## The short version
Sources and facts checked: September 18, 2026 (America/New_York). Fares, itineraries, inclusions and turnaround ports change without notice. Every figure here is a dated snapshot, not a quote — check and verify with the cruise line before you pay.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is selling two genuinely different holidays this winter, and the brochure makes them look more alike than they are. One is a short Caribbean escape that now leaves from Miami. The other is a long South Pacific voyage where the airfare alone can rival the cruise fare. Here is how they separate.
The collection has two very different stories for winter 2026–27:
- Ilma brings more than 20 Caribbean voyages of three to seven nights, with Miami joining San Juan as a primary turnaround port.
- Evrima makes its French Polynesia debut with seven- to 12-night voyages built around Tahiti, Bora Bora, Mo‘orea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and selected South Pacific ports.
- Published entry fares begin at approximately $3,200 per guest for shorter Caribbean voyages. Check and verify with the cruise line.
- French Polynesia fares vary by sailing: the 12-night Hawaii-to-Tahiti voyage is listed from approximately $9,800 per guest, and the 7-night Tahiti round-trip loops from approximately $11,100 to $12,300 per guest. Check and verify with the cruise line.
The crucial distinction: a short Ilma sailing is a compact yacht escape. Evrima’s Polynesia program is a destination-led voyage with significantly higher air, transfer, excursion, and pre- or post-cruise planning exposure.
What is new for winter 2026–27?
Ilma: Miami makes the yacht easier to reach
Ilma’s Caribbean season includes more than 20 voyages ranging from three to seven nights. Miami joins San Juan as a primary turnaround port for the first time, creating a practical option for travelers who want a luxury yacht experience without committing to a longer regional itinerary.
The three- to four-night voyages are designed for a long-weekend mindset. Five- to seven-night sailings provide more time for ports, sea days, and the yacht’s onboard rhythm.
The line’s Caribbean announcement confirms Miami joining San Juan as a turnaround port for the first time, more than 20 itineraries of three to seven nights between November 2026 and April 2027, and names St Barths, Bequia in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Martinique among the calls. Other Bahamian and Florida ports appear in secondary listings for this season but are not in the official announcement — check the exact voyage record before treating any port as guaranteed.
Read the official Ritz-Carlton winter 2026–27 voyage collection.
Evrima: French Polynesia becomes the headline
Evrima’s debut season in French Polynesia includes seven- to 12-night voyages. The yacht’s smaller scale is central to the proposition: Evrima has 149 suites with private ocean-view terraces and carries up to 298 guests, which positions it for smaller ports and anchorages.
The program may include Bora Bora, Mo‘orea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, Fanning Island, and Papeete. The published flagship example is Evrima’s 12-night holiday voyage departing Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii on December 3, 2026 and arriving in Papeete, Tahiti on December 15, 2026. The day-by-day sequence is Honolulu departure on December 3; Kona on December 4; Kahului, Maui on December 5; Kona again on December 6; sea days; Fanning Island, Kiribati on December 9; sea days; Bora Bora on December 13; Mo‘orea on December 14; and Papeete arrival on the evening of December 14 with disembarkation on December 15: seven ports total. That return call to Kona on day four is a distinctive feature of this routing. Fares vary by sailing: the 12-night Hawaii-to-Tahiti voyage is listed from approximately $9,800 per guest, and the 7-night Tahiti round-trip loops departing December 15, December 22 and December 29, 2026 from approximately $11,100 to $12,300 per guest. Check and verify with the cruise line. On this program, the longer 12-night voyage currently prices below the shorter 7-night loops, so length is not a reliable proxy for fare. Treat these Polynesia figures as especially fluid. Check and verify with the cruise line.
This is not simply a warmer Caribbean itinerary with a different backdrop. The sailing days, air logistics, remote geography, and shore-experience costs make French Polynesia a more involved trip.
The official release confirms Evrima’s 13-voyage Polynesia and Hawaii season. The published voyage page also lists the December 3, 2026 Honolulu-to-Papeete departure, with the fare shown as cruise-only and based on double occupancy. Verify the current live record before you book.
Read the official Polynesia announcement from PR Newswire.
Fleet context: three yachts, three different feels
| Yacht | Suites | Best fit | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evrima | 149 | Smaller ports and destination-led voyages | The smallest yacht in the fleet; all suites have private ocean-view terraces |
| Ilma | 224 | Caribbean escapes and convenient short voyages | Larger pool deck and expansive Marina platform |
| Luminara | 226; up to 452 guests | Asia-Pacific and longer regional exploration | Launched July 2025; among the highest space ratios per guest at sea |
Every suite includes a private ocean-view terrace. The Marina platform can provide swimming and non-motorized water sports when conditions, anchorage, safety requirements, and port permissions allow.
That last clause matters. “Marina day” is not a promise that the platform will open or that every advertised activity will operate.
What does the fare actually cover?
The operator publishes eight core included elements:
- Suite accommodation
- Gourmet dining
- Beverages
- Personalized service
- Wi-Fi
- Entertainment
- Water sports through the Marina platform, when available
- Gratuities
Airfare is not included in a standard cruise-only fare, but selected winter 2026–27 voyages are marketed with air included, and some Luminara Asia departures with business-class air included. Confirm the air position for the exact voyage in writing.
Both shore excursions and spa treatments are excluded from the standard fare. Access to spa facilities is included; treatments are not. This is the line to circle before comparing Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection with a hotel stay or another luxury travel product. On a port-intensive itinerary, excursions can become a significant variable cost. Spa treatments can do the same onboard.
The line’s official inclusions page describes excursions as available at an additional charge and presents spa facilities, fitness, and wellness areas as accessible onboard spaces rather than treatment inclusions. The “all-inclusive” claim needs to be read voyage by voyage.
Review the official inclusions page and OTGG’s plain-English breakdown of what is included.
Fare comparison: short yacht escape or longer voyage?
| Voyage type | Typical length | Published fare position | What the fare buys you | Main budget risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilma Caribbean short escape | 3–4 nights | From about $3,200 per guest; confirm | A polished yacht stay with dining, beverages, Wi-Fi, entertainment, gratuities and a compact itinerary | The per-night rate usually looks worse; flights, excursions, spa and transfers remain extra |
| Ilma Caribbean regional voyage | 5–7 nights | Fare varies by sailing and suite;. Check and verify with the cruise line. | More time to settle into the yacht and combine several Caribbean calls | Port-day spending can rise quickly |
| Evrima French Polynesia | 7–12 nights | 12-night Hawaii-to-Tahiti from about $9,800 per guest; 7-night Tahiti loops from about $11,100 to $12,300 per guest; confirm | A destination-focused South Pacific voyage with a smaller-yacht feel | Airfare, hotels, transfers, and paid excursions can materially increase total cost |
| Luminara Tokyo roundtrip | 10 nights | From about $16,200 per guest :. Check and verify with the cruise line. | A longer Asia sailing with a regional focus and premium onboard time | Air position and shore spending vary by voyage |
| Luminara Tokyo to Hong Kong | 12 nights | From about $16,200 per guest :. Check and verify with the cruise line. | A longer pointto-point Asia voyage with multiple majorcity calls | Air position, visa planning, and paid excursions can increase total cost |
| Ilma Lisbon to Miami crossing | 13 nights | From about $9,300 per guest :. Check and verify with the cruise line. | A longer repositioning-style crossing with fewer flight legs at the end | Crossing style is not a fit for every traveler; onboard and add-on spending still matters |
| Longer Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyage | Varies | Broad benchmark of roughly $5,000 to $15,000-plus per guest :. Check and verify with the cruise line. | More time for the onboard experience and a broader destination arc | Higher total commitment and potentially higher solo occupancy cost |
The published fare is generally per guest and based on double occupancy. Solo travelers should not assume the headline per-guest amount is their final price. Ask for the current single-occupancy calculation, suite availability, deposit terms, and cancellation schedule in writing.
A short voyage can look affordable in total while delivering weak value per night. A longer voyage can look expensive while spreading fixed travel costs: such as international airfare: across more nights. Run both calculations before deciding.
Evrima’s current Polynesia pricing is a useful reminder that length is not always a proxy for cost. Right now, the longer 12-night Hawaii-to-Tahiti sailing is pricing below the shorter seven-night Tahiti loops.
What solo travelers should check
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is not presented here as a dedicated solo-cabin product. That means the important question is not simply “What is the fare?” Ask:
- Is the quoted price based on one or two occupants?
- What single supplement applies to the exact suite and voyage?
- Are any solo promotions active?
- Does the fare include air, or is it cruise-only?
- Are transfers, hotels, excursions, and spa treatments separate?
- Can the deposit and cancellation terms be repriced or changed?
Request a written quotation that separates the cruise fare, solo supplement, taxes and fees, air, transfers, hotels, excursions, and spa spending.
Devil’s Advocate: where the product may disappoint
“All-inclusive” stops before two of the biggest discretionary expenses: shore excursions and spa treatments.
A three-night voyage is also a different product from a longer ultra-luxury itinerary. You receive the yacht, but embarkation and disembarkation consume a larger share of the trip. The per-night rate usually looks worse.
The Marina platform is conditionsand permission-dependent. It is not a guaranteed beach club, watersports session, or swimming day.
A hotel-brand yacht also creates hotel-brand expectations. The service may be highly personalized, but a yacht cannot always provide the space, room configuration, land-based facilities, or schedule flexibility of a Ritz-Carlton hotel.
The yachts are not adults-only. Children can sail. Travelers seeking a strictly child-free environment should not assume that the Ritz-Carlton name changes the age policy.
Finally, the entry-level fare is not the full trip cost once flights, excursions, spa treatments, transfers, hotels, insurance, and solo occupancy costs are added.
Verify before you pay
- Confirm the yacht, voyage number, departure port, arrival port, suite category, and occupancy basis.
- Obtain the current fare and mark every quoted price. Check and verify with the cruise line.
- Ask the operator or accredited travel advisor to confirm in writing whether airfare is included.
- Confirm in writing that shore excursions and spa treatments are excluded unless a specific promotion says otherwise.
- Request the current single-occupancy price if traveling alone.
- Confirm deposit, final-payment, cancellation, and change terms for the exact voyage.
- Ask whether the Marina will be available at each advertised Marina day; require written confirmation that availability remains subject to conditions and permissions.
- Confirm accessibility details for the specific yacht, suite, gangways, tender or anchorage operations, and each planned excursion.
- For multigenerational groups, confirm suite configuration, connecting or nearby suites, dining arrangements, children’s policies, and age-specific activities.
- Verify flights, transfers, hotel nights, travel insurance, passport validity, and destination entry requirements separately.
- Retain written confirmation from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or an accredited travel advisor before making a nonrefundable payment.
Frequently asked
Is Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection adults-only?
No. The yachts carry children and are not an adults-only product.
Are shore excursions included?
No. Shore excursions are excluded from the standard fare unless the specific voyage documentation confirms an exception in writing.
Are spa treatments included?
No. Spa treatments are excluded from the standard fare.
Is airfare included?
Not in a standard cruise-only fare. Selected winter 2026–27 voyages are marketed with air included, and some Luminara Asia departures with business-class air included, so confirm the exact booking record in writing.
Is there a solo cabin category?
Do not assume one. Request the current solo pricing and occupancy terms for the exact voyage and suite.
Which yacht is best for Polynesia?
Evrima is the relevant winter 2026–27 Polynesia yacht. Its 149-suite design supports the collection’s smaller-port positioning, but itinerary and port operations still control what you can actually visit.
What comes next?
Winter 2027–28 includes more than 60 voyages across Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara and is open for reservation. Luminara’s summer 2027 program includes Alaska and Asia, with new ports including Seoul, Tianjin, Otaru, and Akita. The company announced its Summer 2028 Mediterranean and Northern Europe season on September 9, 2026.
Sources and facts checked: September 18, 2026 (America/New_York). The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s official winter 2026–27 voyage collection and its Polynesia announcement were reviewed on the date shown. Fares are cruise-only, based on double occupancy, and move constantly.
Sources
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (via PR Newswire) — Caribbean announcement ↗
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection — Read the official Ritz-Carlton winter 2026–27 voyage collection ↗
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (via PR Newswire) — Read the official Polynesia announcement from PR Newswire ↗
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection — Review the official inclusions page ↗
Photographs. A boat at sunset off a Moorea beach — Thomas balabaud, Pexels Cropped and resized for the web; not otherwise altered. Neither the photographers nor the licensors endorse this article.
This article is general information, not financial or accessibility advice. OTGG is the travel-planning platform of Paolo Melendez, an independent travel advisor with Nexion, LLC, a Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Agency. This article contains no affiliate links. Fares, itineraries and inclusions change — verify with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or an accredited travel advisor before booking or paying.
Caribbean long weekend or the full Polynesia voyage?
Tell me your dates and departure city. I will price both properly — including the air, transfers and shore costs that make Polynesia a different budget — and get the inclusions in writing.
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