keep doors open and to support the many residents whose lives and livelihoods have been affected.”