Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Opens Europe 2028 Bookings

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection opened reservations on September 9, 2026, for 52 European voyages in summer 2028, giving travelers a new choice between shorter Mediterranean trips and northern itineraries aboard Evrima and Ilma. The newly announced season runs from late April through October, with sailings lasting four to nine nights. Gijón in Spain and Portovenere in Italy join the program as new ports of call.

The immediate decision is which itinerary to reserve, not whether to catch a departing ship this month. Travelers comparing the new inventory can use Deep Arrival’s cruise coverage alongside the line’s individual voyage pages. Start with the departure and arrival ports: this release includes both roundtrip journeys and routes that finish in a different city, a meaningful distinction for the land portion of a European vacation.

September Bookings Open a 2028 Choice

The company’s September 9 announcement is a reservation opening more than a year before the first departures. That makes it relevant to travelers comparing a future milestone trip or fitting a yacht voyage into a longer European stay. It is not evidence of a limited September promotion, and the company does not attach a countdown or stated price increase to this release.

Travel Market Report’s September 9 coverage separately reports the 52 voyages, date range, two new ports, and four to nine night lengths. Those are the core changes to compare. The destinations span several regions, so no single sailing should be assumed to contain the entire list. A Mediterranean itinerary and a northern itinerary are alternatives within the season, not interchangeable versions of one route.

Four Departures Show the Main Differences

Evrima’s May 14, 2028, seven night voyage is marketed from Nice to Rome. The company highlights Cannes, Portofino, Portovenere, and Elba along that route. It gives travelers interested in the French and Italian coast a named departure to investigate, including one of the newly added ports. Because the trip starts and ends in different places, compare the full arrival and departure plan before pairing it with hotels.

The July 12 Evrima example is a nine night London to Copenhagen voyage. The announced highlights include Haugesund, Geiranger, Kristiansand, and Aalborg, with Norwegian fjord scenery central to the route. This is the longer of the four examples in the announcement. A traveler choosing between it and the May sailing is making a regional and trip length decision, not merely selecting a different departure date.

Ilma’s May 9 seven night Athens roundtrip focuses on the Aegean, with Mykonos, Santorini, Patmos, Amorgos, and Nafplio highlighted. Its July 27 seven night Rome roundtrip instead names Valletta, Taormina, and Amalfi. The release also describes a final island visit without identifying it. Check the actual itinerary for that detail; an unnamed island should not become a promised stop in a booking comparison.

Two Ships, Different Scales

Evrima and Ilma are both included in the newly opened program, but they are not the same size. The company lists Evrima at 149 suites and capacity for up to 298 guests. Ilma has 224 accommodations and capacity for up to 448. Those figures describe the ships, not the number of rooms remaining for sale on a particular departure.

These are existing yachts receiving newly bookable itineraries, not two ships debuting in 2028. Evrima launched in October 2022, and Ilma followed in September 2024. The distinction matters when comparing this reservation opening with a new ship launch.

For a traveler choosing between otherwise appealing routes, ship scale is a useful second filter after the itinerary. The announced examples pair Evrima with the Nice to Rome and London to Copenhagen departures, and Ilma with the two roundtrips from Athens and Rome. Do not assume the preferred ship operates every departure in the region. The reservation should identify the yacht, suite category, dates, and ports together.

Excursions Need Their Own Comparison

The line outlines three shoreside formats: predesigned private excursions, selected group excursions, and custom private excursions. Examples include sailing along the Portofino coast toward San Fruttuoso, an oyster farm experience in Mali Ston Bay, a helicopter outing and winery visit in Mallorca, and a Jeep trip on Milos. In Northern Europe, the company highlights an Iceland helicopter experience and a Bordeaux caviar tasting.

These examples describe the broader season’s offerings. They do not establish that each excursion operates on every highlighted departure or is included in the voyage fare. Match an experience to the actual port call and confirm its separate cost and availability. Travelers whose main reason for choosing a route is one particular shoreside activity should resolve that point before treating the itinerary as a complete match.

The Fare and Port Details Still Matter

The opening announcement does not provide a full price table or deposit and cancellation conditions. Request a dated quote for the specific departure and suite, with inclusions, additional charges, payment deadlines, and change terms shown clearly. The useful comparison is the trip you can actually reserve, not a seasonwide description that combines several ships, regions, and excursions.

Likewise, the city names in the announcement are itinerary labels rather than a complete terminal and transfer plan. Confirm the precise embarkation location and arrival instructions with the line before purchasing separate transport. For the one way examples, include both ends of the route in that check. The booking opening allows those decisions to begin now; it does not settle them automatically for every passenger.