Floating hotels: Luxury travel brands are launching their own ships

A string of ultra-luxury ships will soon be setting sail. Point of difference? They’re being floated out by tour and hotel companies.

A new expedition yacht set sail in the Galapagos recently. Nothing too remarkable about that: the Ecuadorian islands have seen a whole spate of small luxury ships appear over the last few years.

The Galapagos Explorer is a refurbished and renamed ship that carries only 12 guests in considerable luxury, with prices starting from $US10,950 ($16,800) a person twin share for its seven-night cruises.

An artist’s impression of the Galapagos Explorer.

There’s nothing remarkable about its itineraries either, which, like many others, take in the eastern or western islands. So what’s different? The fact that Galapagos Explorer is owned by andBeyond, best known for its luxury African safaris.

Cruise lines beware: other tourism companies are starting to muscle in to the business. Most notably, in 2022, Crystal Cruises was acquired by A&K Group, otherwise known as luxury tour company Abercrombie & Kent.

Also in 2022, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – owned by Marriott International – was established with the launch of Evrima, a 298-guest ship with lavish suites, 10 dining venues and a watersports marina.

The larger Ilma (448 guests) is due to follow this September and the even larger Luminara in 2025. The latter will carry 452 guests. Ritz-Carlton more recently attempted to acquire Sea Cloud Cruises, which operates three tall-mast ships. It wasn’t successful, but it has surely signalled its desire for expansion.

An artist’s impression of the luxury vessel Aman at Sea.

Next on the horizon is Four Seasons Yachts, which promises a first ship in late 2025 and another in 2026. The ships are as yet unnamed; let’s hope they do better than Ritz-Carlton with their choices. We’re told to expect 11 restaurants and bars, a wellness centre, a water-sports marina and a 20-metre saltwater pool on each vessel.

Don’t go rushing to book unless you’re a Four Seasons preferred customer: for the moment, special folks are being prioritised. The ships will carry 190 guests and, remarkably, the same number of crew.

Then, in 2026, giant hotel group Accor launches the world’s largest sailing yacht, the 220-metre Orient Express Silenseas (agreeable names seem to be in short supply in this business.) The first of two on order, the ship will have two pools, two restaurants, an oyster bar, a spa, and a private recording studio. It will carry 120 guests.

All three companies will be focusing on the Caribbean and Mediterranean during their inaugural seasons.

Finally, in 2027, Aman Resorts takes its turn with the 183-metre yacht Aman at Sea for 100 lucky guests at a time who fancy sailing on a mega-yacht with two helicopters and its own Japanese garden. Aman has already dipped its toes in the waters with a traditional two-masted, 10-guest sailing ship in Indonesia called Amandira.

All the hotel brands carefully avoid using the word “cruise” and refer to their ships as mega-yachts. All claim they’ll be doing something entirely different from cruising, but exactly what – apart from fares that approach a king’s ransom – remains to be seen.