The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s second newbuild luxury superyacht, Ilma, debuted on 2 September 2024, sailing a seven-night itinerary from Monte Carlo in Monaco to Rome, Italy.
Measuring 790 feet long, Ilma features 224 suites, all with a private terrace providing guests with views of the coastline and sea. The ship also has five dining venues, seven bars and a wine vault, as well as The Ritz-Carlton Spa, three fitness spaces, and a pool deck on Deck 10, which acts as an entertainment hub for sailaway parties, themed events and movie screenings.
“Ilma brings the exceptional luxury accommodations and personalised service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is renowned to the sea, further redefining the standards in the luxury industry,” says Jenni Benzaquen, senior vice president of The Ritz-Carlton, Saint Regis, and Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts.
The superyacht, named after the Maltese word for ‘water’, spent the first half of its inaugural season sailing itineraries to ports and destinations across the Mediterranean, including Sorrento in Italy, Siracusa in Sicily, the Unesco World Heritage site of Valletta in Malta, Athens in Greece, and the Greek islands of Crete, Milos, Mykonos and Santorini.
Ilma’s Marina terrace provides guests with the perfect venue to take in the views of destinations as they arrive in port
In early October Ilma sailed a seven-night roundtrip from Civitavecchia near Rome, calling at Malta, Sicily, Sorrento and ports along the Amalfi Coast. From Civitavecchia, Ilma made its way to Barcelona in Spain on a seven-night itinerary, which called at Livorno in Italy, Monte Carlo, Marseille in France and the Bay of Roses in Spain. The ship spent the next 10 nights sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon in Portugal, stopping so passengers could explore Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Cartagena in Spain, Tangier in Morocco, and Malaga and Cadiz in Spain.
On 1 November, Ilma set sail on a 13-day cruise from Lisbon to San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the repositioning cruise, the ship called at the island of Madeira and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, before spending eight days crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the British Virgin Islands, where it docked at Tortola. It then arrived at San Juan on 14 November, before repositioning to its new homeport of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 20 November.
Ilma’s first Caribbean voyage is a six-night roundtrip from San Juan, calling at Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. On this itinerary, passengers can visit the rainforest, the Pitons, white-sand beaches, the grottoes and arches of The Baths in Virgin Gorda and more. The ship will then spend seven nights sailing back to Fort Lauderdale, calling at ports in Virgin Gorda, Turks and Caicos, and San Salvador, Nassau and Bimini in The Bahamas.
Following this, Ilma will sail a nine-night roundtrip from Florida, visiting Cozumel in Mexico for an overnight stay and calling at Belize, Honduras, Costa Maya in Mexico and Key West in Florida. This itinerary has been designed to provide passengers with opportunities to snorkel in the world’s second-largest barrier reef, explore Mayan ruins, meet the monkeys of Roatán, and sunbathe on some of Mexico’s most beautiful beaches.
On 11 December, Ilma will depart Fort Lauderdale for two roundtrip cruises, both of which will include stops in Nassau, Bimini and Key West. The ship will spend Christmas week sailing to San Juan, calling at San Salvador, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic on Christmas Eve, Saint Barts and Virgin Gorda. This itinerary includes a day at sea on Christmas Day.
The ship will ring in 2025 with a seven-night roundtrip cruise from San Juan, calling at Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guadeloupe, Martinique for New Year’s Eve, Saint Maarten and Saint John in the US Virgin Islands. This itinerary has been designed to offer passengers the opportunity to explore the Caribbean’s diverse cultures, natural beauty, and historic sites, such as the Unesco-listed Brimstone Hill Fortress in Saint Kitts.
Read more: Ilma: a shared vision of excellence
In a first for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Ilma will sail the North and Baltic Seas of Northern Europe in summer 2025. The ship will offer itineraries visiting culturally rich destinations like Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Stockholm in Sweden, and Reykjavík in Iceland.
“The launch of Ilma exemplifies the unwavering dedication of The Ritz-Carlton to setting new benchmarks in luxury travel, with the company’s commitment to thoughtful and transformative travel experiences guiding its mission,” says Benzaquen.
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