Images: Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
First off, let’s be clear: There’s no official size cutoff for a yacht these days. Jeff Bezos’ personal floating toy, Koru, is 417 feet long, after all, and sleeps 18. Meanwhile, most sea dogs insist 12 passengers is the max for a private yacht. The Ritz-Carlton, however, begs to differ: It’s got two new vessels (and another on the way) to prove it. Aiming to bring the “yachting lifestyle” to travelers who would previously never consider cruising, Marriott’s luxury label launched a brand extension and its first superyacht in October 2022.
The 149-cabin, 624-foot-long Evrima was such a success, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection immediately decided to ship out another. Less than two years later, Ilma is bobbing in the port of Monte Carlo, ready for its maiden voyage. Sleek and Mediterranean blue from the outside, it strikes a handsome yachtlike silhouette, if quite a bit longer (at 790 feet) than its older sister, especially when anchored beside other leisure vessels that use the same term. But worry not about the grand size; all that space comes in handy if you want to squeeze in five restaurants, seven bars, two pools and 667 pieces of art, including a Picasso. Anyone concerned that the Ilma might feel like a mass-appeal cruise ship should banish the thought, given its eight guest decks.
Basic cabins clock in at just under 300 square feet, not including the 50- to 110-square-foot balconies. (We dare you to find a better spot for a seaborne catnap.) You’d be forgiven for believing you’re on a fabulous friend’s boat, what with that separate shower and tub and toilet room in the bathrooms, the en suite dining area and a spacious living room separated from the bedroom with a sliding partition in most cabins. Prefer to pack three outfits for each day? Go for it. Nearly all provide passengers with drawers and cabinets every which way they look, two walk-in closets and an army of hangers ready to battle total unpacking. (A Suite Ambassador will cheerfully take command.)
Tasteful but large televisions, a fully stocked refrigerator for free, full-sized toiletries, comfortable sofas and thoughtful lighting (one switch for all bedroom lights, another for all else) complete the quiet-luxury effect. Together with a neutral-hued palette, these ample cabins somehow manage to convey a hygge vibe. But eventually you will want to leave your sweet suite. Wander Ilma and you’ll encounter all manner of diversions that you most definitely won’t find on Koru. There’s Michael Mina’s Beach House, all Med-party-cool; Fabio Trabocchi’s Seta su Ilma (at $250 per person without wine pairing, $350 with, quite a steal for a 13-course prix fixe); the stern’s Marina Terrace for cocktails, with “wings” that emerge to create outdoor seating for a picturesque view; and a fitness center filled with Technogym equipment that puts most resort gyms to shame.
Go up up up and you’ll find an observation deck and above that, a cute pool whose sunken beds beg for a lounge; go down down down and you’ll stumble upon a spin gym and a movement studio where, should your dates align, former professional dancer Amanda Kloots leads low-weight, high-rep workouts that (if her body is any indicator) will have you looking like a Rockette within a week. Stretch it out after a massage incorporating luxurious Espa products, or during a truly transporting facial using London’s luxe 111Skin line. Float back to your cabin or to the aft’s inflatable marina in your robe. This is a yacht, it’s casual like that. Like many small ships, Ilma spends summer and fall in the Mediterranean (with some stops in the North and Baltic Seas in 2025), then the winter months in the Caribbean, and its sister ship, Luminara, which sets sail in July 2025, will wend its way through the Asia-Pacific region.
Unlike its competition — which is getting rather steep now that the Four Seasons has debuted a superyacht and Amanresorts is fast on its keels — Ilma somehow feels like a bargain at under $17,000 for a cabin for two on a seven-night Med sailing (compared to, say, a similar Four Seasons itinerary, starting at $24,000), along with one of the highest space-to-guest and guest-to-staff ratios at sea. We say this is the next-best thing to renting your own yacht — bonus points for never having to tell anyone you’ve just returned home from a cruise. After sailing on Ilma, you are, indeed, a yachter. 7-night voyages in the Caribbean from $6,400 per person, all-inclusive, based on double occupancy; 7-night voyages in the Mediterranean from $8,700 per person, all-inclusive, based on double occupancy.