Speaking during her “Conversations with Celebrity” presentation in the Theatre on the final day of this year’s President’s Cruise sailing, Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge revealed some timely details about a few exciting brand developments.
First, she discussed two of the upcoming Celebrity Xcel’s seven brand-first concepts that have already been announced, including the rooftop al fresco restaurant Bora and The Bazaar, which will inhabit the space occupied by Eden on previous Edge Series ships. Bora will serve as the brand’s first brunch venue during the day, featuring a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Then, in the evening, it will transition to a more upscale Mediterranean-style dining experience with fresh seafood at the forefront.
Meanwhile, The Bazaar will be a dynamic multisensory space designed to bring authentic experiences from shoreside destinations directly on board the ship. Hodges Bethge said that details about four more new onboard spaces will be unveiled in July, but that the final one will remain a secret from all except guests who actually sail aboard Xcel.
She also spoke about the already highly anticipated introduction of Celebrity River Cruises, which is set to launch with the brand’s first two river-going vessels in 2027. Celebrity’s initial order includes a total of 10 river ships, with four scheduled for delivery in both 2028 and 2029. “When we placed our initial order, we were also very clear and honest that this is not a hobby for us. We are getting into the river business and we intend to be a major player in the business, so that 10 is an initial order and there’ll be more to come after that,” said Hodges Bethge.
While she did not go into the details of the new brand’s first itineraries, Hodges Bethge did say that Celebrity River Cruises will start off by sailing the Rhine and the Danube, as those are Europe’s largest and most in-demand waterways. “We will absolutely start there. That said, what we’ve also announced is that we will be on all of the big European rivers. So, over time, we will get to all of them, but we will start on the Danube and the Rhine.” She also disclosed that further details about the new river cruise brand will start trickling out within the next couple of months.
“I can tell you from being involved in the design from the beginning that it’s absolutely going to be transformative and, if you’ve taken a river cruise before, I can promise you that you’re never going to want to river any other way,” she asserted.
Hodges Bethge also revealed that, while the operating model has not yet been finalized, “We’re intending for it to basically be an all-included product.” She clarified, “We’re still fine-tuning the details.” However, “the intention is that it is all included—so, included drinks, Wi-Fi and then one shore excursion per port that you would get to select from. And then, there’d be opportunities if you wanted to upgrade and things of that nature, you can always do that.”
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