HAPPY EVER AFTER. AND BEFORE.
When you experience Europe the way we do it, you’re going to want more. We’ve anticipated that with our Before and After Stays. These pre- and post-cruise experiences give you the chance to seamlessly extend your vacation and explore even more in iconic cities like Budapest, Prague, and Amsterdam.
This isn’t an add-on tour. It’s an invitation to experience these cities like you live there and be welcomed by the people who do. From your Destination InsiderSM, who knows the city better than guidebooks do, to our Discovery CollectionSM tours, each led by a Local StorytellerSM, every moment is as real, personal, and authentic as your river cruise itself.
And you won’t miss anything, because we’ve thought of everything—meticulously curated hotel stays right where you want to be, breakfast to start your day, getting you around in seamless comfort, reservations for the most sought-after table in town, you name it. And all of it can be customized to suit your passions perfectly. You couldn’t write a better beginning—or ending—to an already unparalleled Europe vacation.
With a Before and After Stay, you can spend more time in the city you’re most excited to explore. From grand capitals to lakeside beauty, here are four unforgettable places to begin or end your journey.
PRAGUE
From the Gothic spires of Prague Castle to its world-renowned pub scene, Prague layers centuries of history with a modern energy all its own. Explore its cobblestone lanes, storied squares, and local traditions with people who know the real city beyond the guidebooks.
BUDAPEST
Mineral-rich thermal baths at sunrise. Grand cafés filled with stories. Lantern-lit riverbanks framing the city like a masterpiece. Budapest reveals more the longer you linger, bringing you closer to the city and the people who define it.
AMSTERDAM
The tree-lined canals. The colorful Dutch buildings reflected on the water. The bicycles gliding over narrow bridges. Amsterdam is instantly recognizable, but it gets even better the deeper you look into the neighborhoods, traditions, and local voices that shape its ever-evolving spirit.
LAUSANNE
Sweeping views of Lake Geneva. The 12th-century Notre Dame Cathedral above the Old Town. Tulip-lined streets winding through Ouchy. Lausanne gives you something memorable at every turn, with a distinct spirit shaped by the city and the people who call it home.
Explore Europe like a local. Book your Celebrity River Cruise with a Before or After Stay today.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Some journeys stay with you long after the voyage ends. For Cecilia Felicity Wilson, one sailing in 1965 became the start of a lifelong connection that would eventually lead her back to Celebrity decades later with a story that feels as meaningful now as it did then.
At 82, Cecilia’s cruise story stretches back more than six decades. When she was 21, she boarded the Chandris Ellinis in Sydney, Australia, bound for the port of Athens, Greece, on what she still remembers as the adventure of a lifetime. Traveling with a friend on their version of a backpacking trip through Europe, she found the crossing exciting, spirited, and full of possibility. “We had the time of our lives,” she says. “We were young and off on an adventure.”
What makes that memory feel especially remarkable today is the connection between that early voyage and the cruise line she now loves. Celebrity Cruises was founded by the Chandris Group, and the iconic “X” on our ships comes from the Greek letter chi, representing the Chandris family name. Years after sailing on Ellinis, Cecilia discovered that the line she had cherished in her youth was part of our story too.”
Her more recent memories with us feel just as special. On the 2022 President’s Cruise aboard Celebrity Beyond, Cecilia purchased a specially designed Celebrity ring. The following year, she added the matching limited-edition necklace. Together, they’re keepsakes of her experiences with us and the personal history she now sees woven through them.
Cecilia first came to Celebrity through a friend in Canada who had sailed with us many times. Before long, we became a favorite for her whole family. She began cruising with her children and grandchildren, often in a group of 18, and found the experience brought everyone together naturally. Even now, with her grandchildren grown, Celebrity remains the line they return to as a family.
Based in Sydney, Cecilia says cruising has become one of the easiest, most enjoyable ways for her to keep traveling. These days, long flights are more difficult, so sailings closer to home have taken on even more value. Her most recent voyage was an 18-night sailing on Celebrity Edge departing Sydney on April 20, 2026, a trip she booked after spotting a special offer and choosing a route she had never done before. She describes it simply as relaxing, enjoyable, and a true vacation, with just the right balance of things to do and time to simply be.
She has sailed with other cruise lines over the years, including Holland America, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, but says Celebrity continues to feel like the best fit. “Celebrity is the perfect cruise line for everyone, from activities and dining to entertainment,” Cecilia says, adding that she also likes knowing where everything is. More than anything, she values the ease of it all, the feeling that once she is on board, she can truly settle in and enjoy herself.
And she is not done yet. “I said my Christmas cruise would be my last, but now I’m booked on a cruise to Tokyo,” Cecilia says. Her next sailing is a 12-night Best of Japan itinerary, roundtrip from Tokyo in April 2027. More than 60 years after setting out as a young woman heading into the unknown, she is still answering the call to explore.
Thank you, Cecilia, for sharing your story and sailing with us through the years. We’re honored to be part of a journey that has come full circle in such an incredible way.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Do you have a story from a Celebrity sailing you’d like to share? Tell us about your special sailings, celebrations, excursions, and moments, and what made them unforgettable, and if selected, you’ll be featured in a future Captain’s Club newsletter. Just fill out the survey linked below and tell us what made your cruise the best. We can’t wait to read your responses.
