HIGH SEAS, HIGH LIFE

A growing number of high-end hospitality groups are entering the luxury cruise industry, with some offering $11,000 super-yacht holidays for those willing to splurge

- Sarah Stanley

The mainstream ocean travel industry has been trying to outgrow a dated image. Some younger travellers associate cruises, particularly mass-market ones, with crowded buffets, bingo nights (every night) and being stuck on board.

Even as ships have upgraded their amenities over time many now have spas, swimming pools with water slides, swanky bars and world-class entertainment there are travellers who avoid cruising because of the sense of being herded from port to port.

This is the perception luxury hotel brands are hoping to upend.

In recent years, a growing number of high-end hospitality groups have announced their own super-yachts, positioning them not as cruises but floating extensions of their hotels.

Yachts are traditionally seen as the playgrounds of billionaires - a private and exclusive form of recreation. Super-yachts, however, operate on a different scale, featuring larger vessels and more lavish interiors, spacious cabins and amenities such as helipads and multiple dining venues.

The move signals a broader ambition to reshape the ocean travel industry by applying the design, service and intimacy of luxury hospitality to the open sea.

Five-star hotel brand Four Seasons will launch its first super yacht by April, while Aman Group will do so in the first half of 2027. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has three vessels in its fleet, which debuted in 2022.

Mr Vlad Doronin, chairman and chief executive of Aman Group, says: "The decision to move into the maritime space was driven by a clear gap in the market. There is currently nothing that truly sits between traditional cruising and private super-yacht charter.

"Ultimately, the goal is continuity, allowing guests to move seamlessly between Aman experiences on land and on the water, while maintaining the same philosophy of design, service and understated luxury that defines the brand."