st john ritz carlton
The new Ilma ship.
News

Ritz-Carlton’s New Luxury “Yacht” Is Now In San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Season 

By: Guy Britton - November 26, 2024

Don’t call it a cruise ship. Ritz-Carlton’s new luxury “yacht” is officially in the Caribbean, with its new “Ilma” making its inaugural call in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

The ship will be home-porting out of San Juan this season, with a total of 11 different sailings between now and March 2025. 

The luxury megayacht has five eateries, six different bars and lounges and a boutique capacity for just under 450 passengers. 

The all-suite ship is what Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection calls a “private oasis at sea.” Rooms range from the 294-square-foot “terrace” suite to the 1,033-square-foot “owners suite.” Suites come with king bed “sleep systems” as standard, along with bathrooms with modern showers and double vanities. You also get an espresso machine in your room, a mini bar and access to a personal concierge. 

It’s the second yacht for Ritz-Carlton, which made its first foray into luxury small-ship cruising with its Evrima yacht. 

“The inclusion of San Juan in the itineraries of these iconic vessels strengthens our tourism sector and contributes to the Island’s economic growth by diversifying and expanding our luxury travel offerings,” said Carlos Mercado Santiago, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, in a statement provided to Caribbean Journal. 

So what does Ilma cost? 

Prices start at $9,700 per person for a seven-night itinerary out of San Juan, stopping in Caribbean ports including St John, St Maarten, St Kitts, Guadeloupe and Martinique. 

Bear in mind that you’ll have to fly to San Juan to take the cruise. 

You can find more here

Popular Posts caribbean travel

The Caribbean Travel Awards 2025

More than 32 million people visited the Caribbean in 2023, and that number should be eclipsed by the end of this year. In other words, the Caribbean is more popular than ever — deepening its position not just as the world’s […]


Aruba’s New Adults-Only Resort Has Swim-Up Suites, a Rooftop Bar and One of the World’s Greatest Beaches 

eagle beach cj photo

Eagle Beach. If you know Aruba, you know it. That wide, white, shimmering stretch of sand in the northwestern corner of the island is one of our favorite beaches in the Caribbean — and inarguably among the best beaches, well, anywhere […]


Royalton Just Reopened These Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resorts After a $32 Million Upgrade 

punta cana all-inclusive royalton

One is family-friendly. The other is an adults-only escape. They’re both part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, both set on a beautiful stretch of beach in Punta Cana.  And they both just reopened after a sweeping $32 million upgrade.  The adjacent […]


Related Posts jamaica negril

Slight Decline for Caribbean Hotel Occupancy in Shoulder Season 

Caribbean hotel occupancy declined for the second straight month in November, according to new data from analytics from STR.  The region’s hotels were 66.8 percent full last month, a 1.4 percent reduction from the same month in 2023.  Average daily […]


Caribbean Moment: On the Beach on Stocking Island, Exuma 

exuma beach

If you’ve been to Exuma, you know. The water, the beach. It’s, well, it’s pure heaven. And one of our favorite corners of the Exuma chain is the little island of Stocking Island right off the coast of George Town.  […]


Caribbean Airlines Is Bringing Back Its Flights from Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay, Jamaica 

caribbean airlines montego bay

For years, it was one of the most popular routes to the Caribbean island of Jamaica: Caribbean Airlines’ nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport.  But since before the pandemic, travelers looking to hop on Caribbean […]