Mason Jones isn’t an avid cruiser, but he enjoyed his trip with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection so much that he took two in less than a year.
Jones, a 50-year-old family doctor from Austin, Texas, booked the March 2023 sailing with his wife for its mostly all-inclusive model. And because he trusted a Ritz-Carlton vessel, where they had stayed on land a couple of times.
“It’s not as though we’re regulars at the Ritz,” he told USA TODAY. “We just know that it’s a higher level of TLC (tender loving care).” That extended to the Caribbean sailing on the brand’s first yacht, Evrima, with an “incredible” concierge, food and drinks bundled with the fare – even in the minibar – and modern interiors.
At a maximum of 298 passengers, the vessel’s small size also offered a “no cattle call factor,” with few crowded spaces. Jones, who has been just a handful of cruises in his life, and his wife enjoyed it so much that they booked another for the following January with friends shortly after they got home.
The Ritz-Carlton is one of several hotel and hospitality companies that have entered the cruise game in recent years. And they’ve brought travelers like Jones with them, who are drawn at least in part by fondness for the brands’ land-based counterparts.
New cruise operators lure hotel guests
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has seen interest from hotel and resort guests “who are familiar with the brand’s exceptional service and accommodations and are eager to see how this level of experience translates to the sea,” according to CEO Jim Murren.
“While they might not consider more traditional cruise lines, they are interested in the tailored journeys and level of experience provided by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection,” he said in an email.
Murren said the brand estimates that more than half of its passengers are entirely new to cruising. The yachts, which will include Ilma as of September and Luminara in July 2025, were built to echo what customers like about Ritz-Carlton properties.
The brand “was created to seamlessly blend the lifestyle of The Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts with the laid-back freedom of a yachting adventure,” he said. “Our yachts stand out distinctly on the horizon and draw inspiration from the world’s most luxurious private superyachts.” The vessels’ capacity is limited, even by luxury cruise standards, and they feature an understated design that pairs “form with function and is executed at (the) highest level,” according to Murren.
Perhaps its aesthetic inverse, the bright and beachy Margaritaville at Sea, has similarly pulled from an existing customer base since its debut in 2022. The cruise line is a standalone entity, but is a franchise partner of the Margaritaville brand that spans hotels, restaurants and more, all stemming from Jimmy Buffett’s musical catalog and lifestyle.
That creates a “big universe of potential guests” who know and like the brand, according to Margaritaville at Sea CEO Christopher Ivy. He said surveys have found a “sizeable” number of passengers have chosen to sail on the line’s Margaritaville at Sea Paradise ship because they have some familiarity with the overall brand (though he did not have exact numbers available).
“And ultimately, what we hear from people is they want to be able to recreate that on a cruise vacation,” he said.
The line will lean even further into that with its second ship, Islander, launching in June: The 2,650-guest ship will feature a three-story LandShark Bar at Sea, a floating version of a venue in many Margaritaville hotels and resorts.
“We’re always trying to ensure the onboard experience delivers what’s most popular at other Margaritaville hotels or resort destinations,” Ivy said. And while those have tended to translate well to cruising, Ivy added, you don’t have to be a Margaritaville fan to enjoy your trip.
Do hotel loyalty programs work at sea?
There’s another incentive for travelers to stick with a brand they know on land and at sea: their loyalty benefits may carry over.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection guests, for example, can earn and use Marriott Bonvoy points. “Members can earn points on cruise fares and hotel packages, accumulate nights toward Elite status, and redeem points toward the cost of cruise fares when sailing,” said Murren.
Ivy said Margaritaville at Sea is working to integrate the Margaritaville Perks program, which gives land-based guests benefits like early check-in and complimentary cocktails (though exact perks vary by property), but he wasn’t able to share an exact timeline for the rollout.
What is the best time to take a cruise?:We broke it down by region
Virgin Voyages is part of Virgin Group, which includes a number of travel and leisure companies, along with those in other sectors. The adults-only cruise line is currently part of a Triple Red promotion that bundles offerings from multiple businesses including the cruise line, airline Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Hotels with perks like waived resort fees and bonus Virgin Points.
The offer runs through April 7, but may be followed by other similar deals.
There is a “defined red thread” that runs through all the brands, according to Stephen Hopkins, SVP of Growth and Portfolio Performance for Virgin Group.
“We actively look to enhance the experience of other Virgin customers, because we know that they’re going to love our ships,” he said. About a third of the line’s guests are new-to-cruise.
What other hotel brands are getting into cruising?
Other major hotel brands are set to expand seaward in the coming years. Four Seasons Yachts revealed its first itineraries this week, and will take guests to Caribbean destinations including Nevis, St. Lucia and Martinique beginning in January 2026 before moving to the Mediterranean in March.
“Since first announcing Four Seasons Yachts, interest has been very positive, especially from guests who have experienced the brand across Four Seasons hotels and resorts, residences as well as our incredible Private Jet experience,” Four Seasons President and CEO Alejandro Reynal told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “With an exclusive 95 suites aboard our extraordinary, inaugural yacht, the booking process is being carefully managed to balance availability with this demand, initially focusing on Four Seasons loyal guests and travel partners.”
Bookings are not yet open to the general public, but travelers can join a waitlist online. Aman also has plans for its own high-end yacht brand, Aman at Sea.
For Jones, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection passenger, opting for a brand he associated with a high level of service paid off – even from the time he boarded. When he pulled up in a taxi, personnel were immediately attentive, whisking him quickly through check-in and onto the vessel. “It was really just a refreshing process,” he said. “It felt like vacation.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
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