Transcend Cruises, the global charter-only river cruise company, has commenced construction on its first state of the art, purpose-built vessel for the B2B group market. The yet-to-be named ship will set sail on the Rhine for the 2026 season.
Wth a steel cutting ceremony that took place on Dec. 5, 2024, Transcend commences a rapid construction program that will take place at Den Breejen Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands, with the hull currently under construction in Orsova, Romania.
The ceremony was attended by key company and partner representatives including Hans Rood, CEO of Transcend Cruises, Wouter Henstra, CCO of Den Breejen Shipyard and Helena Sawelin, Partner & Design/Sustainability Director of Tillberg Design of Sweden. It represents a major step forward in the development of the company and the fleet of purpose-built river ships.
For Groups Only: Seaworthy Amenities
Transcend Cruises’ 443-foot (135-meter) ships will offer customized spaces and services designed exclusively for the group market which promises to redefine the luxury group experience.
The vessels will boast five separate venues that can accommodate all 120 guests, including “The Forum,” a signature two-story amphitheater for group programs such as leadership talks, destination expert-led presentations, concerts and various performances. The “Studio” venue is built specifically for the client, located on Deck One next to their dedicated office space and three staff cabins. The venue can accommodate meetings of any size and format with 1,500 sf of open, configurable space as well as full A/V capabilities.
Up to 120 guests will be housed in identical, oversized staterooms that convert in pairs to suites, allowing the charter client to flex the offering for between 30 to 120 attendees.
Transcend ships will have the latest sustainable hardware available on the European rivers as Transcend has employed a circular approach to materials being used in the exterior and interior construction and design. Transcend’s ships will also feature state-of-the-art hybrid propulsion with stage five, low-emissions engines.
“With the steel cutting, we are thrilled to be entering this exciting construction phase,” said Hans Rood, CEO, in a media announcement. “We’ve benefited from serving the charter market with our MS Advance over the past 18 months, proving that our concept is right on target for our new builds from all sectors of the group market including MICE, tour operators, private events, direct corporations, affinity groups and from leisure and corporate agencies. We have strong booking demand from markets around the world including the Americas and Europe, as well as Asia, Middle East, Oceania and beyond.”
Transcend is currently accepting charter bookings for 2026 and beyond, although they confirm that space is becoming limited in the launch year.
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