First look as Celebrity Cruises floats out debut river ship

Celebrity Compass is the first of 20 river cruise ships in the fleet

Sep 14, 2026 - 21:15

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First look as Celebrity Cruises floats out debut river ship

Celebrity Cruises has floated out its first ever river cruise ship.

The brand is entering the river cruise market next year and moved a step closer to launch with the successful float out of Celebrity Compass last week.

This milestone marks the completion of the vessel's exterior construction and is the first time the cruise ship has touched water.

The multi-day float out process began at Zwijnenburg shipyard in Rotterdam on 9 September.

Following a successful float out, Celebrity Compass then travelled its first 80 kilometres on the river, arriving at TeamCo Shipyard in Heusden on 12 September.

Celebrity Compass is due to set sail on the Rhine in August 2027.

It will be the first of 20 river cruise ships in the Celebrity Cruises fleet being built until 2031 to sail on the Rhine and the Danube.

Celebrity Compass has touched water for the first time

Celebrity Compass has touched water for the first time (Celebrity Cruises)

Guests can expect a similar experience to the cruise line’s Edge class ships.

There will be 86 cabins on board and six choices of dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as open-air bars and lounges.

These include guest favourites such as Cafe al Bacio, the Martini Bar and Sunset Bar.

Passengers will be able to dine while floating above the river on the Magic Edge platform, with dishes inspired by the destination. They will also be able to relax in an infinity-edge plunge pool.

Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, said: “The float out of Celebrity Compass is a defining milestone as we bring our vision for Celebrity River Cruises to life.

“With Celebrity Compass, we're reimagining river cruising The Celebrity Way’, combining elevated design, exceptional hospitality, and destination-rich experiences to create a journey unlike any other on the river. As our inaugural ship enters the next phase of construction, we're one step closer to welcoming guests aboard in 2027 and showing them a new way to discover the world's iconic waterways.”