If you’re looking for a cruising vacation where somebody else does all the work, you can always charter a wide variety of power and sail boats with a crew in most of the popular yachting areas around the world. But if you really want to kick back and relax, move up a notch and take a look at the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Ritz-Carlton already has one ship, the Evrima, in operation, but it’s building a second one, the Ilma, that’s bigger and has more living and relaxing space, at a yard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It’s scheduled to make its maiden voyage, from Monaco to Rome, on Sept. 2.
Named for the Maltese word for water, the Ilma measures out at 790 feet. Ritz-Carlton says the exterior and interior design is meant to invite guests “to soak in the azure waters and coastlines it sails.”
It has 224 suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces, marble bathrooms, espresso machines, minibars, premium Wi-Fi, a personal concierge, and 24-hour in-room dining. If you want to eat out, the possibilities include the Tides, the main restaurant, which serves fresh seasonal food inspired by destinations where the ship stops; Seta, an Italian restaurant; Memori, a Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar, and the indoor-outdoor Beach House, with an infinity pool.
You can go for a swim in the main pool on Deck 10, or head to the Ritz-Carlton Spa with a sauna, steam room, 11 treatment rooms and a full-service salon and barber. There’s an observation deck offering panoramic views, a cigar lounge, a Living Room with live music and a DJ, a gym with fitness classes, a cycle studio, and even a kids’ club with educational activities and games.
The Ilma’s inaugural seven-night cruise stops at Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Porto Cervo, with prices starting at $10,300. Later on, the prices drop. A seven-night cruise from Puerto Rico to Barbados, for example, is $5,900.
Read more at http://ritzcarltonachtcollection.com and see the video below:
