The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection on Building a Lifestyle Brand at Sea

In just a few years since its launch, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has spurred a trend of increased demand for yacht cruising.

Positioned at the intersection of hospitality, yachting, and contemporary lifestyle, the brand brought its unique hotel-first perspective to a space that had long been dominated by traditional cruise lines. Instead, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection sailings innovated, with spacious spa terraces, afternoon champagne tastings, and design collaborations with labels like Eberjay and Johanna Ortitz. The brand’s story first required convincing an audience that this Ritz-Carlton way of travel—one they pioneered to adapt to sea—was truly possible. The result is an experience defined by intimate-scale vessels, residential-style accommodations, destination-focused itineraries, and the service standards guests have come to know from one of hospitality’s most recognizable names.

The brand’s vision first came to life with the launch of Evrima, the superyacht fleet’s inaugural yacht in 2022…

The brand’s vision first came to life with the launch of Evrima, the superyacht fleet’s inaugural yacht in 2022. Named after the Greek word for “discovery,” the 149-suite vessel introduced The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s approach to intimate-scale sailing, with spacious terrace suites, multiple dining venues, a dedicated marina platform, and access to smaller ports and harbors. That intimacy extends to the one-to-one guest ratio, with the Ritz-Carlton Ladies and Gentlemen—the brand’s name for their hospitality staff—maintaining the brand’s exceptional service standard. The fleet has since expanded with Ilma, which translates to “water” in Maltese, in 2024, and Luminara, derived from Latin and meaning “light,” in 2025.

Each yacht builds upon the same foundational philosophy while continually incorporating new and innovative ways to delight guests. For instance, beyond its 224 suites, Ilma has become a hub for design-driven collaborations, including the brand’s 2026 partnership with Colombian fashion designer Johanna Ortiz. Luminara, the newest addition to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection family, offers 226 terrace suites, expanded public spaces, and new itineraries spanning new corners of the globe—and, instead of one collaboration, features more than 700 curated artworks, including from artists Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol.

Over the past several years, the brand has cultivated a lifestyle identity that touches fashion, design, art, and culture.

The distinguishing pillars of a sailing with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection extend beyond amenities or itinerary maps. Over the past several years, the brand has cultivated a lifestyle identity that touches fashion, design, art, and culture, moving the conversation beyond the mechanics of cruising. Collaborations such as Johanna Ortiz’s takeover of select spaces aboard Ilma demonstrate how the collection is positioning itself within a broader cultural landscape. As the category continues to evolve, the focus remains on the relationships formed along the way.

Across the fleet, guests will find a broad range of experiences shaped as much by destination as by onboard programming. Culinary offerings include concepts developed with celebrated chefs such as Sven Elverfeld, Fabio Trabocchi, and Michael Mina, while The Ritz-Carlton Spa draws inspiration from the regions each yacht explores. Upon launch, itineraries spanned the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the Caribbean; now, voyages also include French Polynesia, Alaska, and Asia. For each sailing, itineraries often combine marquee destinations with smaller ports that larger ships can’t access. Shore experiences range from cultural encounters and culinary explorations to outdoor adventures, reflecting the brand’s growing emphasis on deeper engagement with place.

“The intimacy of the yachts, the unhurried pace of the journey, and the time guests spend together create the conditions for deeper connections to unfold naturally,” Gaby Aiguesvives, CMO, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, told SmartFlyer. Aiguesvives has more than fifteen years of experience in luxury brand marketing, giving her industry-wide knowledge of how the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is positioned. She leads the brand’s global creative and digital marketing, giving her unique insight into what makes the sailings unique—not just among cruise travel, but in any modality.

“There’s an ease and discovery that come with traveling this way,” Aiguesvives continued. “We consider every detail so guests can be fully present, whether they are exploring a new destination, sharing a meal with family and friends, or simply enjoying time together on board. Ultimately, we want guests to experience the world in a more meaningful way, with the destinations themselves as integral to the journey as the experience on board, and to come away with a deeper sense of connection, shared discovery, and memories shaped by the time they spend together.”

To better understand how The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has evolved from an ambitious hospitality concept into a growing lifestyle brand, SmartFlyer sat down with Aiguesvives to discuss storytelling, cultural relevance, destination strategy, and what’s next for the fleet.

SmartFlyer: What are the through lines for every Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection experience, regardless of destinations included in any given sailing?

Gaby Aiguesvives: The through line is connection, ease, and shared discovery. Every detail is thoughtfully considered so guests can feel completely at ease, be fully present, and simply enjoy the journey. That comes through in the warmth and care of our Ladies and Gentlemen, the intimacy of the yachts, exceptional culinary experiences, and the small details and shared rituals that make life at sea feel incredibly personal.

That sense of ease creates space for connection to unfold naturally over time, whether with a partner, family and friends, or even with people you meet along the way. It also allows guests to engage more deeply with each destination, approaching travel with a greater sense of curiosity and discovery. Wherever we sail, we want guests to come away with meaningful relationships, memorable moments, and a sense that the journey gave them the time and space to experience something together that could only happen with us.

SF: Can you give us a peek at some of the unique sailings coming up?

GA: There are a few regions I’m especially excited about because they really show what traveling by yacht can unlock. Alaska aboard Luminara is a great example. Our expanded summer 2027 season combines smaller ports like Klawock and Wrangell with glacier days and opportunities to hear from naturalists, conservationists, and cultural voices on board. It gives guests a chance to experience the extraordinary landscape while also deepening their understanding of the people, stories, and natural environment that shape the region.

Alaska aboard Luminara is a great example…with glacier days and opportunities to hear from naturalists, conservationists, and cultural voices on board.

French Polynesia aboard Evrima offers a very different kind of journey. Life there is shaped by the water, and traveling by yacht lets guests experience that connection naturally. Evrima can anchor off islands like Taha’a, Raiatea, Huahine, Mo’orea, and Bora Bora, with the Marina creating a direct connection to the sea throughout the voyage. Experiencing these islands within a single journey gives guests a much richer sense of French Polynesia while allowing each destination to retain its own character.

Asia aboard Luminara brings another kind of discovery. In 2027, we’re introducing Seoul as a new turnaround port, Tianjin as a gateway to Beijing, and our first calls in Northern Japan, including Otaru and Akita. The contrast from one destination to the next makes these voyages particularly exciting, while experiences like food tours in Fukuoka and matcha workshops in Uji offer a more personal way into the region. Together, these voyages show the breadth of what traveling by sea can offer, with each region creating its own opportunities for discovery, connection, and a deeper experience of the destinations we visit.

SF: What is the next chapter of the yacht collection?

“Our growing fleet allows us to introduce new regions while maintaining the intimate, highly personal experience that defines The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.”

GA: The next chapter is about continuing to expand the world our guests can explore and creating new ways for them to experience it. With Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara, our growing fleet allows us to introduce new regions while maintaining the intimate, highly personal experience that defines The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Alaska, Asia-Pacific, and the South Pacific are great examples, with each offering a completely different sense of place, discovery, and adventure both on board and ashore.

Beyond where we sail, we’re also looking at thoughtful ways to bring the experience to life and show up in meaningful, relevant ways, whether through collaborations with designers and brands like Johanna Ortiz, Ginori 1735, and Eberjey, or other opportunities that create memorable touchpoints for our guests and audiences. It allows us to introduce something unexpected while staying true to the experience people know us for.

SF: What’s something subtle about the RCYC experience that you think makes an outsized impact on guests’ experience?

GA: One thing that guests may not fully appreciate until they come on board is how naturally connection amongst guests becomes part of the experience. It isn’t something we force or program. It happens through the intimate design of the yachts, the spacious pacing of the journey, the spaces guests share, and the ease of life at sea. Dinner tables expand, conversations continue from one day to the next, and guests often form unexpected friendships with people they meet along the way.

That same sense of connection extends to our Ladies and Gentlemen. With a nearly 1:1 employee-to-guest ratio, they can genuinely get to know our guests, understand their preferences, and anticipate the small details that make an experience feel personal. That combination of social ease, thoughtful service, and the intimacy of the setting surprises guests and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of the journey.

SF: How is curiosity rewarded for those sailing with Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection?

GA: Curiosity is often what brings guests to us in the first place, whether it’s an interest in a destination, a culture, a cuisine, or simply the draw of discovery at sea. We design experiences that give them the opportunity to go deeper, ask questions, and engage with a place in a more meaningful way. A guest drawn to food, for example, might join an Alaskan salmon masterclass and leave with a richer understanding of the region’s ingredients and culinary traditions. The idea is to create experiences that spark interest, deepen perspective, and open the door to something guests may not have expected to discover.

SF: When guests are aboard the ship, what can they expect?

The goal is to create opportunities for guests to engage more meaningfully with a place rather than simply seeing the sights.

GA: There are many layers to the experience beyond the yacht itself, and the culinary, wellness, and cultural offerings create different ways for guests to connect more deeply with the places they’re exploring. Culinary is central to the journey, with distinct dining concepts across the fleet, including S.E.A. by Sven Elverfeld aboard Evrima, Seta su Ilma and Seta su Luminara by Fabio Trabocchi, and Beach House by Michael Mina aboard Ilma and Luminara. We also look for ways to bring the destination into the culinary experience through regional ingredients, flavors, and programming.

Wellness extends beyond time spent at The Ritz-Carlton Spa. In Alaska, for example, the spa draws inspiration directly from the landscape through treatments like the Wild Alaskan Botanical Body Scrub, which incorporates botanicals including fireweed, birch, and berries. We approach our shore excursions with that same sense of intention. In Indonesia, guests might hike through Komodo’s extraordinary landscapes or take part in temple meditation in Bali. The goal is to create opportunities for guests to engage more meaningfully with a place rather than simply seeing the sights.

SF: How has the story of the yacht collection evolved over time?

GA: When we launched, we were introducing a completely new way to travel at sea, bringing the feeling of luxury hospitality into a setting where it had not existed in quite the same way before. Much of our early storytelling was about helping people understand the experience itself, what made it different from traditional cruising, and how the intimacy, service, design, culinary offering, and access of a yacht could create something entirely new.

As our fleet has grown to include Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara, and as awareness of the category has grown, the conversation has naturally evolved. We now have more space to tell the emotional side of the story: the sense of ease that comes when every detail has been thoughtfully considered, the intimacy and connection that unfold over time, and the shared discoveries that make a journey memorable.

Today, that storytelling comes to life across the entire journey, from the destinations we visit to the food, design, art, and experiences guests encounter along the way. The evolution has been about adding more depth to the story, pairing what makes each voyage unique with the emotional connections and shared moments that define the journey, from the warmth of the service to the small, unexpected details that stay with guests long after they return home.

Ready to book your own adventure? Contact your SmartFlyer travel advisor.