Celebrity will begin taking bookings this year for Celebrity River Cruises, a new premium river cruise offshoot that will begin sailing in 2027. Royal Caribbean and Silversea could be next.

Viking ( NYSE: VIK) has carved out a profitable niche in the river cruise segment with smaller ships that are designed to access ports that are unavailable to larger ships, such as those in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Viking ( VIK) itineraries are targeted for older, more affluent passengers.

Celebrity Cruises will usher in a new era in river cruising with Celebrity River Cruises, a premium river cruise vacation that will begin taking bookings this year. The brand has signed an initial order for 10 transformative ships that will take guests to historic cities on the world’s most iconic rivers,

Celebrity plans to launch 10 river cruise ships starting in 2027. It would be Royal Caribbean Group's first major foray into the booming industry.

Bookings are already off to a record start in 2025 for Royal Caribbean, and the company is now set to expand its offerings further by breaking into river cruises, the CEO told Skift.