Ilma, the second “superyacht” from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment, formally entered service on September 2, 2024 with a 7-night journey from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Rome, a becoming maiden voyage for an ultra-luxe ship.
The vessel, constructed on the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, follows Ritz-Carlton’s first superyacht, Evrima, which launched in 2021. Though she debuted second, Ilma really is an enormous sister to Evrima, with 11 decks and 46,750-gross tons to Evrima’s 8 decks and 25,400-gross tons.
Accommodating simply 448 company, Ilma joins the ranks of the world’s most luxurious and smallest cruise ships. The all-balcony ship boasts one of many business’s highest space-to-guest ratios, along with her inside design a mixture of impartial colours and high-end finishes.
The title Ilma is Maltese for “water,” and the ship’s design is modeled on elements of Maltese mythology and historical past, and its shoreline and fauna. Inside design was by the London architectural agency AD Associates whereas the Helsinki-based studio Aivan designed Ilma’s exterior.
“It’s with immense delight and pleasure that we welcome Ilma to our rising fleet,” mentioned Jim Murren, Govt Chairman and CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment.
“Since Evrima’s debut, we now have been steadfast in our pursuit of excellence at sea. The addition of Ilma signifies a continuation of our mission to ship legendary service and unparalleled enjoyment to our company,” Murren added.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment is a largely inclusive line, with fares masking all eating, most drinks, crew gratuities, WiFi entry, and different companies. Excursions, spa therapies, and another facilities are usually not included within the fare.
Among the many highlights company will discover onboard Ilma are the Marina and Marina Terrace, which is the situation for a hydraulic platform that opens to the ocean permitting company direct entry to the water whereas the ship is in harbor.
A spacious open-air leisure and sunbathing space is discovered on Deck 10, the place the primary pool and pool bar are located. Friends can e-book therapies on the Ritz-Carlton Spa, which options 11 therapy rooms, together with 5 that provide an out of doors expertise.
The ship has 5 eating venues, together with two that had been created by Michelin-starred cooks Fabio Trabocchi and Michael Mina. Chef Trabocchi’s Seta su Ilma is a contemporary Italian restaurant with seasonal menus paired with tremendous wines.
Chef Mina, a James Beard Award holder, collaborated on the menu at The Seashore Home, a venue with expansive ocean views that serves a mixture of Peruvian and Pan-Latin delicacies. Entrees are impressed by South and Central American flavors, some with a Caribbean twist.
Different eating venues embrace Memorī, serving Pan-Asian specialties; Mistral, providing Mediterranean meals shut by the primary pool space; and Tides, which gives a altering menu primarily based on the regional dishes of the locations the ship is visiting.
A special-event eating house, Eating Privee, could be booked for visitor celebrations. One other fashionable snack house is The Residing Room, the place coffees and light-weight breakfast fare is served every morning. Later within the day, the venue gives dwell music and cocktails.
New SuperYacht Will Deploy to Caribbean For Winter
Ilma is at present crusing her maiden voyage from Monte Carlo to Rome, with calls on the up-market locations of Saint-Tropez and Cannes, France; Livorno, Italy; Corsica; and Sardinia. The ship will sail a sequence of 7- to 12-day Mediterranean voyages by October 22, 2024, earlier than repositioning for her inaugural season within the Caribbean.
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Ilma’s 5- to 9-day Caribbean cruises will likely be provided roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Bridgetown, Barbados.
The ship’s New Yr Cruise, for example, sails on December 28, 2024, roundtrip from San Juan and calls at St. Kitts; Terre-de-Haut Island, Guadeloupe; Martinique (for New Yr’s Eve); St. Maarten; and St. John, USVI.
Ilma’s launch follows Evrima’s debut by almost two years. Cruise watchers will recall that Evrima’s entry into service had been delayed a number of instances attributable to shipyard issues and provide chain points.
The cruise line’s third tremendous yacht, Luminara, is beneath development on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard and slated to launch in 2025.
