PointChaser

Ritz Carlton Cruise Line: Coming in 2019

Would you go on a Ritz Carlton cruise?

•

Ariana Arghandewal

Ritz Carlton recently announced that they will be unveiling a cruise line consisting of three ships that will begin sailing in 2019. Tailored to those who want a luxury cruise experience with a trusted hotel brand, The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection will offer itineraries in Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Eastern Canada, New England, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Each “yacht” will host just 300 guests, a far cry from the typical cruise ship capacity of 4,000+ passengers.

Ritz Carlton Cruise ticket sales

Tickets to the first excursion will go on sale in May 2018. Which has me wondering two things: 1.) Will Ritz Carlton offer cruise ticket bookings with Marriott or Ritz Carlton points? And 2.) How many of you would go on a Ritz Carlton cruise?

"<yoastmark

My thoughts on cruising

The idea of a typical cruise has never appealed to me. Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea of being on a ship, cruising through gorgeous waters, gorging on food and exploring new cities. But being around thousands of people? That sounds like a vacation from hell, to be frank.

Plus, cruise food is generally deemed terrible. That’s a huge strike for me. While luxury cruises do seem appealing, they cost an arm and two legs. Why spend thousands of dollars on a “luxury” cruise in a window-less cabin if I can instead fly somewhere in a premium cabin and earn miles? 

That being said, I find the Ritz Carlton cruise concept interesting. Kind of like Four Seasons’ Private Jet Experience, except it may be possible to earn and redeem points on these cruises.

Redeeming points for Ritz Carlton cruises

Nothing has been announced regarding award bookings or point earnings, but I imagine they’ll at least allow members to earn points to incentivize their loyal base. And if Ritz Carlton/Marriott members are able to redeem points for cruises, that could give both programs a unique advantage over other hotel rewards programs.

All of this is speculation, since nothing has been announced in this regard. But if I were to guess, I imagine redemption rates would probably be on par with current Hotel + Air packages. If these cruises end up being all-inclusive, that could be a terrific value. Especially if the SPG-Marriott merger hasn’t gone through and the 1:3 transfer ratio stays intact. Time will tell.

I’d like your feedback: Would you consider going on a Ritz Carlton cruise, especially if you’re able to earn and redeem points for it? Would you trade in a Air + Hotel package for the experience?

[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Subscribe via email for more points, miles and free travel”]

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

•

17 responses to “Would you go on a Ritz Carlton cruise?”

  1. Steven Weisman Avatar
    Steven Weisman

    In a nutshell: Yes. I would certainly consider it. Would enhance my interest if they offered no supplement single fares.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      That would be pretty nice. If you’re already paying through the roof (which I expect you will with a Ritz Carlton Cruise), hopefully they won’t nickel and dime you like that.

      Reply
  2. tscateh Avatar
    tscateh

    I would do this in a heartbeat. I’m a confirmed cruising fan already, but this would be MUCH more appealing than the regular cruises. BTW, the food isn’t usually “awful”. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      I always hear negative things about the food on major cruise lines (i.e. Royal Caribbean, Carnival). Which cruise line would you recommend?

      Reply
  3. philsthril Avatar
    philsthril

    Depends on the exclusivity of the cruise…like you said…thousands of ppl is quite nauseating for a vacation

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      It’s just 300 people per sailing – not nauseating, unless you’re prone to sea sickness. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Byron Avatar
    Byron

    Ariana, I love cruises. I am just back from a Baltic cruise where I saw 7 countries. The ship had 4000 people on it. Only on embarkation and de-embarkation did it ever feel crowded. Standing in customs at LHR was worse than anytihing on the ship. We never waited for a table. Elevators were always easy to get. Our food was as good, or better, than anything I get in Business Class. I could find any number of places to sit, read a book, and not see anyone for a while. This was our 17th cruise. I understand not everyone enjoys cruises, but my wife and I most always have a wonderful time. I imagine the Ritz Carlton cruise will be outlandishly priced. Kinda like Disney cruises are. I also think going to a country and spending time is a much better way to enjoy the culture. That is just alot more work. I have found AirBNB’s to be wonderful in helping on what to see, what to eat, and how to get around.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      Which cruise line was with this? I’ve always thought if I go on a cruise, it will be either to Alaska or Europe.

      Reply
  5. scott Avatar
    scott

    I live in the cruise capital of the world, Miami, and I still have never been on a cruise. The more I hear about them the less I want to go on one. I like the idea of sailing around the ocean but I don’t like that I would have limited time at the destinations or having to stand on a long line to get back on the ship. I definitely don’t want to have to dress up for dinner or eat dinner at a table with a bunch of strangers. I imagine a Ritz Carlton cruise would require you to dress nicely for dinner. Why should I pack a suit to go on vacation?

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      The dressing up for dinner part is a deal breaker for me too. Though I imagine at a classy joint like the Ritz Carlton yacht, you can probably order room service.

      Reply
  6. Owen Avatar
    Owen

    We have enjoyed Norwegian cruises. The food at the buffet is ok, but the restaurants onboard are quite good and available for a small upcharge. Celebrity and princess are also good options. Check out cruisecritic for more information about what guests thought of different sips and cruises.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      I will. Thanks Owen!

      Reply
  7. Rene Avatar
    Rene

    It’s true that cruising isn’t for everyone, but we enjoy them a great deal, along with regular land travel. I enjoy having a variety of experiences. Picking the right ship is everything, btw. There are small weekend party cruises to long-term extreme luxury cruises. I enjoy occasional long weekend getaways with girlfriends/family during the winter months as well as week-long extended family trips in the Caribbean. My husband and I have done a 12-day Mediterranean, and just recently did our first Alaska trip. Food ranges from hot dog stands to standard buffets, to private specialty restaurants with wine-paired meals. Personally, I prefer Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, but I am familiar with them enough to have status for perks, and I know which class ships I like and which I don’t like. Believe it or not, the bigger ships generally feel less crowded than the smaller ones. I think next on my cruise list will be a European River Cruise with added pre or post-cruise days scheduled to explore a bit more.
    I’ll definitely look at the details of a Ritz Carlton cruise, mostly out of curiosity though.

    Reply
  8. thelma Avatar
    thelma

    American Express & Cash Equivalencies. the new, platinum delta sky miles pre memorized spiel, and I assume attendant paper work says cash equivalencies do not receive points. what is the current coding for visa, pin number, gift cards at office depot? where so I move funds around in a circle for four months to get my 70,000 points? thank you,

    Reply
  9. William Avatar
    William

    I would definitely consider this, provided it participates in the Marriott Rewards program for earning and redemption. I am not a big cruise person, for the same reasons you state, but I have been on other smaller luxury cruises like SeaDream that I absolutely love. I would expect a high bar from Ritz for a cruise line so as not to cheapen the highly respectable brand.

    Reply
  10. Byron Avatar
    Byron

    Staying at a Ritz in DC right now and on the Club Level. If I could be treated this nicely on a cruise I certainly would consider it. Look how much people pay to go on Disney. I cannot imagine Seaborn doing this nicely or well.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Arghandewal Avatar
      Ariana Arghandewal

      I wonder when they’ll start offering point packages for cruises…

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

Social Media

Advertisement