Celebrity River Cruises has unveiled a new standard for river travel with an extensive destination discovery program that features four unique experience categories, each designed for guests to take home stories no one else can provide. Local insiders lead the Storyteller Series and Skillmaster Series, while the Keys to the City Series gives guests the tech-driven power to explore on their own with insights curated to their unique interests and passions. Available once per sailing, the Celebrity Takeover Series delivers one-of-a-kind, bespoke experiences.
Storyteller Series: locally led experiences that go beyond what guidebooks can capture
Celebrity River Cruises’ Storyteller Series offers experiences guided by residents, artists, and cultural insiders who call each destination home. Guests can choose from multiple included experiences per port, each balancing iconic landmarks with hosts’ personal favorites and hidden stories that only locals know.
For example, in Amsterdam a canal captain will share Amsterdam’s centuries-long relationship with water, showing guests an unseen side of the city’s iconic waterways. In Prague, guests who enjoy discovering a city through food and drink will be led through the city’s rich brewing traditions by a local brewer.
Skillmaster Series: Included, hands-on experiences to actively participate in local culture
Celebrity River Cruises’ Skillmaster Series features included, locally led experiences that go beyond sightseeing. Guests craft, cook, and create alongside the artisans and makers who shape each destination’s cultural identity.
For example, in Budapest a local Mamika (grandmother) will lead aspiring culinarians through generations-old Hungarian recipes from her own home kitchen. In Amsterdam, a local artist leads a painting class that immerses guests in the imagination of Van Gogh.
Keys to the City Series: digital discovery tools with complimentary behind-the-scenes access
Celebrity River Cruises’ Keys to the City Series provides guests with an included, tech-driven way to explore ports of call on their own, according to their personal interests. Interactive maps, audio guides and video content lead guests off the beaten tourist path to interest-led locations where stationed local hosts provide behind-the-scenes access and exclusive experiences at working studios and craft sites to create moments of surprise and delight.
For example, architecture enthusiasts in Bratislava will follow their curiosity to St. Martin’s Cathedral, hearing from a local historian who brings its coronation past to life, before hiking to Bratislava Castle to see how the fortress has watched centuries of change, then pausing beneath the modern span of the UFO Bridge with an architect who explains its bold vision.
Celebrity Takeover Series: Included one-of-a-kind experiences for bucket list memories
The Celebrity Takeover Series offers exclusive, bespoke experiences once per sailing, transforming must-see European attractions and unassuming plazas into elevated private events available only to Celebrity River Cruises guests. Each Celebrity Takeover Series indulgent bucket-list experience is designed to be the defining memory of a guest’s Celebrity River Cruises vacation.
Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays: Experience The Celebrity Way before and after every sailing
Celebrity River Cruises guests can extend their journey with multi-day pre- and post-cruise stays that carry the same locally-led, small-group discovery philosophy as every sailing. Available in Prague and Budapest beginning in 2027, and also Amsterdam in 2028, each stay includes daily small-group tours with local hosts, premium hotel accommodations, dedicated concierge service for dining reservations and private experiences, daily breakfast, and airport transfers.
The result is a seamless, end-to-end journey from arrival to departure with no gap between the onboard Celebrity River Cruises experience and the destination discovery that defines it.
