Celebrity Cruises will launch its first river cruises in 2027. Editor in chief Johanna Jainchill talked to Katina Athanasiou, Celebrity's senior vice president of service and sales, about what distinguishes the product from other lines, why it was the right Royal Caribbean Group brand for river and who is booking its first sailings.
Katina Athanasiou
Q: You mentioned shore excursions being a real differentiator. Why?
A: We're planning to deliver the shore excursion experiences in a unique way. With the Storyteller Series, this is not a tour guide. It's somebody who lives in and knows the destination we're visiting. We won't offer this particular model in every single city. I describe a tour guide as someone who learns and memorizes a script. With a Storyteller, it's the story they're bringing forth. With the Keys to the City model -- in cities I would consider smaller, not marquee ports like a Budapest or Amsterdam -- people can explore on their own with an app and denote if they want to do it at an active pace, a slow pace, if they want a cultural lens, an architectural lens. We're going to guide them based on questions they answer in the app.
Q: Given your experience with Royal brands -- you were also with Silversea -- why was Celebrity the right river fit?
A: We've done a ton of research. Over 50% of our guests have already sailed on a river or are interested in sailing a river, so we knew the demand was there. We knew they were looking for something a little bit more innovative or contemporary in the river space. We felt like we had the customer set to be able to build something from scratch and provide something unique and different. Over 70% of everyone we have booked are Celebrity loyalists.
Q: You're building 20 ships, and congestion is a big issue with Europe river cruising. Will you go to less-visited places?
A: There will be a mix of what I would consider larger marquee ports in addition to lesser-known, hidden gem destinations. We're intentionally doing both. We're going to destinations based on where we know we can deliver the Discovery shore experience model at its best.
Q: Royal Caribbean Group merged its loyalty program so people can apply their points and status from one brand to another. What has been the impact?
A: Honestly, a game changer. People don't want to lose their loyalty and their status. Maybe they've aged out of Royal, or they're not sailing with their kids and want to sail a little bit more sophisticated, a little bit longer, a different destination, so they're choosing Celebrity. But they want their loyalty points to go back and continue to build with what they've built on Royal. We have Celebrity loyalists going on a multigen vacation, and they have younger kids, and they really want something active for families. So they'll sail on Royal. And Silversea is for when you leave the kids at home. We call it the ability to provide a continuous ecosystem.
Q: What would you say to those who question if an ocean line can deliver a river experience?
A: Celebrity has always pushed the envelope on innovation from both a hardware and software perspective. What I'm most excited about is bringing the Celebrity way -- our elevated hospitality, crew training and the service and hospitality of the ocean ships -- onto the river.
Q: Are you a river cruiser?
A: I wouldn't say I'm a river cruiser, but I have cruised on rivers, so I am familiar with it. It had been very traditional for me, so it wasn't necessarily a go-to vacation in the past.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.