After two announced delivery dates that came and went, the second yacht in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection — the Luminara — has a confirmed entry-into-service date: 18 October 2026, departing Piraeus (Athens) on a seven-night inaugural voyage to Civitavecchia (Rome). The vessel was floated out of the building dock at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire on 11 March 2026, and her sea trials in the Bay of Biscay are scheduled to commence on 4 August.
The Luminara is, in operational terms, a near-twin of her sister vessel, the Evrima, which entered service in October 2022. Both ships were designed by the Norwegian naval architecture firm AFGroup and are licensed under the Marshall Islands flag. She measures 241 meters at the waterline, displaces 27,800 GT, and accommodates 226 passengers in 113 suites — the same capacity-to-tonnage ratio that has, since the Evrima’s debut, set the working benchmark for ultra-luxury yacht-class cruising.
There are, however, three meaningful changes from the Evrima class that are worth flagging. First, the engineering plant has been redesigned around four MAN 9L32/40 diesels coupled to a new Wärtsilä electrical distribution system. The redesign, prompted by the well-documented Evrima propulsion issues that delayed her own debut by 18 months in 2021-2022, gives the Luminara a published service speed of 17 knots and a maximum of 20 — both half a knot above her older sister.
Second, the suite mix is different. The Evrima carries a single 1,975-square-foot Loft Owner’s Suite. The Luminara carries two — one each at the bow on Decks 9 and 10 — together with a new 1,140-square-foot Pool Suite category amidships on Deck 7, of which the ship has six. Pool Suites have private 12-foot lap pools on the terrace and were the first of the new categories to sell out for the inaugural season; the suite manager confirmed on 28 March that all six are confirmed through November 2026.
Third, the dining program has been substantially expanded. Where the Evrima carries five restaurants, the Luminara carries seven. The two new venues are S.E.A., a 36-cover seafood and crudo room on Deck 6, and Memorie, a 28-cover Northern Italian restaurant operated under a partnership with the Florence-based three-Michelin-star chef Annie Féolde, who confirmed her involvement on 14 January 2026. There is no surcharge on either; both are included in the cruise fare.
Pricing for the inaugural seven-night voyage starts at $14,400 per suite (double occupancy) for the entry-level Terrace Suite, ranging up to $186,000 for the Loft Owner’s Suite. The fare is fully inclusive — beverages, dining at all venues, gratuities, butler service, and shore-excursion credit of $200 per guest per port. Wi-Fi is now included at the standard tier; high-bandwidth Starlink is available for an additional $14.95 per day.
For the first season — October 2026 through April 2027 — the Luminara will operate a Mediterranean and Caribbean program, with seven-night voyages between Athens and Civitavecchia (October), Civitavecchia and Lisbon (November), Lisbon to Bridgetown (December crossing), and a series of seven- and ten-night Caribbean itineraries from Bridgetown through April 2027. The summer 2027 program, announced 9 February, will move the ship to a Northern Europe and Baltic schedule.
Booking. The 113-suite capacity has, predictably, sold quickly. As of 25 April 2026, all but 18 suites across the inaugural seven sailings are confirmed; the remaining inventory is concentrated in the December crossing and is being held for repeat-guest priority. New bookings are accepted for the January 2027 onward calendar.
What it means for the category. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection now has the operational maturity to run two ships in service, with a third — the Aether — under contract for delivery in 2028. That makes the brand, in fleet terms, comparable to Silversea’s smaller-yacht offering and meaningfully larger than Scenic Eclipse. It also confirms that the yacht-class segment of luxury cruising is no longer a single-operator novelty; it is, increasingly, a category. Whether the operational discipline holds across two ships and three crews is the question worth watching across the next 18 months.