Postcards Spring 2026 - CA | Page 16

in the know
TRAVEL TALK
Balcony Suite, Celebrity River Cruises

NEW RIVER LAUNCH FOR CELEBRITY

Newly opened Naples Beach Club on Florida’ s Gulf Coast The Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club brings luxury to Old Naples with 220 guest rooms and suites, featuring a refined, residentialinspired coastal design. The 125-acre resort also has 1,000 feet of white-sand beach. At its five restaurants, Gulf seafood is paired with global influences. Additional amenities include a three-level spa and an 18-hole golf course.
The cruise line enters the European river market with two new ships set to explore the Rhine and Danube in 2027

Celebrity Cruises is venturing into the river cruise market with state-of-the-art ships inspired by the line’ s ocean-going vessels.“ Celebrity River Cruises ships will be the most innovative on the river, with a patent-pending industry-leading design that offers more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises.“ With about half of our guests having experienced or intending to take a river cruise, we know guests are going to love sailing Europe’ s Rhine and Danube rivers the Celebrity way on our fleet of elevated, cutting-edge ships.”

The Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker will have many features guests will recognise from Celebrity’ s Edge-Class ships. The eight restaurant and bar options include familiar venues Martini Bar, Sunset Bar and Café Al Bacio. Unlike most river cruise lines, Celebrity will provide flexible, all-day dining access, with a 24 / 7 restaurant. The ships will offer the most usable outdoor space of any river ship, with 360-degree views. Guests can even dine right above the river via unique cantilevered dining pods. Staterooms will also feature familiar elements from the line’ s Edge-Class ships, including Infinite Verandas with windows that can be lowered at the touch of a button. All staterooms offer king-sized beds, complimentary stocked mini bars and complimentary breakfast room service. Suite guests enjoy perks like a dedicated, on-demand butler, and Skylight Infinite Balcony Suites have a separate living area and a ceiling window.
The 172-passenger vessels will offer seven-night sailings. The Celebrity Compass’ inaugural voyage is scheduled for August 2027, with upcoming cruises including Danube Christmas markets, a New Year Rhine cruise from Nuremberg to Amsterdam, and Danube sailings between Vilshofen in Germany and Budapest in Hungary. The Celebrity Seeker debuts in October 2027 with scheduled voyages along the Danube River.
AmaWaterways partners with Mandarin Oriental The cruise operator launched exclusive pre- and post-cruise land tours through Mandarin Oriental Hotels in early 2026. The luxury experiences include a stay at a fivestar hotel, personalised tours with a private guide and hands-on cooking demonstrations at local restaurants. Two- to four-night packages are available in select European cities including Paris, Prague, Amsterdam and Zurich.
Crystal Cruises’ first new ship in 25 years The 650-passenger, all-suite Crystal Grace will embark on its inaugural voyage on June 11, 2028. The ship will feature Nobu restaurant Umi Uma.“ With this ship, we are honouring our heritage while continuing to evolve for a new generation of guests,” says Cristina Levis, CEO of A & K Travel Group. images: celebrity cruises; four seasons
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