By Steve Griswold, Pixie Vacations — travel agency owner and river cruise specialist. Last updated: August 2026.
Celebrity River Cruises will sail its first Christmas market cruises in November and December 2027, with three 7-night Danube holiday itineraries between Bavaria, Vienna, and Budapest. Fares start at $4,749 per person for the live Christmas market sailings and include daily shore excursions, all meals, select drinks, and Wi-Fi. Here is everything we know — and how to book before the holiday sailings sell out.
Celebrity River Cruises Christmas Market Itineraries for 2027
Celebrity's inaugural river season runs August through December 2027, and the line saved something special for the finale: dedicated Christmas market sailings on the Danube. According to Celebrity's published itineraries and reporting from Travel Weekly, three holiday routes go on sale for the 2027 season:
| Itinerary | Route | Nights | Starting Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Danube — Christmas Markets | Vilshofen, Germany → Budapest, Hungary | 7 | From $4,749 per person |
| The Danube — Christmas Markets | Budapest, Hungary → Nuremberg, Germany | 7 | From $4,749 per person |
| The Danube — Christmas Markets | Nuremberg, Germany → Budapest, Hungary | 7 | From $7,649 per person |
These sailings begin in November 2027, after Celebrity Seeker debuts on October 21, 2027. Seeker is a small river ship, so holiday-season capacity is genuinely limited — and Celebrity's 2027 river sailings have a track record of selling out fast (the first wave of inventory famously sold out in minutes in 2025).
For 2027, Celebrity's Christmas cruises are Danube-focused. The line has said holiday sailings on the Rhine are limited for the inaugural year and expand meaningfully in 2028, when Celebrity Roamer and Celebrity Boundless join the fleet with Rhine and extended Danube Christmas market routes.
The Route: A Port-by-Port Look at the Danube at Christmas
The flagship holiday itinerary sails from festive Bavaria to Budapest. Here is what a typical week looks like on the Vilshofen-to-Budapest route:
Vilshofen and Passau, Germany
Your cruise begins in small-town Bavaria, where Christmas feels handmade — wooden stalls, roasted chestnuts, and glühwein served in painted mugs. Passau's market sits beneath St. Stephen's Cathedral, one of the prettiest backdrops on the river.
Linz and Melk, Austria
Linz brings a bigger-city market scene along the main square, while Melk pairs its abbey — one of Europe's great baroque landmarks — with a small-town advent atmosphere. Between them you cruise the Wachau Valley, where terraced vineyards get dusted with early winter snow.
Vienna, Austria
Celebrity schedules Vienna so you arrive after dark — a smart touch, because Vienna at Christmas is a nighttime city. The Rathausplatz market glows under the illuminated city hall, and classical music spills out of churches and concert halls. Many guests call this the highlight of the week.
Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava's compact old town market is less touristed than Vienna's and noticeably cheaper — a favorite stop for buying actual gifts rather than just souvenirs.
Budapest, Hungary
The cruise finishes with a scenic arrival into Budapest, where the Parliament building lit up from the river is one of the most photographed moments in all of river cruising. The Vörösmarty Square market and the basilica's light show close out the week.
The Celebrity River fleet
Celebrity Seeker
Celebrity Roamer
Celebrity Boundless
What's Included on a Celebrity Christmas Market Cruise
Celebrity River Cruises uses a mostly-inclusive fare model. Every Christmas market sailing includes:
- One shore excursion every day, with the option to add premium experiences
- All meals, including a 24-hour dining option — a first for river cruising
- Select drinks all day: wine, beer, cocktails, coffee, and soft drinks, with upgrades available
- Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship
For the full breakdown of what costs extra, see our guide to what's included on Celebrity River Cruises.
New for 2027, Celebrity also offers Before and After Stays — guided two- or three-night city packages announced in July 2026. For the inaugural season they're available in Prague and Budapest and include your hotel, daily breakfast, two guided tours, and transfers. Pairing a Prague stay with a Christmas market cruise is an easy way to add one of Europe's best holiday markets to an already market-heavy week.
The Ship: Celebrity Seeker
Holiday sailings for 2027 are aboard Celebrity Seeker, the second ship in the fleet. Seeker features king-size beds in every stateroom, spa-style bathrooms, hybrid propulsion, and the Magic Edge — cantilevered glass dining pods suspended over the water. In December, expect the top deck bar to trade spritzes for mulled wine.
Cabin choice matters more on winter sailings, since you'll spend more time onboard when the sun sets around 4:30 pm. Our stateroom category guide walks through every cabin, from River View staterooms to the Balcony Suite.
Compare Celebrity river cruise dates and pricing on Pixie Vacations' online cruise booking engine »
What every Celebrity River fare includes
One included shore excursion per day — not one per sailing — is the inclusion most river lines do not match.
How Much Do the Christmas Sailings Cost — and Are They a Good Value?
At $4,749 per person to start on Celebrity Seeker (rising to $7,649 on Celebrity Compass), Celebrity's Christmas market cruises sit alongside the line's summer 2027 Danube sailings, which opened above $4,200 per person. That's typical for river cruising — late-November and December are shoulder season on the rivers — but it makes the holiday sailings one of the best entry points into this new product. Celebrity has also run launch promotions such as 75% off the second guest, which can bring a couple's effective per-person cost down further.
Compared with Viking, AmaWaterways, and Uniworld Christmas market cruises — which regularly run $3,000–$5,000+ per person once you add drinks and Wi-Fi — Celebrity's mostly-inclusive fare is competitive. If you're weighing lines, start with our Celebrity vs Viking comparison.
One honest caveat we give our own clients: 2027 is Celebrity's first river season, and the Christmas sailings will be Seeker's first winter on the Danube. Early-season quirks are possible. The flip side is you'd be on a brand-new ship, at shoulder-season pricing, on a product Celebrity is heavily incentivized to make shine.
Christmas Market Cruises vs. a Regular Danube Sailing
A few things are genuinely different about a December river cruise, and it pays to know them before booking:
- Weather: Expect 25–40°F days, early sunsets, and possible snow. Pack layers, waterproof boots, gloves, and a warm hat — our Celebrity river cruise packing guide has a full winter checklist.
- Daylight: Scenic cruising hours are shorter, but markets are at their best after dark, so evenings ashore matter more than on summer sailings.
- Water levels: Winter sailings face less low-water risk than late summer, though ice is a rare possibility deep in December.
- Atmosphere: These sailings skew festive and social — think carolers, glühwein on the sun deck, and a ship decorated for the season.
Who Should Book One (and Can You Bring Kids)?
Christmas market cruises are ideal for couples, friends traveling together, and multigenerational adult families. Celebrity does welcome children ages 4 and up (guests under 18 share a cabin with a parent), but the experience — and the crowd — leans adult. If your family does holiday traditions the way ours does road trips, a Danube Christmas sailing is a memory-maker; just set expectations that this is mulled wine and cathedrals, not water slides.
The five stateroom categories
Top to bottom. Every category includes a king-size bed and a complimentary stocked mini bar.
When and How to Book
Christmas market sailings are historically the first river departures to sell out industry-wide, and Celebrity is launching with limited holiday capacity on one small river ship. If a specific week (especially the first two weeks of December) matters to you, book as early as possible — our best time to book guide explains how Celebrity's launch pricing has behaved so far.
You can check live Celebrity River Cruises availability and pricing yourself, online, right now: book your Celebrity river cruise through Pixie Vacations' online cruise booking engine. You'll see real sailing dates, cabin categories, and current promotions — and booking through us costs you nothing extra while giving you a real travel agency in your corner if anything changes before 2027.
Celebrity River Cruise Christmas Markets: FAQ
When do Celebrity River Cruises Christmas market sailings start?
The first holiday sailings begin in November 2027 and run through December 2027, on 7-night Danube itineraries aboard Celebrity Seeker.
How much does a Celebrity Christmas market cruise cost?
Live starting fares are $4,749 per person on Celebrity Seeker and $7,649 on Celebrity Compass, based on double occupancy and verified against live booking inventory on 5 August 2026. Suites run higher, and launch promotions like 75% off the second guest can lower the effective price.
Which Christmas markets does the cruise visit?
Depending on the route: Vilshofen, Passau, Linz, Melk, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Nuremberg — with the Wachau Valley as scenic cruising in between.
Is the Christmas market cruise all-inclusive?
Mostly. All meals (including 24-hour dining), select alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi, and one shore excursion per day are included. Premium excursions, drink upgrades, and gratuities cost extra.
Can I take kids on a Celebrity Christmas market cruise?
Yes — children must be at least 4 years old, and guests ages 4–18 must share a stateroom with a parent. The onboard experience is adult-oriented, though the markets themselves are very family-friendly.
Will Celebrity offer Rhine Christmas market cruises?
Rhine holiday sailings are limited in 2027 and expand in 2028, when Celebrity Roamer and Celebrity Boundless join the fleet with dedicated Rhine and extended Danube Christmas itineraries.
Sources: Celebrity Cruises published itineraries (celebritycruises.com/river), Travel Weekly (itinerary and pricing reporting), Celebrity River Cruises Before and After Stays announcement (July 2026).