The yacht race serves 0.1% of the world's population.

A photograph of the aft deck of Evrima, the first of The Ritz-Carlton's fleet of three yachts. Photo: Edgardo Contreras/Ritz-Carlton .

Following The Ritz-Carlton's launch of its cruise service in 2022, Four Seasons, Orient Express, and Aman have successively joined the trend with their own branded "floating hotels."

The Four Seasons I cruise ship is scheduled to launch next March; the Corinthian – Orient Express's first vessel – will begin its voyage in June; and Aman's Amangati is expected to arrive in spring 2027. Simultaneously, Four Seasons is building two more new cruise ships, and Orient Express is planning its second vessel, both scheduled for delivery in 2027.

From the world's largest sailing yachts with private tailors on deck and Michelin-starred chefs, to "gigantic" suites far exceeding the size of typical homes, luxury is a given. However, according to many experts, the real appeal lies in the logos printed on the hulls. Corporations believe their brand power is strong enough to draw ultra-wealthy travelers to explore the still relatively unfamiliar world of seafaring.

While brands are scrambling to recruit crews and wine experts are carefully selecting champagne for each voyage, the question arises: why are the big players investing heavily at this particular time?

The answer lies not in mass tourism , but in a very small group of travelers – wealthy, sophisticated, who previously avoided cruises due to preconceived notions of overcrowding and lack of privacy. It is this "non-cruise" group that has become the new target of the ultra-luxury hotel industry.

The yachts Ilma and Evrima, part of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, are pictured at Valletta harbor, Malta, in 2024. Photo: Ritz-Carlton.

The success of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection partly proves this. The three yachts, Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara, launched in 2022, 2024, and 2025 respectively, operate primarily in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. According to Tina Edmundson, President of Luxury at Marriott International (the parent company of The Ritz-Carlton), this model lies between "luxury yachts and private yachts"—where guests enjoy both privacy and the full range of 5-star hotel-standard service.

Four Seasons is also betting on brand loyalty. Ben Trodd, CEO of Four Seasons Yachts, said many regulars have "a great love for the brand and want to expand their experience." Four Seasons I is 207 meters long, has 95 suites with nearly 100 different configurations, allowing them to be combined into suites that are almost 1,000 square meters in size.

"Scale is the key element of true luxury," Trodd emphasized, asserting that the company has no plans for a massive fleet expansion.

Orient Express's Corinithian train features interior design inspired by the golden age of travel. Photo: Alixe Lay/Orient Express.

Each cruise ship carries the brand's service "DNA." The Ritz-Carlton crew is empowered to spend up to $2,000 to handle guest issues without needing authorization from superiors. Four Seasons operates private limousine boats to transport guests, recreating the luxury car experience on land. Orient Express's Corinthian features a speakeasy bar, themed black-tie dinners, and even a tailor on board if guests forget their attire.

For brands, yachting is a natural progression. "Four Seasons has been operating private jets for almost 10 years. Yachting is a natural extension," said Trodd.

The numerous ships currently under construction in Europe demonstrate strong confidence in a segment that accounts for just 0.1% of the population. And as Ms. Perez-Alvarado concludes: "This is the most exciting time for the industry, and the ultimate beneficiaries are the travelers."

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