The first Four Seasons Yacht, with a capacity for 190 guests, is due to set sail in the Caribbean in January 2026.
The yacht will give her guests the same ultra-luxe style of hospitality as they’d expect at the group’s fabulous resorts and hotels around the world. Maybe we’ll even see a series of The White Lotus at sea?
Four Seasons and luxury yachting company Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings – the joint owners of Four Seasons Yachts – are spending more than US$420 million on their first ship, although according to Thatcher Brown, Chief Commercial Officer of Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings Ltd, it’s not actually a ship.
“What we are creating is not a cruise ship and it’s not a yacht,” Brown has said. “It’s a unique hybrid that will be unlike anything out there in the market.”
The 207-metre long, 14-deck vessel is a similar size to Regent Seven Seas’ newest ultra-luxe ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, which cost an estimated US$517 million to build and is one of the world’s most expensive in the world.
However, while Seven Seas Grandeur accommodates up to 746 guests – in great luxury and style – the Four Seasons Yachts are built for just 190 guests plus a similar number of crew. This amounts to 50 per cent more living space per guest than is currently available with “any competitor at sea” – plus the highest staff to guest ratio at sea.
Bespoke design
The design inspiration for the new Four Seasons Yachts comes from the legendary superyacht Christina O, once owned by Aristotle Onassis and still available for charter. One striking feature borrowed from Christina O is a 19-metre swimming pool in the canoe-shaped aft deck that transforms into extra deck space for weddings, parties and other events.
Interior designs are a collaboration between renowned cruise-ship and superyacht design company Tillberg Design of Sweden and the Yacht’s Creative Director, Prosper Assouline. All 95 suites have floor-to-ceiling windows, double vanity bathrooms and huge balconies, while the top-level Funnel and Loft suites have three bedrooms, outdoor showers and splash pools.
“Our goal was to craft an environment that feels both familiar and extraordinary, with warm hues and open designs, said Fredrik Johannson, Partner and Executive Director of Tillberg Design of Sweden. “We are creating an inviting, welcoming environment that reflects the same feeling one experiences at a Four Seasons hotel or resort.”
A network of adjoining suites will feature an innovative system that connects accommodations with modular walls, offering numerous vertical and horizontal combinations within the Loft and Funnel suites. This flexible design would allow an extended family or group to book more than 1,200 metres of living space – the entire side of a deck.
Family friendly
Children from the age of six months will be welcome onboard. A children’s program and dedicated space on Deck 4 will cater for children aged four to 12 years old. There will also be a program for teens – the company says it is finalising the details and will release further information soon.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the fares, which are charged per suite, for children aged 12 and under.
Inaugural itineraries
Just as the Four Seasons resorts and hotels are set in the world’s most desirable destinations, the Four Seasons Yachts will sail in sought-after cruising grounds in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
At the beginning of January 2026 Four Seasons I will reposition from Ancona, Italy where she is being built by Fincantieri, to the Caribbean. She will sail seven-night itineraries that take in glamorous yachting destinations such as St Barths, Nevis, the Grenadines, St Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Curaçao and Aruba.
The yacht will head to the Mediterranean in March 2026 and sail seven-night itineraries around Croatia, Gibraltar, Montenegro, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the Greek Islands.
In April and May there will be four cruises from Athens to Istanbul that will call at gorgeous islands such as Spetsai, Ios and Crete as well as the Turkish Riviera’s most refined resorts, including Çeşme and Bodrum.
Again, more info will be released in the coming months, but the company’s aim is to offer a variety of experiences that “go above and beyond the ordinary”.
The bottom line
A suite on the seven-night sailing from Athens to Istanbul, mentioned above, starts at US$23,500 for the Seaview Suite. This 57-square-metre suite sleeps two adults and one infant and despite its name, definitely does have a balcony (“terrace”).
The Loft Suite will set guests back US$190,000 and accommodates six adults and one infant or child, and rates for the Funnel Suite are by appointment only.
Guests for all suite categories have to book through a Four Seasons-preferred travel advisor or apply to join a list.
When you look at what is not included in the fares, it’s clear that the company is appealing more to loyal Four Seasons guests who are used to à la carte pricing rather than regular ultra-luxe cruisers who generally prefer to go all-inclusive.
Here’s what’s not included:
- In-suite dining
- Lunch and dinner
- Alcoholic beverages
- Laundry and pressing
- Salon and spa services
- Shore experiences
- Private fitness sessions
- Medical services
- Customised private arrangements
- Pre- & post- voyage transfers
- Pre- & post- voyage hotels
- Airfare to and from the Yacht
The cruise industry keeps evolving and it’s fascinating to observe the different directions the major players are taking, whether they’re traditional luxury cruise lines or incoming luxury hospitality groups.
For more information, visit fourseasonsyachts.com
