Transcend Cruises, the charter-only river cruise line designed for the B2B group and private event market, has achieved a significant milestone in the construction of its inaugural vessel.
The company celebrated the keel laying of its first state-of-the-art river cruise ship during a ceremony at Den Breejen Shipyard in Orsova, Romania. This marks a major step toward the ship’s debut in 2026.
The ceremony was attended by Transcend Cruises’ executive leadership, including CEO Hans Rood, Chief Visionary Officer Matthew Shollar, Chief Revenue Officer Kimberly Daley and Ship Operations Manager Carmen Mladenovic. Also present were Board of Directors member Gregg Marston, Den Breejen Shipyard’s CCO Wouter Henstra and representatives from RensenDriessen, the shipyard’s partner for hull construction.
As part of a longstanding maritime tradition, executives from Transcend Cruises and the shipyard placed a newly minted coin on the hull to commemorate the first ship in the company’s purpose-built fleet. The custom-designed coin features the vessel’s silhouette alongside the phrases “Group Travel. Redefined” and “Building the Future.” The reverse side showcases Transcend’s emblem along with the official date of the keel laying.
“After years of planning and design by our Transcend team alongside our partners from Den Breejen Shipyard and RensenDriessen, it is truly thrilling to see our vision come to life and for us to get even closer to delivery,” said Hans Rood, in a press statement. “What we are creating is truly ground-breaking in the group travel space and our dedicated team looks forward to the next construction phase when the completed hull is brought to Den Breejen’s shipyard in the Netherlands this summer for the final outfitting and commissioning phases before we launch next year.”
Following the keel laying, attendees toured the shipyard and reviewed the next stages of development. This summer, the vessel will transition up the Danube to Den Breejen’s facility in the Netherlands, where its interiors will be completed in partnership with the renowned Tillberg Design of Sweden. The Transcend Cruises leadership team will travel to Hoganas, Sweden, following the ceremony to finalize the interior design process.
“The keel laying of Transcend Cruises’ new vessel marks the beginning of an exciting journey. This ship embodies innovation, luxury, and sustainability—crafted with precision and passion by our dedicated team. We are honored to partner with Transcend Cruises in bringing their vision to life and look forward to seeing this vessel set sail on unforgettable voyages,” said Wouter Henstra, in a press statement.
As anticipation builds for its 2026 launch, Transcend Cruises is currently accepting charter bookings.
