By
Alex Smith |
The first custom-built vessel for river cruise company Transcend Cruises has reached a major construction milestone, as a keel laying ceremony was held at Den Breejen’s shipyard in Orsova, Romania.
Executives from Transcend Cruises, including CEO Hans Rood, were joined by Wouter Henstra, chief commercial officer of Den Breejen, and Edwin Diepeveen, director of operations for Den Breejen’s partner RensenDiressen.
The ceremony opened with comments from Transcend’s leadership and key stakeholders and a viewing of the hull. Following maritime tradition, executives from Transcend and the shipyard then placed a newly minted commemorative coin on the hull of the vessel. The phrases ‘Group Travel. Redefined’ and ‘Building the Future’ are engraved on one side of the coin, while the other showcases the company’s logo with the date of the keel laying ceremony.
The coin showcased an image of the ship and the phrases ‘Group Travel. Redefined’ and ‘Building the Future’
“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. “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.”
After the ceremony, the participants took part in a tour of the shipyard and reviewed an overview of the next stages of the construction. The ship will travel up the Danube in the summer to complete the interior construction at Den Breejen’s shipyard in the Netherlands.
“The keel laying of Transcend Cruises' new vessel marks the beginning of an exciting journey,” said Wouter Henstra. “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.”
The executive team of Transcend will travel to Hoganas, Sweden to meet with the leadership at interior design studio Tillberg Design of Sweden to continue the process for the interior design of the ships.
Transcend will introduce the vessel to the group market in 2026 and is currently accepting charter booking for the launch year and beyond.