The world's biggest hotel-brand superyacht is set to dock in a UK city this summer as part of an 11-night cruise with prices starting at £16,300 per person. The Ritz-Carlton Ilma cost £450 million to build before it was unveiled last year, with a new multi-stop journey from Iceland to Holland among its luxury cruise schedule for 2025, alongside a range of other Northern European, Caribbean and Mediterranean destinations.
After setting off from Reykjavík in Iceland on August 24, the yacht will stop in Lerwick, Kirkwall and Invergordan in Scotland alongside Edinburgh and Amersterdam, giving travellers at least 12 hours to explore each port area. The 207-metre-long luxury yacht will span 224 private terrace suites, with the most expensive Owner's Suite priced at a cool £84,400 per guest and boasting a private whirlpool, kingsize bed and double vanity bathrooms. Even the lowest-priced Terrace Suite will offer guests a taste of serious opulence, with £16,300 buying a private terrace with ocean views and 24-hour in-suite dining as well as an espresso machine and mini-bar.
The 790-square-foot liner will also include an observation terrace, boutique, communal infinity pool, spa, watersports including kayaking and paddle boarding and no less than five restaurants.
Each stop is also set to offer up its own exploration and activity opportunities, such as off-roading in an ATV at Eldfell Volcano on the Icelandic island of Heimaey and dropping in for a whiskey tasting at The Scotch Malt Whiskey Society in Edinburgh.
Ilma is only the second superyacht to be built by the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection - designed to emulate the glitz, glam and independence of a private yacht alongside the top-notch service the Ritz-Carlton brand is renowned for, in place of the regular cruise ship experience.
It received high praise from Conde Nast Traveller during its maiden voyage between Monte Carlo and Monaco last September, with travel writer Taylor Eisenhauer describing it as a "natural extension" of the hospitality company's high-end hotels.
"A voyage on Ilma is worth booking to experience the luxury of the yachting lifestyle wherever, whenever - with the full service of a hotel," she added.
The superyacht is part of a growing trend towards mass luxury travel, with the Four Seasons chain also set to launch its own similar 14-deck vessel later this year. It's a shift that's being driven by factors including the "growing demand for unique experiences" including on-board wellness programs and off-the-beaten track destinations, according to Evolution Yacht Agents.
But the growing industry is likely also due to a rise in the number of ultra-wealthy people with cash to splash on extravagant holidays around the world. Forbes' annual World Billionaire's List for 2025 included a record 3,028 people with an accumulated weath of $16.1 trillion (£12.3 trillion) - more than the GDP of some small countries.
