Ritz Carlton – Redifining the Super Yacht Experience

In the super luxurious Yacht scene, there is a new kid in town and the famed Ritz-Carlton hotel chain has come up with a luxurious super yacht – The Ritz-Carlton Yacht that promises a level of luxury which has never ever been witnessed in the luxury cruise industry. By the way, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, of Chevy Chase, MD. and part of Marriott International, Inc., that operates 95 hotels and over 45 residential properties worldwide, is a name to reckon with in the 5 star hotel segment and synonymous with the concept of“Tailored Opulence” that has been the hallmark of this prestigious hotel chain.

It is this element of “Tailored Opulence” that the Ritz Carlton Hotel Chain is all set to introduce in the world of cruising – avant-garde design and onboard entertainment that is poised to take crusing to an altogether different level. How about embarking on Customized voyages on custom-built yachts? This is exactly what is on offer – seven to ten nights voyages that will offer exceptionally designed visitor experiences both onshore and ashore. Each Ritz Carlton yacht will have space for 149 impeccably designed suites with private terrace. Carefully designed itineraries that are non-repetitive in terms of ports is one of the highlights of the Ritz-Carlton Super Yacht experience. In the Mediterranean season for instance, Ritz- Carlton have included ports-of-call in the Greek Isles and Côte d’Azur, with stopovers in destinations like Cartagena and Martinique. In the Caribbean, discerning travelers have the opportunity to visit outstanding visitor attractions in Puerto Rico, the Barbados, British Virgin Islands as well as Aruba.

Evrima, the first amongst the three exclusive yachts from The Ritz-Carlton Collection will offer travelers with the most sophisticated luxury offerings – opulent suites, multiple dining options, high-end entertainment,WiFi and a plethora of watersport activities. Evrima’s outstanding signature restaurant S.E.A. has been designed to perfection by Michelin-starred
Chef Sven Elverfeld. The Ritz-Carlton endeavour is to convert cruising into a private yacht experience and as far as the interiors are concerned, the essence is on a “Unified Flow” with one designer’s trademark instead of multiple designers. With this in mind, Ritz-Carlton have roped in the renowned Tillberg Design of Sweden and the collaboartive effort promises industry defining sea accommodations and onboard luxury. The ambience inside is residential and the interiors evoke freedom.

All suites of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will be soundproof and feature all the luxurious offerings that guests of Ritz-Carlton hotels-on-land are familiar with – kingsized bed, double vanity bathroom, luxury linens for instance. Apart from the legendary services for which the Ritz-Carlton brand is so renowned, the yachts will also redifine the cruise industry crew-guest ratio with perhaps the highest crew to guest ratio with one crew assigned for every discerning guest.

As far as the Deck Plan is concerned, the yacht will have eight passenger decks, starting from deck three to ten. The Marina and The Marina Terrace is on Deck 3, living room, boutique, main dining and meeting rooms on Deck 4, terrace suites, loft suites and the pool will be on Deck 5, Decks 6, 7 and 8 reserved for onboard bars and restaurants. Deck 9 is the place for gym, fitness studio,salon, launderette and the onboard medical centre. The uppermost deck – Deck 10 is where the ship’s Observatory is located offering mesmerising sea views and comes with an exclusive helipad.

When it comes to fine dining, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will offer a bewildering array of world cuisines onboard. The Talaat Nam restaurant for instance will serve authentic South East Asian cuisine with an exclusive Sushi bar as an additional addon. whereas the SEA will serve European cuisine with á la carte menu. Mistral will be the venue for seafood bar and if insider information is anything to go by, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will offer the day’s freshest catches. The Bar, I am told will recreate an intimate lounge experience, with cocktails and champagnes that will come with caviar pairings.

Carefully curated itineraries will cater to the five distinctive segments – sightseeing of iconic landmarks, immersive cultural experiences, activity oriented programmes and authentic gastronomic/culinary journeys. Cruise experts have been hinting at the prospect of itineraries that might have a tie-up with Ritz-Carlton hotels. Consider for instance the Canada & New England segment. In the autumn months, much of Canada’s east offers temperate climate, which is just ideal for cruising and exploring the cultural diversity, sightseeing and adventurous jaunts for visitors.  Ritz-Carlton Yacht’s Canada cruises will go that extra mile to integrate select few destinations of United States and even Iceland for an unparalleled cruise experience.

Since the Ritz-Carlton luxury cruises are targeted at 1% of global travellers fares range from$3,100 to $10,100, which isn’t surprising given the opulence and sophistication that is on offer. For instance, the 7 nights Canada cruise – Halifax, Nova Scotia/Boston, Massachusetts is priced at USD $6,537, plus USD $337 per pax. All fares are on double occupancy per person basis. Bear in mind, all reservations require that you pay the full amount 120 days prior to your departure date. When it comes to inoculation, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is pretty strict and
Inoculation requirements vary from country to country. A signed and globally acceptable Vaccination Certificate is mandatory and failure to comply with the strict Inoculation
standards might even result in cancellation of your reservations. These days, the trend for cruising with family is growing phenomenally and often there are children accompanying. To reach out to the young ones, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has come up with an exclusive Ritz-Kids programme aimed at encouraging children to explore the world together with Mom and Dad. The Ritz-Kids is educative and in the holiday season the programs will be fun filled, exciting and a lot more thrilling.

So much about luxury super yacht experience! But what is the dress code like? Although there is no strict dress code onboard but it is expected of guests not to be dressed outlandishly. During the daytime one can wear casuals (shirts & shoes) while in the evening T-shirts and bathing robes are a strict No!No! You should be extra carefull when you step inside the ship’s signature restaurant Aqua where the dress code is sophisticated and wearing collared shirts would be the best option. In the cruise industry, the mood is upbeat which is well reflected in the words of CEO for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Douglas Prothero thus – “We have been thrilled with the response to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and look forward to continuing to build on
that success, delivering experiences truly unlike any other on the market.”

I vividly recall an often heard quote that my Merchant Navy uncle would keep repeating to me when I was growing up as a child – “White is the colour of peace and white is the colour
of Navy’s uniform because they know the only way to keep peace in the world is through oceans which connects all the world”.

As the world of cruising is on the verge of a major milestone in terms of industry defining ultra luxury “Super Yacht” experience, courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, the anonymous sailor’s song – “Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover” is perhaps the most appropriate truism as technology and sophistication weds blissfully with the natural world – Our Oceans.