This week at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, Transcend Cruises—the charter-only river cruise company—announced the much anticipated names of their first state-of-the-art, purpose-built river vessels for the B2B group market entering into service in 2026: Transcend connect launching in April and Transcend evolve, which will enter service later in Q2.
Transcend Cruises’ 135-meter ships, built by Den Breejen Shipyard and designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden, will offer customized spaces and services created exclusively for the group market which will redefine the luxury group experience.
The ships can accommodate up to 120 guests in identical, oversized staterooms that convert in pairs to suites, allowing the charterer to flex the offering for between 30 to 120 attendees.
The vessels will boast five separate venues that can accommodate all 120 passengers, including “The Forum,” a signature 2-story amphitheater ideal for group programs such as expert-led presentations, concerts, demonstrations or virtual 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 1,300 square feet of open, configurable space as well as full A/V capabilities.
Transcend’s Naming Process
Conventional ship names typically reflect the brands operating them and are focused on the retail customer experience. Since its inception, Transcend has put the focus specifically on the group market and the charter client. With Transcend—unlike consumer cruise brands—the primary brand that a client sees on their sailing is the one that is most important to them: their own. The client’s brand can transform the experience, being showcased across the numerous digital screens located on the interior and exterior of the ship, the ambient lighting, the onboard documents and the itinerary itself.
“The names we’ve selected truly reflect Transcend’s B2B ethos,” said Matthew Shollar, Chief Visionary Officer, Transcend Cruises. “At our core is our ability to create a unique river cruise product and venue that is specifically conducive to connecting a group on the spectacular waterways of Europe, hence the name Transcend connect. We also intend for our clients’ guests to have positive, transformative group experiences onboard our vessels and thereby, the name Transcend evolve. Our names underscore the benefits that the client gets in working with Transcend, and this is something we’ll continue as we grow our fleet.”
“We considered more than 100 potential names that were sourced internally and tested amongst key group market clients, partners and intermediaries,” said Kimberly Daley, Chief Revenue Officer, Transcend Cruises. “Connect and evolve are action-oriented names that reflect the flexibility and customization elements that are core principals of the Transcend offering. We are extremely excited to debut them to the industry here at Seatrade and look forward to sharing the names with the group market as construction of our first vessel is well underway.”
Transcend is currently accepting charter bookings for 2026 and beyond, although the company says space is becoming limited in the launch year.
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