Recent announcements from Crystal Cruises, Riverside Luxury Cruises and Princess Cruises highlight continued investment in the Mediterranean, Asia and Europe’s river cruise market as demand for longer, destination-focused itineraries grows.
Crystal Cruises Expands with Crystal Grace Debut
Crystal Cruises has outlined its summer and fall 2028 deployment, led by the debut of Crystal Grace and expanded itineraries for Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.
Crystal Grace will launch on June 11, 2028, kicking off a Mediterranean season with calls in Italy, Greece and Croatia, including Sorrento, Kotor, Split and Trieste. Summer sailings will continue across Southern Europe, with stops in Valencia and Monte Carlo. The ship will reposition in September from Lisbon to North America via the Azores, followed by fall itineraries in New England, Eastern Canada and the Caribbean.
Following its 2028 World Cruise, Crystal Symphony will operate in the Americas, beginning with a Panama Canal transit from Fort Lauderdale before sailing along the California coast. The ship will then deploy to Alaska and British Columbia for peak season, with departures from Vancouver and Seward. In late September, it will reposition to Asia for itineraries in Japan and South Korea.
Crystal Serenity will focus on Europe, sailing across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe before heading to the British Isles and Norway.Â
For more information, visit crystalcruises.com.
Riverside Luxury Cruises Advances Fleet Growth
Riverside Luxury Cruises will expand its European river fleet with the debut of Riverside Mahler in 2028.
The vessel will operate alongside Riverside Debussy on the Rhine, Main, Moselle and Danube rivers. The addition builds on Riverside’s 2023 acquisition of five former Crystal Cruises ships, three of which are already in service.
The expansion will increase capacity across core European waterways and support additional themed sailings, including wine-focused itineraries. More details on deployment and onboard updates are expected at a later date.
For more information, visit riverside-cruises.com.
Princess Cruises Scales Up Asia Deployment
Princess Cruises has introduced one of its largest Asia programs to date, combining its 2027 Southeast Asia season with its 2028 Japan deployment.
The program includes 96 departures across 61 itineraries visiting 55 destinations. For the first time, Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess will both homeport in Tokyo for the full Japan season.
Princess will operate 85 departures across 52 itineraries in Japan, ranging from seven to 29 days. Voyages will visit all four main islands and align with the peak cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons. Extended port stays in cities such as Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakodate will allow for deeper destination exploration.
The itineraries include access to 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Mount Fuji, Himeji Castle and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Southeast Asia sailings will complement the Japan season with longer, destination-focused itineraries across the region.
For more information, visit princess.com.
