We take a look at some of the best that are launching in the next couple of years, offering hitherto landlocked guests the opportunity to be untethered!
Four Seasons Yachts
Perhaps most notable is the prestigious Four Seasons, who are entering the cruise industry with the aptly-named Four Seasons I. Voyages are on sale now, with two seven-night sailings in February 2026 in the Caribbean from Aruba to Sint Maarten as well as several Mediterranean itineraries through March and May 2026, including seven-night voyages from Athens to Istanbul (or the reverse) calling to the Greek Islands and the stunning beaches and coves of Turkey's Göcek.
Designed in collaboration with Tillberg Design of Sweden and the yacht's creative director Prosper Assouline, Four Seasons will aim to showcase the same high-spec accommodation and fabulous dining options (though currently only breakfast is included in the price) in their 95-suite yacht.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Luxury hotel chain The Ritz-Carlton's eponymous Yacht Collection revealed its first yacht Evrima in 2022. And now, second larger sister yacht Ilma is expected to (somewhat unusually for the cruise industry) arrive early, with two new September itineraries just released as part of Ilma's inaugural voyages in the Mediterranean. Highlights include Florence, Cannes, Corsica, the Italian Riviera, and the Greek Isles, as well as five other voyages throughout September and October.
With 228 suites all with a private terrace, as well as two new upper suite categories measuring more than 1,000 square feet, Ilma (alongside Luminara, due to follow in 2025) will be fitted with dual-fuel engines, using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their main fuel source. With a stylish, Scandi-influenced décor, an abundance of dining options and all the facilities you might expect from a luxury boutique resort including a serene spa and marina with a range of water toys, the intimate, elegant and stylish ships are very much an extension of The Ritz-Carlton brand.
Orient Express Corinthian
Alongside a yet-to-be-launched luxury rail service, Orient Express (not be confused with Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), in partnership with AccorHotels, has just begun construction of its ship Orient Express Corinthian, as shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique cut the first steel at the end of March.
In what will be the world's largest sailing yacht, and Chantiers de l'Atlantique's first sail-powered cruise ship, the vessel will set sail in 2026 with 54 suites that are on average 754 square feet, alongside a sister yacht joining the fleet in 2027. Expect sustainability at the forefront, with a hybrid propulsion system running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will save around 40% in fuel consumption.
Aman at Sea
Luxury hotel brand Aman Resorts' latest venture, Aman at Sea, began construction in March, with T. Mariotti, the segment's specialist shipyard, cutting steel for the superyacht in Genoa. Designed in partnership with SINOT Yacht Architecture & Design, this will be Mariotti's first dual-fuel powered newbuild ship, running on diesel and methanol.
Aman are not unaccustomed to bringing luxury to the water - they have a flagship yacht, Amandira, that sails Indonesia's Flores Sea - but this 50-suite luxury motor yacht goes one up. A joint project between Aman Resorts and Cruise Saudi, she'll set sail in 2027.
