The New Wave of Ultra-Luxury Yachts: Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Aman, and Orient Express Compared
If it feels like every luxury hotel brand suddenly has a yacht, that’s because they do. Ritz-Carlton started this trend a few years back, and now Four Seasons, Aman, and Orient Express are all launching their own ships between now and 2027. I’ve been digging into the specs and itineraries on each one, and they’re different enough that the “right” choice really depends on what kind of trip you’re after.
Here’s how they stack up.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Ritz-Carlton has the head start here, with three ships now in the water:
Evrima (2021): 149 suites, 298 guests, 624 feet long
Ilma (2024): 224 suites, 448 guests, 790 feet long
Luminara (2025): 226 suites, 452 guests, 790 feet long
Entry-level Terrace Suites on Evrima run about 300 square feet inside plus a private terrace, and every suite has a double-vanity bathroom and 24-hour in-suite dining. Of the four lines here, this is the one with the most ships actually sailing right now, including Alaska itineraries on Luminara out of Vancouver in 2026.
Four Seasons Yachts
Four Seasons I set sail March 20, 2026, and it’s built around space. The ship is 679 feet long but holds just 95 suites, with no interior cabins at all. Every suite has floor-to-ceiling windows and a private terrace, and Four Seasons is promising 50% more living space per guest than any competitor at sea.
The standout suites are wild:
Funnel Suite: nearly 10,000 square feet, positioned in the front
Loft Suite: a separate, expansive aft-facing suite with its own large terrace (exact square footage not officially confirmed)
There’s also an 11-restaurant lineup and a one-to-one guest-to-staff ratio. A second ship, Four Seasons II, is coming in 2028 with 79 suites, including multi-bedroom “Yacht Residential Suites” aimed at families and longer stays.
Amangati (Aman at Sea)
Amangati is the smallest and most intimate of the options: 47 suites, max 94 guests, 180 meters long. It launches spring 2027, with the maiden voyage running Palma de Mallorca to Nice on May 7. Aman mentioned this week that of 50% suites for all 2027 voyages are already sold.
A few details that stood out from the deck plans:
17 of the 47 suites connect, which is rare for a ship this size and worth knowing if you’re traveling with family. This is vital because Aman only allows 2 people per suite, including children
10 restaurants, bars, and lounges and 8 spa treatment rooms onboard a relatively small ship
Two helipads and six tenders
There are also 10 separate “host suites” on Deck 4 (125-177 square feet, double occupancy) for guests who bring staff or security, which tells you something about who Aman expects to be booking this
For summer 2027, Amangati is doing 5-8 night Mediterranean itineraries, including a 7-night stay in Cannes during the Film Festival and 2 nights in Monaco for the Grand Prix. Pricing starts around $38,500 for 5 nights and runs up to $54,600 for 7 nights, charged per suite, not per person, which works out to roughly $7,000-$8,000 per night for an entry-level suite.
Orient Express Corinthian
This one is in a category of its own. Orient Express Corinthian is a sailing yacht, the largest ever built, at 721 feet with three masts and a hybrid sail propulsion system called SolidSail. It carries just 54 suites and 110 passengers.
Suite sizes range from 480 to 2,475 square feet, and the Presidential Suite is in a league of its own at over 15,000 square feet, including a 5,700-square-foot private terrace. Onboard there are 5 dining venues, a spa, a pool, and a 115-seat theater. It launched in April 2026, with a second Silenseas-class ship planned for April 2027.
What’s actually included in the fare
This is where the four lines diverge the most, and it’s worth understanding before you compare prices head to head.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection comes closest to a true all-inclusive. Dining and drinks at four of the five onboard venues are included, along with a wide range of wines, champagne, premium spirits, beer, and specialty coffee, in your suite or anywhere on board. Starlink Wi-Fi and crew gratuities are included too. The one specialty restaurant (Aqua on Evrima, S.E.A. on Ilma and Luminara, both from chef Sven Elverfeld) carries an extra charge, as do spa treatments and shore excursions.
Four Seasons Yachts is intentionally not all-inclusive, and they’re upfront about why. Breakfast and non-alcoholic beverages are included, but lunch, dinner, room service, and all alcohol are extra, with Four Seasons estimating guests will spend around $250 per person per day on food and drinks à la carte. The reasoning ties directly into the itinerary design: the ship stays in port late into the evening specifically so guests can go ashore for lunch and dinner rather than eating every meal on board. Wi-Fi, gratuities, taxes, and port fees are included, and kids 12 and under get breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Amangati follows Aman’s resort-style model rather than a cruise-style all-inclusive one. Suite accommodations and Starlink Wi-Fi are included, along with all-day dining at the main restaurant, Alira, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus light bites and gelato. Beer and soft drinks are included, but wine and spirits are not. Specialty restaurants, premium drinks, spa treatments, and shore experiences are all additional, in keeping with how Aman resorts price on land. Gratuities are included in the suite pricing.
Orient Express Corinthian is the most all-inclusive of the four. The fare covers all-day dining across multiple restaurants and bars, 24-hour in-suite dining, fine wines, spirits, and premium drinks at eight bars and lounges, Starlink Wi-Fi, gratuities, butler service, water toys, wellness classes, and entertainment, with select shore excursions also included on some itineraries.
How I’d think about these four
If you want the most choice in itineraries and the most established product, Ritz-Carlton is the safe bet right now since all three ships are sailing.
If space is your priority and you don’t mind a bigger ship overall, Four Seasons I is hard to beat. Those suite sizes are genuinely residential, not just “big for a cruise ship.”
If you want something small, social, and built around a handful of marquee Mediterranean events, Amangati is the one to watch for 2027. The connecting suites make it a strong option for multi-generational groups too.
And if the idea of crossing the Atlantic under sail on the world’s largest sailing yacht sounds like the trip of a lifetime, Orient Express Corinthian isn’t really comparable to the others. It’s its own thing entirely.
Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Orient Express are all sailing now, and Amangati is the one still ahead of us, with its first voyages set for spring 2027. Suite selection on these ships is the best it'll ever be early on, and bookings sometimes come with onboard credit too. If any of these has you curious, reach out and I'll walk you through what's actually available, and what fits your trip and your budget best.
I would love to help you choose the best fit for you. Reach out to me at carrie.hays@luxrallytravel.com for a free consultation.