Review: Sailing On Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Evrima Ship (Lovely!)

While I’ve reviewed hundreds of airlines, airport lounges, and hotels, this will be my first time ever reviewing a cruise. I recently spent three nights sailing on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Evrima. I’ve been fascinated by the general trend of luxury hotel groups starting their own cruise lines (well, or more accurately, licensing their names out), and I figured it was finally time to give the concept a try.

In this post, I’d like to provide an in-depth review of the experience, covering everything from the suites, to the ship’s amenities, to dining, to what exactly is included with fares. As I mentioned in a previous post, this was my first cruise in over 20 years, and I walked away with a very favorable impression, and this is absolutely an experience I’d consider repeating. Among other things, I liked the the ship as such, the amenities, the quality of food and drinks, the friendliness of the staff, and the inclusions.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection pricing & how to book

Generally speaking, you’ll find that Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyages cost anywhere from $700(ish) per person per day, to around $2,000(ish) per person per day. This is obviously at the top end of the cruise market, though given the inflation we’ve seen to hotel rates over the years, by comparison, it’s potentially pretty attractive pricing compared to many luxury land-based accommodations.

We booked a three-night cruise departing from and returning to San Juan. It was possible to board starting at 12PM (with a deadline of 6:30PM), and it was possible to disembark starting at 7AM (with a deadline of 9:15AM), with a stop in St. John the first day, and a stop in St. Barts the second day.

The cruise voyage cost $3,100 per person based on double occupancy for a standard suite, and that included all taxes & fees. Ford booked us through the Marriott STARS program, which is the best way to book Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyages.

The fare is the same as you’d find direct, and for booking through an eligible travel advisor, you receive a special welcome amenity, an onboard credit of $150 per person per sailing, and a special bridge tour.

There’s no reason not to book this way, as it gets you extra value without costing you extra. For example, our special welcome amenity was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot (compared to the standard Moet onboard… you can have as many of those as you’d like!), plus a delicious box of chocolates.

One other thing I should point out — we were traveling as a group, and had four rooms. That’s because this was Ford’s annual retreat for his team, and I just tagged along so I could review the experience. So you’ll notice that I have lots of pictures of food, and that’s partly because we were often dining as a group.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection inclusions

What exactly is included with Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyages? Well, everything from the accommodations, to gratuities, to most dining and drinks, to entertainment, to unlimited Starlink Wi-Fi. It would probably be more useful to just call out what isn’t included (which can be covered with the Marriott STARS credit):

• Spa treatments and shore excursions cost extra
• There are a limited number of onboard activities that cost extra, ranging from private fitness classes, to a private wine tasting
• Dining in the specialty restaurant costs extra
• There’s a selection of premium wines and spirits that cost extra
• Laundry services can cost extra, though certain Bonvoy elite members get free laundry service, while there’s also a complimentary onboard self-serve laundry facility for all guests

What I can say is that I didn’t at all feel like they were cutting corners with inclusions, and the whole thing felt very generous. We spent exactly zero dollars on the ship aside from our fare, and let me tell you, we were living it up. The only “paid” experience we had was the dining at the specialty restaurant, but that was covered by our Marriott STARS credit (back when we booked, the credit covered the entire specialty dining experience, while now the benefit has been reduced a bit, though it’s more flexible).

For example, I was super impressed by the included selection of alcohol. It’s not just garbage wine and liquor that’s included, but plenty of premium brands, Moet, etc. Furthermore, you really don’t feel pressured to tip beyond the gratuities that are included (you’re not asked to sign at meals, for example). In an era where hotels do so much nickel & diming, it sure was nice to feel like we weren’t being ripped off at every junction, given the high fares in the first place.

One thing I do have to mention is that I felt that the cost of some of the excursions or transfers they were trying to sell were extreme. I expect a huge markup from a luxury cruise line or hotel, but some of the amounts surprised me.

For example, they leave a letter in your suite offering transportation for the last day, when you leave the ship. A private car for up to two people from the ship to the airport upon arrival, a 15-minute drive? That’ll run you $338! Is this a Rolls-Royce transfer with caviar service enroute?! Or is that just how much cruise lines try to charge for these things?

For some background, we were sailing on Evrima, which is Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s first and smallest ship. Just context on the three ships in the fleet:

• Evrima is the first ship, and it was built in 2021; it weighs 25,400 tons, it’s 624 feet long, and it has 149 suites that can accommodate 298 guests
• Ilma is the second ship, and it was built in 2024; it weighs 46,750 tons, it’s 791 feet long, and it has 224 suites that can accommodate 448 guests
• Luminara is the third ship, and it was built in 2025; it weighs 46,750 tons, it’s 790 feet long, and it has 226 suites that can accommodate 452 guests

For one, I’ve gotta say, Evrima is one spiffy-looking ship, if you ask me. I’ve never seen a better looking cruise ship, though admittedly I don’t think I’ve seen every cruise ship.

Personally I love how intimate Evrima feels, as it really never felt crowded. I realize for those used to cruises, this ship is downright tiny. But even as someone who is primarily used to hotels, this felt to me like a mid-size hotel in terms of the number of guests, so that’s quite a contrast to so many other ships, which are the size of Las Vegas casino hotels.

For those curious, you can see the entire Evrima deck plan here. There are essentially eight floors accessible by guests, and that includes deck three, the marina, which is only open certain days, while tendered. Suites are on four different floors, restaurants and bars are on five different floors, and one floor is partly dedicated to wellness.

I felt like the ship was easy to navigate, with the staircase in the center of the ship, plus the two elevators there, being the easiest ways to get around.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Evrima check-in, boarding, & tendering

Our voyage was starting from San Juan, with boarding possible between 12PM and 6:30PM, for a 7PM departure. We arrived a little before 2PM. I know that boarding cruises can sometimes be a drag, and can make an airport during a government shutdown look organized, by comparison.

However, thanks to the small size of the ship, that wasn’t the case at all, and our experience was seamless. As we pulled up to the terminal in a car, we could immediately drop our luggage at a counter outside. What impressed me is that we were then accompanied by the same person all the way through the boarding process.

We were brought into the check-in facility, where there was live music, drinks, and snacks. While there was a ton of seating, there was no need for that, as we were helped right away. We had to present our passports, provide a credit card for incidentals, and have our pictures taken (for our room cards), and that was it. The whole process took maybe five minutes.

At that point we were just walked the short distance to the ship, and proceeded up the staircase, where our cards were scanned, and we were welcomed onboard.

For what it’s worth, the entrance to the ship is on deck four, which is also where you’ll find the reception area and concierge desk.

Getting off the ship was equally seamless, and took less than five minutes, including clearing immigration. Once again, we were accompanied from the ship to the curb.

While we’re on the topic of getting on and off the ship, I should mention that we tendered in both St. John and St. Barts, and found the experience to be easy. There were two tenders constantly running, so they leave every few minutes, and they weren’t at all crowded.

In St. John, we had the tender all to ourselves in one direction, and shared it with three other people in the other direction. The tender was a bit fuller in St. Barts (since most people wanted to get off), but there was still no wait.

It’s also nice how they set up a little shaded seating area wherever they dock, so you could at least wait comfortably to get back on the ship.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Evrima suites

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Evrima ship has 149 accommodations, all of which are marketed as suites, and they’re split between six different categories. We were traveling as a group with several rooms, and ultimately some of our rooms ended up getting upgraded. I was happy about that, since it meant I could photograph a few different kinds of rooms.

Let me note that we were full paying guests, and while I have top-tier Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status and we booked through Marriott STARS, I don’t believe that upgrades are the norm. So while I didn’t ask for anything and was never even in contact with anyone from Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, I suspect we may have been upgraded either due to the blog, and/or because Ford’s team books a fair number of these voyages.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection terrace suite

To start, let’s take a look at a terrace suite on deck eight, which is an entry level room on the ship.

These rooms are marketed as being 280 square feet (26 square meters), with a terrace of 75 square feet (seven square meters).

While it’s probably a stretch to call this a “suite” in hotel terms, of course accommodations at sea are generally at a different scale, so this is a good size by those standards. The room featured a king size bed, a chair in the corner, a desk area with a stool, and a wall-mounted TV. I found the finishes throughout the room to feel super luxurious as well.

The bathroom was a good size, with double sinks, a walk-in shower (with excellent water pressure, even if the controls were a little difficult to use), and a toilet in a separate area. Toiletries were from Diptyque.

The room also had a nice terrace with a couple of chairs and a side table.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection grand suite

Next up, let’s take a look at a grand suite on deck eight, which is a mid-level suite. This is what Ford and I ended up staying in. These rooms are marketed as being 570 square feet (53 square meters), with a terrace of 118 square feet (11 square meters), so they’re around double the size of the entry level suites.

I found the suite to be functionally designed. As you enter, there’s first a door leading to the toilet (which can also be accessed from the other side of the bathroom), and past that is a desk area.

There was then the very bright and spacious living room, boasting a dining table with four chairs, and a sofa and chair with ottoman, along with a wall-mounted TV. There were sliding doors on both sides, leading to the balcony.

On the desk next to the living room was the minibar area, with had a Nespresso coffee machine, a tea selection, and a minibar, which could be filled however you wanted. Of course since this is a nice cruise, you can also just order a cappuccino, or martini, or whatever, to your room any time, at no cost.

There were then two sliding doors connecting the living room to the bedroom. The bedroom was cozy and dark, which is great for actually getting sleep. Across from the bed was a TV, and then on each side of the TV was a closet space, so it was nice to have so much space to store things, so the room didn’t become a mess.

The bathroom was then off the back of the bedroom, and was huge. It had double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet in a half bathroom (with a toilet and sink) off to the side, also accessible from near the room’s entrance.

I was impressed that toiletries were both in reusable containers from Diptyque, and also in individual containers from BVLGARI.

The balcony was significantly more spacious than in the standard suite, and had two chairs, a side table, and a lounger.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection loft suite

For a look at another interesting accommodation type, Evrima also has loft suites, which one of Ford’s colleagues ended up in. This is a unique product that you won’t find on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s two other ships, because as you’d guess, this is a two-level suite — they’re located on decks four and five (so you can enter and exit through either level).

The terrace suites are marketed as being 587 square feet (55 square meters), with a terrace of 75 square feet (seven square meters). Interestingly, these are priced lower than the grand suites, despite being a bit bigger, and unique. I suspect that’s because they’re on lower floors, and people like being higher up. But I really love this room type.

On the upper level, you’ll find a living room with a circular dining table, a couch, a chair with an ottoman, and a wall-mounted TV.

There’s also a half bathroom on the upper level, so this is a pretty good setup for families (well, other than the potential dangers of the stairs).

There’s then a staircase going down to the bedroom area.

The bedroom was spacious in and of itself, with a king size bed, a desk with a chair, another TV, and a full length mirror.

The full bathroom was on the lower floor, and was spacious, though it was a little smaller than in the grand suite.

The upper level has a small balcony in this cabin, while the lower level just has a large window. So I suppose that’s the one downside of this option, though I still do really like it.