Celebrity River Cruises has unveiled a new standard for river travel with an extensive destination discovery programme that features four unique experience categories, each designed for guests to take home stories no one else can provide.
Local insiders lead the Storyteller Series and Skillmaster Series, while the Keys to the City Series gives guests the tech-driven power to explore on their own with insights curated to their unique interests and passions. Available once per sailing, the Celebrity Takeover Series delivers one-of-a-kind, bespoke experiences.
Whether in a port of call or on a pre- or post-cruise stay, these thoughtfully curated experiences will connect travellers to each destination’s culture in deeply personal, richly immersive, and unforgettable ways throughout their Celebrity River Cruises holiday. Available across all 2027 and 2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries, and pre and post-cruise stays in Prague, Budapest and Amsterdam.
“On a Celebrity River Cruises vacation, no two days are the same because no two places are. We’ve built a destination program that connects guests to Europe more personally than anything the river cruise industry has offered before,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “With our groundbreaking destination discovery options, paired with thoughtfully crafted spaces onboard that inspire relaxation and connection, Celebrity River Cruises guests will return home with stories no one else can tell.”
Storyteller Series: Included, locally led experiences that go beyond what guidebooks can capture
Celebrity River Cruises’ Storyteller Series offers experiences guided by residents, artists, and cultural insiders who call each destination home. Guests can choose from multiple included experiences per port, each balancing iconic landmarks with hosts’ personal favourites and hidden stories that only locals know.
For example, in Amsterdam a canal captain will share Amsterdam’s centuries-long relationship with water, showing guests an unseen side of the city’s iconic waterways. Guests will cruise hidden passages, through the eyes of someone with deep family ties to the region, as they admire the city’s oldest building, Oude Kerk, board a legendary Dutch trading ship, and learn about modern canal engineering.
In Prague, guests who enjoy discovering a city through food and drink will be led through the city’s rich brewing traditions by a local brewer. From the brewer’s unique perspective, guests will explore historic breweries like the bustling U Vejvodu Tavern to beer-infused artisanal shops. Taking a journey that blends history and hospitality into every pour, the brewer will show guests how centuries-old recipes shaped the city’s culture of connection and celebration.
Skillmaster Series: Included, hands-on experiences invite guests to actively participate in local culture
Celebrity River Cruises’ Skillmaster Series features included, locally led experiences that go beyond sightseeing. Guests craft, cook, and create alongside the artisans and makers who shape each destination’s cultural identity.
For example, in Budapest a local Mamika (grandmother) will lead aspiring culinarians through generations-old Hungarian recipes from her own home kitchen. After selecting ingredients at the local Central Market Hall, guests will uncover the dishes that bring Budapest’s soul to the table through each of the Mamika’s treasured family recipes and cooking secrets.
In Amsterdam, a local artist leads a painting class that immerses guests in the imagination of Van Gogh. After exploring the famed painter’s works at the iconic Van Gogh Museum, guests will discover the settings that influenced some of his greatest pieces while learning some of the techniques he used to turn emotion into colour and movement into meaning.
Keys to the City Series: Included independent digital discovery tools with complimentary behind-the-scenes access and stationed local hosts
Celebrity River Cruises’ Keys to the City Series provides guests with an included, tech-driven way to explore ports of call on their own, according to their personal interests. Through an innovative digital platform, guests access curated route maps tailored to specific interests such as art, history, food, and architecture.
Interactive maps, audio guides and video content lead guests off the beaten tourist path to interest-led locations where stationed local hosts provide behind-the-scenes access and exclusive experiences at working studios and craft sites to create moments of surprise and delight.
For example, architecture enthusiasts in Bratislava will follow their curiosity to St. Martin’s Cathedral, hearing from a local historian who brings its coronation past to life, before hiking to Bratislava Castle to see how the fortress has watched centuries of change, then pausing beneath the modern span of the UFO Bridge with an architect who explains its bold vision.
Or uncover the city’s authentic Slovak flavours from raising a glass in a traditional Slovak pub while a generational brewer pours his stories into every craft drop, to tasting delicate sweets in a family-run pastry shop where the baker shares recipes passed down through decades. Guests will curate their adventure, shaping their own path to uncover the stories of cities exactly as they choose.
Celebrity Takeover Series: Included, one-of-a-kind experiences for bucket list memories
The Celebrity Takeover Series offers exclusive, bespoke experiences once per sailing, transforming must-see European attractions and unassuming plazas into elevated private events available only to Celebrity River Cruises guests. Each Celebrity Takeover Series indulgent bucket-list experience is designed to be the defining memory of a guest’s Celebrity River Cruises vacation.
Pre and Post-Cruise Stays: Experience the Celebrity Way before and after every sailing
Celebrity River Cruises guests can extend their journey with multi-day pre and post-cruise stays that carry the same locally led, small-group discovery philosophy as every sailing. Available in Prague and Budapest beginning in 2027, and also Amsterdam in 2028, each stay includes daily small-group tours with local hosts, premium hotel accommodations, dedicated concierge service for dining reservations and private experiences, daily breakfast, and airport transfers.
The result is a seamless, end-to-end journey from arrival to departure with no gap between the onboard Celebrity River Cruises experience and the destination discovery that defines it.
Bookings open for 2027 and 2028 pre and post-cruise stays this summer, and all other destination experiences will open for booking in 2027. Celebrity River Cruises sailings are on sale now.
