A new cruise line will be sailing the seas in 2019 and the name just may ring a bell. Earlier this week, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company announced they are entering the luxury cruise market with the introduction of a 298 passenger, 623-foot yacht that will debut in late 2019.
The yacht will be the first of three vessels to be built by Astillero Hijos de J. Barreras (HJB) shipbuilders of Spain. The other two yachts will be delivered in 2021 and 2022. It’s estimated each vessel will cost $210M.
The yet-to-be-named yacht will have 149, 312 square feet balcony suites and two 1,076 square feet duplex penthouse suites as well as a Ritz-Carlton spa, Panorama Lounge and wine bar, and a 40-seat, a la carte restaurant by Sven Elverfeld who holds three Michelin stars for Aqua, a Ritz-Carlton restaurant in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Due to its size, passengers can expect service that lives up to the Ritz-Carlton name and more intimate destinations. Itineraries will range from seven to 10 days and out of the gate, will sail the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Additionally, the yachts have been designed to go through the Saint Lawrence River and into the Great Lakes and will be able to call on cities such as Chicago. There will be more overnight stays and longer hours in port.
Luxury will be standard, passengers will more than likely be sourced from the long list of the well-heeled who have stayed at Ritz-Carlton properties, and the price for a cruise on one of these yachts will more than likely be… well, one can speculate! Pricing has not been announced but is expected to be “highly inclusive” to include most dining, beverages, activities, and excursions.
‘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,’ according to Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.
Some things you won’t find on one of these Ritz-Carlton yachts include a buffet, casino, and production shows. In their place will be more intimate forms of onboard entertainment such as classical and jazz music along with enrichment programs that will immerse travelers into the destinations they are set to explore. The yachts will also feature a watersports marina for guests to enjoy and a helipad, because, what’s a yacht without one of those?
If you’re interested in booking, you have to wait a bit… reservations open up in May 2018.