The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: Luxury hotel on the sea

While some of you are still cold, here’s a new cruising experience soon to come—the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Created by the Ritz-Carlton and marine expert Douglas Prothero, the company will benefit from Ritz-Carlton’s services to provide a luxury hospitality service. This company represents a unique incursion into the cruise industry for a luxury hotel operator. The first of three sumptuous cruising yachts in this series will arrive in late 2019 and welcome its first guests in February 2020.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: The quintessential luxury cruise.

“The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will have a distinctive personality and the ships will definitely be real strengths in some of the world’s most prestigious ports, ‘said Hervé Humler, President and Chief Operating Officer, Ritz-Carlton, LLC’ This unique combination of boating and cruising will usher in a new form of luxury travel for customers looking to discover the world in a relaxed, elegant and comfortable atmosphere, with the highest level of personalized service. ”

An intimate visit of the world

The itineraries offered to travellers are developed with the intention of combining the lifestyle of luxury  hotel brand with the occasional freedom of a yacht holiday. Caller to Intimate and signature destinations, trips will last from seven to ten days. The first vessel will sail in a wide variety of destinations depending on the season, including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada (including a departure from Montreal) and the Northeastern States. —United. With the advantage of its small size, the yacht will be able to stop in unique places, generally inaccessible to big cruise ships of Barbados, Cartagena, Bordeaux and Copenhagen, as well as ports offering a yacht-style sailing experience, such as Carriacou, Falmouth Harbor, Gustavia, the Balearic Islands, Mykonos, Portofino and many others. With a relaxed pace, including night and day calls, customers will be offered a unique destination experience.

This small capacity vessel specially designed for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will measure 190 meters and will accommodate up to 298 passengers and will include 149 suites that will each have their own private terrace. Fewer than 300 people on a cruise, this is really what we can call an Intimate experience means fewer people than Air Canada’s biggest plane. The yacht will also include two sumptuous penthouse-style suites of 159 square meters, with modern craftsmanship and interior finishes jointly designed by Ritz-Carlton and the leading Swedish cruise ship design company Tillberg Design. The on-board experience will reflect the sublime comfort and unmatched level of individualized customer service that the Ritz-Carlton Company is known for, a first in the cruise industry.

“The Ritz-Carlton is renowned for its legendary service and high standards,” said the General Manager Douglas Prothero. “We are delighted to partner with The Ritz-Carlton as a hotel operator to offer the most exclusive yacht experience on the seas, in a company that will give new meaning to organized luxury travel. ”

“The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will have a personality distinctive and the ships will undoubtedly be real assets in
some of the most prestigious ports in the world” -Hervé Humler

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: A service offer worthy of the Iconic Ritz-Carlton Brand

Throughout the trip, guests will be seduced by unrivaled style in the luxury cruising and private boating sectors. The Ritz-Carlton yachts will include a restaurant by Sven Elverfeld from the Aqua, the star-rated restaurant at the Wolfsburg Ritz-Carlton; a signature Ritz-Carlton spa ; several lounges offering a wide variety of entertainment on board. In addition, the yacht will offer unique trips, thanks to collaborations with chefs (we can think of Daniel Boulud for example), musicians and local artists, allowing customers to discover the places in a unique and experimental way, at the both on board and ashore.

A wide array of New Experiences

Whether visiting a celebrated destination or one that is off the beaten path, guests will benefit from a dedicated Concierge at shore in addition to five distinct categories of shore excursions, including Iconic Sights; Stirring the Senses; Cultural Connections; Active Explorations; and Epicurean Experiences. 

“The itineraries and intimate shore experiences are not only unique and forward thinking in their design, but illustrate our commitment to providing rare opportunities to today’s luxury traveler,” said Lisa Holladay, Global Brand Leader for The Ritz-Carlton. “Combining The Ritz-Carlton’s unparalleled service with journeys created specifically to offer immersion into the culture of the destination, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will set a new standard in sea travel and redefine the yachting experience.”

Different routes for different escapes

Designed to combine the lifestyle of The Ritz-Carlton’s luxury resorts and the casual freedom of a yachting vacation, no two itinerary routes are alike. “The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection itineraries and programs on land were created with the yachting lifestyle in mind and will offer a relaxed pace and intimate, highly personalized experiences on  shore,” said Douglas Prothero, Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to share the curated voyages and look forward to introducing guests to the local cultures of each destination through our Shore Collection while offering the best luxury accommodations at sea.”

As a complement to these unique itineraries, shore excursion tracks have been thematically crafted so guests can easily pick a category that fits their interests and activity levels. All shore excursions take advantage of local guides who have been handpicked for their insider knowledge, ensuring a highly personalized, relevant experience while exploring a destination. 

The Shore Collection excursion categories include Iconic Sights, which will offer guests the opportunity to discover the cultural, historical, and architectural marvels of a destination, perhaps by browsing a museum in Montenegro on an exclusive tour with its curator. Stirring the Senses is ideal for those wishing to focus on wellness and wellbeing and may include sunrise and sunset yoga in the Grenadines or an encounter with a spiritual shaman. For guests who wish to give back, Cultural Connectionswill offer the opportunity to spend a day helping protect wildlife or the natural environment, among other philanthropic activities. Active Explorations caters to travelers looking for outdoor adventure such as swimming with turtles in Tobago Cays or a private sea kayak tour off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. Guests can also sail into a world of culinary exploration through Epicurean Experiences by visiting a renowned winery in Bordeaux with a sommelier or learning to grow baby oysters in a private farm in Sete, France. The only limit, your imagination … or almost.

Priority access bookings are open for everyone and you can reserve here. Please note that the yachts are also available for private charter.

Looking for more escapes? Don’t hesitate to visit our travel section.