'Game-changing' new river cruise coming to Europe with stunning 360 degree views

A new 'game-changing' river cruiseis soon to set sail for Europe, with 360-degree views and eight restaurants. Celebrity Cruises is launching two new ships - the Compass and the Seeker - in 2027.

According to reports, early booking for both the Compass and the Seeker sold out within six minutes, with passengers putting down a £372 deposit to save their space. A seven-day trip from Vienna to Budapestwill set passengers back £7,844 for the top of the line Vista Balcony and £3,409 for a river view room. All five categories of rooms will have a complimentary mini bar and luxury linens. Suite guests will get king-sized beds, on-demand butler service, exclusive dining, room service, happy hours, and priority booking for excursions. Aboard will be open decks with 360-degree views, offering the most outdoor space of any river cruise, as well as an infinity pool. Also coming to the Compass and the Seeker will be Magic Edge, a moving cantilevered bar and 'floating' dining pods, as well as eight other restaurants and bars with 24/7 meal options.

The river cruise line will launch with 33 seven-day sailings on the Rhine and Danube rivers, including Christmas Markets sailings from Nuremberg to Budapest and from Vilshofen to Budapest, as well as New Year's sailings from Nuremberg to Amsterdam and from Basel to Amsterdam.

Ports of call featured on the Danube itineraries will include Göny, Bratislava, Hainburg, Vienna, Tulln, Grein, the Wachau Valley, Dürnstein, Melk, Passau, Linz, Engelhartszell and Regensburg.

The Rhine voyages sailing between Nuremberg and Amsterdam will have calls in Bamberg, Würzburg, Miltenberg, Koblenz and Cologne; while the itineraries between Basel and Amsterdam will call in Breisach, Strasbourg, Speyer, Mainz and Düsseldorf.

Excursions include private wine tastings in Austria, thermal baths in Budapest, cycling the Danube riverbanks, seeing Budapest lit by night.

"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."