The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will this week open reservations for the inaugural season of its second ship, Ilma, exclusively to top-tier members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Bonvoy members will be privy to nearly a month’s head-start on the opening for general sales.
Bookings for the 228-suite Ilma will be available first to Ambassador Elite members from 15 February 2023, then Titanium and Platinum Elite members from 24 February; and Gold and Silver Elite members from 2 March. From 9 March 2023, bookings will be made available to the public. The dates listed are in US timezone.
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As previously stated by RCYC, Ilma‘s itineraries will range from 7 to 10 nights and are slated to commence in 2024 in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The program will also include transatlantic sailings between those regions.
RCYC boasts that Ilma will have “the highest ratio of space per guest at sea”. On board will be five restaurants, six bars and a wine vault.
In revealing the release schedule for Ilma, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection also offered new interior and exterior renders of the first of two next-generation ultra-luxury yachts.
Under construction by French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Ilma will offer eight suite categories – all with private terraces, will feature seven restaurants (plus in-room dining), and a more spacious marina than RCYC’s first, 149-suite yacht, Evrima.
Ilma and Lumiere are nearly double the gross tonnage of Evrima, at 46,750 gross tonnes, versus 25,400 gross tonnes. The larger yachts will have a capacity of 456 guests compared to 298 on the original vessel.
Among the suite categories are the aptly named Ilma of which there are four, each running parallel with one another at the aft of the yacht on Deck 6. They range from 47-61 square metres internally and have a terrace of 27-28 square metres.
According to deck plans, Ilma will feature its main restaurant called The Orche Room on Deck 3 which will offer an “ever-changing menu of dishes”.
Branching off from The Orche Room is a ‘Fine Dining’ venue that offers “tasting menu inspired by Europe’s Michelin-starred restaurants” and ‘Dining Privee’, billed as a “private enclave within The Ochre Room for an exclusive dining experience, the perfect setting for celebratory dinners and other special events.”
Ilma will offer a larger-scaled version of the Southeast Asian restaurant, Talaat Nam, however it doesn’t appear as though Evrima‘s S.E.A. dining venue has been carried over to the new yachts, based on information on the current deck plans. S.E.A. is a dining experience designed by Chef Sven Elverfeld, so the venue may remain unique to Evrima.
There also appears to be a new Juice Bar on Deck 4
Ilma‘s carbon-copy sister, Luminara, is forecast to take to the seas in 2025.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is a Virtuoso Preferred member.