Another luxury hotelier is entering the cruise market: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is collaborating with luxury shipping experts Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD to craft Four Seasons Yachts. The first vessel of a planned fleet is scheduled to come online at the end of 2025 (with two more planned over the next five years). The brand will be helmed by cruise industry veteran Larry Pimentel.
“Four Seasons Yachts represents the next chapter of our long history of industry leading innovation, and a milestone moment for our company as we continue to capitalize on new opportunities to extend the world of Four Seasons,” said Christian Clerc, president of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “True vision rests in the ability to imagine the possibilities while always remaining loyal to one’s values. Our vision for this new venture does exactly that. Together with our partners at Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD, we are creating something extraordinary that combines their expertise with what Four Seasons does best — delivering unmatched quality and excellence, surrounded by beautiful acts of service and love for our guests.”
The all-suite ship will measure 679 feet long and 88.6 feet wide with a total of 14 decks (the top four of which will be reserved for a unique private suite). Altogether, there will be 95 suites (starting at 581 square feet), promising almost 50% more living space per guest than current standards, according to the line. The 9,600-square-foot, quad-decker “Funnel Suite” will be included in the forward funnel and feature its own spa and wading pool. There will be a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio onboard.
When we launch in 2025, there will be nothing else like it on the open seas.
“In partnership with Four Seasons, we are creating a new category of luxury lifestyle travel that appeals to discerning guests,” Pimentel said. “We are bringing together the very best across industries to create the pinnacle yacht offering through world-class design, curated experiences and truly exceptional service. When we launch in 2025, there will be nothing else like it on the open seas. Our shipbuilding partnership with Fincantieri rounds out a triumvirate of industry leaders in this unprecedented luxury lifestyle project.”
Fincantieri will build the yacht, which is being designed by lead and suite architect Tillberg Design of Sweden, public space designer Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and creative director Prosper Assouline.
Four Seasons’ culinary history and innovation will be highlighted in the yacht’s restaurants, lounges and bar concepts, which are said to include Mediterranean meals, a sushi bar and more. Also showcased onboard will be a world-class spa and salon with wellness programming, as well as an expansive pool deck that will stretch over an elongated stern and can transform into an outdoor cinema and private event space. A bonus transverse marina will welcome passengers to swim, sunbathe and utilize aquatic leisure equipment.
Itineraries are planned for Caribbean and Mediterranean regions, and reservations are expected to open in the third quarter of 2023.
Altogether, the yacht market is becoming a very busy new travel segment, with the Ritz-Carlton planning to launch its Evrima this year, plus two recently-ordered yachts — Ilma and Luminara — scheduled to follow in 2024 and 2025. MSC Cruises is also working on developing its own set of yacht-like vessels for its new Explora Journeys brand (arriving in 2023), and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours’ first Scenic Eclipse discovery yacht is already sailing around the world (with a sister-ship coming in 2023).
“We
are excited to hear about the Four Seasons Yachts news, and with Larry Pimentel
at the helm of this endeavor we feel confident that it will be a successful
luxury product,” said Ashley Hunter, senior vice president of partnerships for Avoya Travel. “It’s promising to see another historically land based business
merge into the cruising sector of the vacation market, and we hope that part of
their growth strategy includes working with the travel distribution channel
from the inception of the new line.”
