Transcend Cruises has signed an agreement with Den Breejen Shipyard for two additional new river ships, bringing its growing fleet to four vessels by 2028.
The company said the agreement marks a significant expansion milestone as the company’s inaugural ship, Connect, nears completion and prepares to enter service this July as the first river cruise ship built exclusively for the group market.
The two new ships, to be named Create and Engage, are being built with hulls constructed in Orsova, Romania and final construction at Den Breejen Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Netherlands. Delivery of Create is slated for October 2027 and Engage is scheduled to be delivered in Q1, 2028.
Transcend has plans for a fleet of up to 12 river ships which it charters out.
The new ships follow the same design concept as Transcend’s first two vessels, Connect and Evolve.
The Connect is currently finalizing construction at Den Breejen Shipyard and launches in July 2026.
The Evolve’s keel laying took place on March 16, 2026, in Orsova, Romania. Evolve is scheduled to join the fleet in May 2027.
The keel laying for Evolve and the concurrent steel cutting for Create were marked with a ceremony at the shipyard in Orsova, Romania on March 16, 2026.
Representing Transcend Cruises were Gregg Marston, Chief Executive Officer; Hans Rood, Chief Development Officer; and Shawn Horwitz, Chairman of the Board. Den Breejen Shipyard was represented by Wouter Henstra, Commercial Director, and Tom van den Berg, Broker for Rensen Driessen.
“It is an extremely exciting time for Transcend as we get closer to bringing the first ever river cruise ship built exclusively for the group market into service this summer,” said Hans Rood, Chief Development Officer, Transcend Cruises.
“On the heels of this exciting milestone comes the introduction of our second ship and the steel cutting of our third, soon to be followed by our fourth vessel. This speaks to the strong demand we’ve seen from the group market for Transcend’s concept and the exceptional bookings we’ve received for sailings on our first ship, Connect, in 2026 and beyond.”
Among the most distinctive features on the ships are 60 identical staterooms that are fully convertible to true two-room suites, each providing a full living room, bedroom and two baths. Staterooms convert in pairs, allowing the charterer to flex the guest offering for between 30 and 120 attendees.
The vessels have five separate venues capable of accommodating all 120 guests, including the “Forum,” a signature two-story amphitheater for group programs ranging from leadership talks, and destination expert-led presentations to concerts and performances.
The “Studio” on the first deck can accommodate meetings of any size and format. All the venues feature cutting-edge technologies that rival any shoreside hotel, as well as highly flexible settings for social and professional experiences including dining, presentations and breakouts. As a B2B-focused platform, Transcend Cruises ships are outfitted with a wide range of brand-amplification technologies for clients, including cutting-edge digital signage, custom lighting, sound, and imagery.
Transcend Cruises ships also have a 2,600-square-foot indoor/outdoor fitness, spa and guest wellness facility. The customized food and beverage program is rooted in European culinary and wine excellence with three chef-driven dining venues and multiple beverage experience spaces.
