It seems everyone got the same idea at the same time: there’s an untapped demand for a small ship that can explore the far corners of the globe in the luxury you expect at the world’s finest hotels or resorts.
And suddenly there’s a flotilla of small, ultra-posh yachts arriving this year. They include three new superyachts affiliated with exclusive hotel groups: Four Seasons, Orient Express and Aman Resorts. And there are new expedition ships with state-of-the-art technology to boldly go to the remote corners of the world in ultimate style and with unmatched personal service.
While the number of suites on all these small ships combined doesn’t add up to the capacity of one mid-sized ship from the big cruise lines, the arrival of so many ultra-premium ships in a single year is unprecedented. Of course, they’re not for everyone: All that opulence comes with fares well over $1,000 a guest per day; and on one ship, meals cost extra. But these newcomers are also destined to be among the most memorable vacations you’ll ever have.
Emerald launching its third mega-yacht
Emerald Cruises & Tours has found its luxury ocean yachts are so popular that a third one is arriving in April. Emerald Kaia, accommodating up to 128 guests, is slightly larger than her 100-guest sisters in the fleet Emerald Azzura and Emerald Sakara, but the experience promises to be every bit as intimate. Staterooms and suites will measure between 340 and 1,407 square feet, with 88 per cent offering verandas. The inaugural Mediterranean season includes cruises from Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice. Winter will see the ship sailing in the Seychelles and east Africa.
Four Seasons 1 is a luxury hotel at sea–Four Seasons Yachts
Putting the Sea in Four Seasons
This is a ship that promises bragging rights. Following an initial delay, Four Seasons 1 will debut in March, and offer a hotel-like approach, with pricing per suite instead of per person, as well as a la carte charges for most dining and beverages . That makes it closer to Four Season’s shoreside experience rather than the all-inclusive fares of other luxury cruise lines. The literature promises even the most discerning clients will be awed. The unique design features 11 restaurants and bars, a dual transverse marina and an expansive pool deck. And guests can look forward to famed captain Kate McCue, formerly of Celebrity Cruises, being master of the yacht. They expect it to be popular. A second similar yacht is on order.
Orient Express goes yachting
Joining the cruise industry for the first time, Orient Express, now a part of Accor Group, is expanding its historic portfolio of trains and hotels with Orient Express Sailing Yachts. Arriving in the summer, the 108-guest Orient Express Corinthian sails a maiden season in the Mediterranean, followed by the Caribbean. The all-inclusive vessel features sails on three masts and will feature La Table de L’Orient-Express by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alleno among its five restaurants and eight bars, plus two pools, a marina and other luxurious venues. A sister ship Orient Express Olympian is under construction to begin sailing in 2027.
A suite on Selar’s solar yacht
Going solar and polar with Selar
Cruise startup Selar is aiming to pioneer a new type of travel with Captain Arctic, a unique wind and solar-powered vessel able to accommodate 36 passengers and 24 crew members. The company’s owners promise it will “leave barely a trace of impact on the natural environment as it sails.” The ice-class PC7 ship will have a 3.2-metre thick steel hull and a unique array of five rigid solar sails with a patented design.
Behind the concept is entrepreneur Sophie Galvagnon, Selar’s CEO and co-founder, who is also a captain, expedition leader and ice-pilot. Arriving in November, the ship will explore Norway and Greenland with a particular focus on Svalbard island. Flexibility is a key to the itineraries, with Galvagnon summing up the approach as “There are no set itineraries. The route adapts to the elements, the passengers’ desires and real-time tips on the presence of wildlife.”
A hybrid Antarctic explorer
Another expedition ship due in November is focusing on South Polar exploration. Antarctica21, which has a history of cruises that include air flights to avoid the rough Drake Passage is launching the what it calls the first hybrid-electric polar cruise ship ever constructed in the Americas,. Magellan Discoverer will be a sister ship to the Magellan Explorer, launched in 2019, with PC6 ice- certification and accommodations for 76 guests for air cruises and 96 for sea voyages.
A peaceful Aman is on its way
Aman Group reached a milestone as Amangati, Aman at Sea’s inaugural vessel arrived in the Port of Genoa after a week-long voyage from San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy. The vessel won’t actually start cruising until 2027 but reservations open in early 2026. Amangati will spend a year at the T. Mariotti shipyard, where it will be outfitted.
Amangati – meaning peaceful motion in Sanskrit – will have 47 suites that will have large private balconies. The ship will feature four dining concepts, a Jazz Club, a spacious Aman Spa comes complete with a Japanese zen garden – plus an expansive Beach Club and marina, and two helipads. Aman which started in Asia in 1988 has grown to include 36 exclusive hotels, resorts and branded residences, ranging from the urban to the remote, in 20 destinations around the globe.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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