Luxury Cruising: Four Seasons vs. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The vibe

• Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
  The Ritz-Carlton yacht skews a bit younger for luxury cruising (average age around 50), and there’s an actual social energy onboard—people chatting at the bar, lingering at dinner, making plans for the next port. It’s polished, but fun.

• Four Seasons Yachts
  Quieter, more design-forward, a little more private. It feels like a really stunning hotel that just happens to be floating.

Size

• Ritz-Carlton: 200 to 300 guests. It feels intimate and easy to navigate. Three ships.

• Four Seasons: 100 to 200 guests. Bigger suites, wider decks. One ship as of 2026.

Rooms

• Ritz-Carlton; All suites, clean and comfortable, very in line with what you expect from the brand. Not over the top, just really well done.

• Four Seasons: Also all suites, but noticeably larger. More like a small apartment than a hotel room, with a big focus on indoor/outdoor living. Their three-bedroom Funnel Suite sleeps five with almost 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

Food & drink

• Ritz-Carlton: This is where it feels the easiest. Food is included, and so is top-shelf alcohol—you’re not thinking about it, you’re just ordering what you want and moving on. Great for groups of friends and large families traveling together.

• Four Seasons: More hotel-style. Breakfast is included, but lunch and dinner are à la carte. It gives you flexibility, but this is better for couples and small families.

Family travel

Both are family-friendly (which is surprisingly rare in this category) and offer kids' clubs for children up to 12. Ritz-Carlton offers an Alaska itinerary.

Go with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection if you want something easy, social, and fully taken care of—the kind of trip where you end up making friends over a second (or third) glass of wine. If you have Titanium status, you receive even more onboard benefits.

Go with Four Seasons Yachts if you want space, design, and flexibility—a quieter, more self-directed version of luxury at sea.

Both are incredible. It just comes down to whether you want your yacht trip to feel like a shared experience or a perfectly private one.

Booking a cruise with a Fora advisor costs the exact same amount as booking on your own—but comes with added perks like onboard credit and extra support along the way.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.