Cruises are the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. So perhaps it’s no surprise that some of the world’s most exclusive hotel groups are getting in on the action. For decades, they had to watch their wealthy clientele occasionally disappear over the horizon aboard five-star boutique ships.
But with big money behind them, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Orient Express and Aman are quickly moving into the ultra-luxury cruise market, launching a fleet of super-yachts loaded with champagne, caviar and promises of adventure for some of the most prestigious. most remote regions of the world.
Until recently, luxury cruise lines such as Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Ponant and Regent Seven Seas had this lucrative market almost to themselves, with wealthy guests sailing in a cocoon of all-inclusive opulence, enjoying butler service, fine dining and private service. access excursions – all for around £500-£1,000 per person per night.
But posh hotel groups are already commanding much higher rates, with offerings such as sophisticated suites that echo their brands’ signature style and exclusive invitation-only cruises.
Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of luxury cruise company Mundy Cruising, said: “This will lead to greater competition to attract higher spending customers and introduce large numbers of new customers to the market. But will hotel superyachts create the same club vibe and atmosphere?
RITZ CARLTON HOTEL
Going out in style: Some of the world’s most exclusive hotel groups have expanded into the ultra-luxury cruise market. Above, Evrima, the new Ritz-Carlton yacht
The sleek and stylish 298-guest superyacht Evrima was launched last summer and will be joined by Ilma in July and Luminara in fall 2025.
Five restaurants, a spa, two infinity pools, a water sports marina, a personal concierge, impressive artwork on the walls and a boutique selling Cartier watches and Hermes Birkin handbags add to the exclusivity.
The suites are generously proportioned in a sophisticated boutique hotel style.
Evrima welcomed its first guests last summer. Pictured is the bedroom inside the ship’s ‘grand suite’
Although Evrima is all-inclusive, there is one restaurant where guests have to pay more than £300 per person at three Michelin star chef Sven Elverfeld’s specialty restaurant, SEA.
So far, 75 percent of Evrima’s passengers are Ritz-Carlton loyalty card members and about half are new to cruising. Early guests – by invitation only and mostly in their early 50s (which lowers the average age of the traditional cruise market by 57) – tended to use up their loyalty points but earn them back by sailing to trendy ports like Mykonos, Saint-Tropez and St Barth.
In addition to the convenience of booking pre- and post-cruise stays at Ritz-Carlton hotels, guests can also spend a day ashore at the group’s resorts when their superyachts sail to ports such as St. Kitts In the Caribbean.
To book: An eight-day round trip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, departs on March 16 with stops in the Caribbean including St. Barthelemy and Jost Van Dyke, from £5,660 per person (ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com).
FOUR SEASONS
Four Seasons’ first yacht (pictured) will make its maiden voyage in fall 2025
To create Four Seasons’ first yacht, designers were tasked with combining the style of the elegant yacht Christina O – once owned by Jackie Kennedy’s second husband, Greek billionaire shipowner Aristotle Onassis – with the technology of a James Bond movie.
The ship, which is still under construction and does not yet have a name, will have 95 suites and 11 bars and restaurants, as well as a full spa.
The four-level Funnel Suite, spanning 9,601 square feet, will even have a private spa and splash pad, as well as 280-degree panoramic views through the largest glass window ever seen at sea .
New Four Seasons yacht will have 95 suites, 11 bars and restaurants, plus a full spa
The yacht will sail to 130 destinations across the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Announcing the 190-passenger ship’s entry into the cruise market at the Monaco Yacht Show, Four Seasons offered invitation-only bookings with a deposit of £8,000 per person for sailings expected to begin in autumn 2025.
According to a Four Seasons spokesperson, this sales model “is a way to meet demand when you have an exclusive product with a limited supply.”
To book: Register your interest on the Four Seasons website and expect rates to start between £2,000 and £2,750 per person per night (fourseasonsyachts.com).
ACCOR
Above, the Orient Express Silenseas, a 722-foot ship inspired by the golden age of travel.
Hospitality giant Accor has announced two superyachts for its historic brand, Orient Express, set to debut in 2026 and 2027.
A spokesperson – aggressively pointing out the competition to attract guests at this ultra-luxury level while proving that money is no object – claims that “the ships will be more exclusive than the Ritz- Carlton and will cost double the rates.”
The first, the 722-foot Orient Express Silenseas, will be the largest sailing ship ever built, with three rigid sails and tilting masts, although it can use liquefied natural gas (LNG) when needed.
The interior design by architect Maxime d’Angeac will echo the golden age of travel – a time when princesses and movie stars graced the Côte d’Azur – and will include a private recording studio with sound engineer and two swimming pools, including a lap pool.
To book: Reservations will open later this year (accorhotels.com).
A MAN
Aman Resorts offers cruises on the two-masted yacht Amandira (pictured), where 14 crew members look after up to ten guests.
With some of the most exclusive hotels on the planet – mostly intimate retreats with fewer than 30 rooms – Aman Resorts already offers cruises on the two-masted yacht Amandira, where 14 crew look after up to ten guests .
And now, Aman has entered into a joint venture with Cruise Saudi, owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, to add a 600-foot motor yacht to its fleet in 2027.
The fully equipped ship with balconies and 47 suites has not yet been named but will include two helipads, a spa with Japanese garden and a marina platform for access to water sports.
Seven-day charters on Amandira cost from £88,000. The ship explores the islands of the Flores Sea in Indonesia, pictured on the right.
Itineraries have not yet been released, although guests can expect sailings to locations away from crowds.
Amandira is already exploring the islands of Indonesia’s Flores Sea, including the UNESCO-protected Komodo National Park, with a dive master leading expeditions to the coral reefs around Raja Ampat, an archipelago made up of 1,500 small islands and crystal clear waters.
To book: Seven-day charters on Amandira cost from £88,000 (aman.com) or register for the new yacht on aman.com/yachts.