Celebrity River Cruises has announced the details of its destination discovery program, a collection of shore experiences available while ships are in port, as well as pre- and post-cruise. T he line’s president Laura Hodges Bethge, says it has built a destination program that ‘connects guests to Europe more personally than anything the river cruise industry has offered before’.
The experiences span four categories. The Storyteller Series has experiences guided by local residents, artists, and cultural insiders. There will be multiple experiences per port—think exploring Amsterdam’s waterways with a canal captain or a food tour through Prague with a local brewer.
The Skillmaster Series will focus on hands-on experiences. For example, guests can learn to cook with a Hungarian grandmother in Budapest or take part in a Van Gogh-inspired painting class in Amsterdam.
The Keys to the City Series, caters to those seeking independent exploration by offering guests a tech-driven way to explore ports of call on their own. Guests will be able to access digital route maps tailored to specific interests, with architecture tours in Bratislava taking in St Martin’s Cathedral and Bratislava Castle among the options.
The Celebrity Takeover Series will offer one-of-a-kind experiences available just once per sailing which sees European attractions and plazas transformed into private events available only to Celebrity River Cruises guests.
. . . Pre/Post
Celebrity is offering multi-day pre- and post-cruise stays in Prague and Budapest in 2027, with plans for this to roll out to Amsterdam in 2028. These stays will combine daily small-group tours guided by local hosts, with premium hotel stays, a dedicated concierge service for dining reservations and private experiences, and airport transfers.
Bookings are open for 2027/28 pre- and post-cruise stays this winter, and other destination experiences will open for booking in 2027; see more HERE.
