The yachting world is getting a refined new option. The Ritz-Carlton is expanding its hospitality reach to the sea with the launch of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Introduced for 2019, the collection brings The Ritz-Carlton’s signature service and elegant style to three intimate cruising yachts. Developed in collaboration with maritime experts and financed by Oaktree Capital Management, the new vessels will be operated under a long-term agreement to deliver a luxury hospitality experience at sea.
“The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will have a distinctive personality and the vessels are sure to be true stand-outs in some of the most glamorous ports around the world,” said Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “This unique combination of yachting and cruising will usher in a new way of luxury travel for guests seeking to discover the world in a relaxed, casually elegant and comfortable atmosphere with the highest level of personalized service.”
Each yacht will be 190 meters long and designed for a small number of guests: 298 passengers in 149 suites, with every suite featuring a private balcony. The ships aim to blend the casual intimacy of yachting with the polished lifestyle experience The Ritz-Carlton is known for. Onboard dining will include a restaurant by Sven Elverfeld, chef of Aqua, the three-Michelin-star restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg, along with signature venues such as a Panorama Lounge and a dedicated wine bar.
Itineraries will be carefully curated and enriched through collaborations with local chefs, musicians and artists to create immersive cultural experiences at each destination. The first two ships are scheduled to operate in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Eastern Canada, New England, the Caribbean and Latin America, with one of them planned to visit the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The third ship is intended for Pacific itineraries.
While pricing details have not been released, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will begin accepting bookings in May 2018, and private charters will also be available for guests seeking exclusive use of a vessel.