Looking for some insights as I’m considering a Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection cruise. I’ve previously sailed with Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea, and loved the intimate, luxurious experience they offer. Regent is my favorite.
How does Ritz-Carlton compare, especially in terms of:
Overall vibe and atmosphere? Is it more modern, or classic luxury?
Food and beverage quality? Are the dining experiences comparable?
Silversea is nice, but be aware the clientele is quite a bit older. My husband and I are in our mid-30s, and we felt like we were half the average age at the end of the cruise we joined. We were about 20 years younger than the average for the Alaska portion. We actually preferred the food and service on Ponant. It’s a French line, and 70% of the guests are French, so just know that. We were one of about 30 English speakers on our boat, and they did a great job of keeping us included in things.
Ritz-Carlton reminds me of Virgin Voyages - a cruise line created by a bunch of non-cruise people who think they ‘know better’ than the rest of the industry.
I’m sure they’ll get there eventually (like how Virgin is getting there), but right now, the food, design, and service is below par for the price point.
We are also fans of Regent (6 cruises with 2 more booked). We were eager to try Ritz, but honestly, we were put off by what wasn’t included in their ‘all-inclusive’.
Although many luxury lines claim to be all-inclusive, we’ve found Regent is the only one that really is. They even include a pre-night hotel stay. We just got a check back for a refund of our onboard credits.
When spending at this level, we don’t want to worry about gratuities, Wi-Fi charges, dining fees, or excursion costs (they do have some extra-cost excursions, like a helicopter to land on glaciers, but we’ve only paid extra once for an excursion).
Would be interested in hearing from others who have actually sailed with Ritz though.
We have, but only for river cruises. Haven’t booked anything yet, but Viking is one we’re considering.
Five river and one ocean cruise in the books with Viking. We have another ocean cruise booked for mid-2026. We took the Search for the Northern Lights cruise on Viking a few years ago, and really felt at home. Amazing ships, food, and education. Explore in comfort!
We’ve done Evrima twice. Evrima and her sister boat are new, which is nice. It’s modern and classy. Not stuffy or dated. There’s a minimal dress code—no tuxedos or formalities.
The age bracket was younger than we thought, around 40s to 60s. Young successful professionals, like colleagues of ours. No loud shows, climbing walls, or roller coasters. Just laid-back vibes, poolside drinks, great food, and service. All-inclusive, meaning food, tips, Wi-Fi, minibar, everything. Loved it and we’ll do it again. We’ve also been considering Regent, etc., though.
Never sailed with Ritz, but they seem super pretentious, and their TV commercials are tacky. Seems like they’re trying to use the name to sound more upscale than they actually are.
Although most guests don’t see most of the inspection stuff (it’s more about water filtration systems, kitchen food safety, HVAC, etc.), given the risks from outbreaks, viruses, and onboard illnesses lately, they are a non-starter for me at the moment.
We love Regent and like Viking. I considered Ritz-Carlton and asked them for their menu. Now, this is an individual taste thing—you may like what they have.
I’m a steak-and-potatoes guy. Burger, good pizza, sandwiches for lunch. Steakhouse, Italian, Mexican (though no ship has decent Mexican). Standard American diet.
I would starve to death on a Ritz-Carlton ship (also on Oceania). Truly, some of their lunch and dinner menus had nothing I would want. And I saw nothing across all their menus I would like.
Again, this is just an individual taste thing. Your mileage may vary.
