The 2027-28 program is less about one headline destination than about widening the shape of the voyage. More than sixty winter voyages between October 2027 and May 2028, fourteen new ports across the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific and South Pacific, and a summer 2028 season of fifty-two European voyages adding Gijón and Portovenere. The question worth asking is not where the yacht goes. It is what kind of trip each itinerary creates.
Culebra is the one that proves the point
Ilma's winter program covers twenty-seven Caribbean ports with Miami, San Juan and Oranjestad as turnarounds, and the new calls are where hull size stops being a brochure adjective. Culebra, Puerto Rico is described in the announcement as accessible only to smaller ships. Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands is the same kind of call. St Barths recurs across the season, including on a three-night San Juan round trip taking in Gustavia and Jost Van Dyke.
Evrima works the South Pacific — inaugural calls at Rangiroa and Fakarava in French Polynesia and Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands — plus a thirteen-night Los Angeles to Panama City run with first calls at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, Zihuatanejo and Puerto Chiapas. Luminara connects Asia-Pacific cities to smaller coastal stops, with an inaugural Kaohsiung on an eleven-night Hong Kong to Tokyo voyage and Bintan on a new seven-night Bangkok to Singapore sailing.
Before you compare the fare to anything, correct the word "all-inclusive." Shore excursions are not in the brand's general published inclusions list. Neither are spa treatments. On a port-intensive itinerary that is not a rounding error — it is the difference between the headline number and what you will actually pay. We set out what the fare does and does not cover, item by item, in what the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fare covers, and there is no reason to rebuild that list here. Ask for the answer for your exact sailing, in writing, before you compare it with anything else.
Three nights is a different product, not a shorter one
The expansion of three- and four-night round trips from Miami and San Juan is the quiet structural change in this program. A short yacht voyage can be elegant and efficient. It can also feel compressed if you arrive expecting multiple ports, unhurried onboard time and a substantial excursion every day.
| Length | What it suits | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Three nights | A long weekend, or a bolt-on either side of a land stay | Compressed if you expect several substantial excursions |
| Four nights | A compact escape with one real destination day | Not a substitute for a slower week |
| Five nights | A short standalone break with time to settle in | The shortest length that stops feeling like a sampler |
| Seven nights | A complete regional itinerary — the familiar shape | The default for a reason |
| Nine nights | Distance and port variety justify the slower pace | Best where the travel time to the region is itself substantial |
The Marina is real, and it is weather-dependent
Each yacht carries a Marina — a genuine onboard-to-water connection rather than a yacht marketed as being close to the sea. The 2027-28 itineraries lean on it: a Marina Beach day at Huahine, Marina access at Koh Kood and Koh Samui.
It is still not a guaranteed swim. Weather, sea state, anchorage conditions, port operations and a safety call on the day all govern whether it opens. If the water is the reason you picked the sailing, that is exactly the day to have a contingency for.
Summer 2028, and one distinction worth keeping straight
Fifty-two European voyages from late April to October aboard Evrima and Ilma, four to nine nights, from Rome, Monte Carlo, Athens, Venice and Reykjavík. Evrima takes Northern Europe — the Norwegian fjords, the Baltic capitals, Iceland. Ilma takes the Mediterranean with expanded Greek Isles and Adriatic routes. Gijón and Portovenere are the two new calls.
Ilma's Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating is Ilma's. It was awarded in the 2026 Star Awards to that yacht, and most coverage reports it as though it were a brand-level accolade. It is meaningful evidence about one hull. It does not certify Evrima or Luminara, and a three-yacht fleet is not a single product.
Where the case is weaker than the announcement
New does not mean fixed — published itineraries change for operational, weather, port and regulatory reasons, and a debut call is the most likely to move. A smaller yacht improves access without creating a private island; a popular destination is still busy once you are ashore. And a short voyage leaves less slack when a flight slips or a port changes, which is the trade you are making for the convenience.
Verify before you pay
- Yacht, embarkation and disembarkation ports, and voyage length.
- Every port, and whether the call is alongside, at anchor or tendered.
- Whether shore excursions and spa are included, credited, or charged separately on your sailing.
- Beverage, Wi-Fi, dining, gratuity and water-sports terms, in writing.
- Suite category, deck, terrace configuration and accessibility features.
- Whether Marina or Marina Beach operation is weather-dependent — it is, but get it said.
- The single-occupancy total as a number, if you are traveling alone.
- Deposit, final payment, cancellation and change terms.
- A contingency for a missed, shortened or altered Marina or shore day.
Frequently asked
What is new in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection 2027-28 winter season?
More than 60 voyages between October 2027 and May 2028, with 14 new ports across the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific and South Pacific. Summer 2028 adds 52 European voyages and two new calls, Gijón in Spain and Portovenere in Italy.
Which new port best shows the advantage of a small yacht?
Culebra, Puerto Rico. The announcement identifies it as accessible only to smaller ships, which makes it the clearest case of hull size actually determining where an itinerary can go rather than just how it feels on board.
Are shore excursions included in the fare?
Not in the brand’s general published inclusions list. Neither are spa treatments. That is the single most expensive assumption to make about this product, and we set out what the fare does and does not cover in a separate piece.
Is a three-night yacht voyage long enough?
It can be, if you want a long weekend or something bolted onto a land stay. It will feel compressed if you expect leisurely onboard time plus a substantial excursion every day. Choose the length for the pace you want, not the number of destinations listed.
Does the Marina guarantee swimming or water sports?
No. It is a genuine feature — a direct onboard-to-water connection rather than a marketing phrase — but weather, sea state, anchorage and port operations all govern whether it opens on any given day. If the water is the reason you chose the sailing, build a contingency.
Does Ilma’s Forbes Five-Star rating apply to the whole fleet?
No. It was awarded to Ilma in the 2026 Star Awards. It is a yacht-specific distinction and does not certify Evrima or Luminara, which is worth knowing because most coverage reports it as a brand-level accolade.
Verification notes and sources
Sources and facts checked: September 11, 2026 (America/New_York). No fare, deposit, single supplement or promotion is asserted anywhere in this piece — those are voyage-specific and are quoted on inquiry.
Sources
Photographs. Ilma at Barcelona — Ilkka Simomaa, CC BY 4.0 Cropped and resized for the web; not otherwise altered. Neither the photographers nor the licensors endorse this article.
Published itineraries, inclusions, rates, inventory and deposit terms change. Verify with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or an accredited advisor before paying. No pricing is published here — fares, cabin availability and any promotion are checked on request and subject to supplier confirmation.
Which of these is actually your trip?
Tell me the region, how long you can be away and whether the water time is the point. I will come back with the itineraries that fit, what the fare covers on each of them, and current pricing and suite availability, checked on request, for the ones you want to compare.
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