Checking In is Coveteur's insider review series of the best, buzziest, most fashionable hotels and properties around the world.
If you're even moderately online, there's a good chance you caught the celebrity "christening cocktail" posts from Luminara, a Ritz-Carlton superyacht, last June: Martha Stewart, drink in hand, in a bright-yellow Dianna Singh caftan; Kendall Jenner smiling next to Nina Dobrev and Kate Hudson; Alix Earle posting about chipping her veneer as she films a GRWM for that night's white party. It was the yacht party seen around the world. So, when the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection invited me for a three-night voyage on the Ilma, Luminara’s equally glamorous sister vessel, I packed my bags and flew to San Juan, just a quick four-hour flight away from New York.
I was on board the Ilma for three nights, and by day two I had already mentally rearranged my entire travel calendar to figure out how to get back as fast as humanly possible. By day three, I had stopped checking my phone. There was too much to look at: the sun sinking below the pink horizon at golden hour, Johanna Ortiz's cheery prints splashed across Decks 9 and 10, my second Coconut Veil cocktail sweating gently in my hand. Physically, I'm writing this back in New York as the city struggles to break 70 degrees. Mentally, I'm still on my private deck, book open, afternoon sun warm on my face, slowly lulling me to a half-asleep state.
It's no coincidence that Ilma is designed to leave you wanting more. "Luxury travel today is increasingly defined by intention, authenticity, and emotional resonance," Gaby Aiguesvives, Chief Marketing Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, tells me. Jet-setting travelers aren't just chasing grandness or glitz anymore—they want their vacation to make them feel something. I certainly did, as I explored every inch of the 790-foot yacht, ate to my heart's content, and felt my shoulders—perpetually tight and hunched from staring at a screen in my Greenwich Village apartment—fully unknot for the first time in recent memory.
The Insider Intel:
- Location: San Juan (departure point), with stops across the Caribbean—St. Barths, St. Lucia, and other low-key luxe islands without the mega-ship chaos
- Vibe: Quiet luxury at sea
- Best For: Couples, friends, solo travelers
- Rooms: 224 all-suite rooms, all with private terraces
- Photo spot: The front deck pool at golden hour
- What to pack: Chic resortwear, bikinis and cover-ups, sandals and small heels if you want to dress up for dinner
The Rooms
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Faith XueMy suite, like all of Ilma's 224, was quite roomy and came with a private terrace overlooking the sea. I have been on “luxury” cruises before, but this room was in a whole other league—more like staying on your billionaire friend’s private yacht than anything resembling a typical cruise ship. First of all: every room comes with its own dedicated butler. I never thought of myself as someone who required butler service for my day-to-day going-ons, but I fear the experience has ruined me. I will miss having someone on speed dial, who appears within seconds, ready to at my beck and call, whether I need an extra towel or a steamer. Beyond that, the Ritz-Carlton-level service translated seamlessly, where everything from the pristine turndown service to my morning coffee order arrived without a hiccup. The bed was cloud-soft. The bathroom, with its black and white marble walls and a deep soaking tub, was honestly one of the most photogenic spaces on the entire yacht.
I didn’t expect how meaningful it would feel to have a private terrace on the water. Waking up, stepping outside in a fluffy robe, and having nothing in front of you except miles of open sea is an experience that simply doesn't translate to a land-based hotel, no matter how good the hotel is. It's the single most special thing about the Ilma.
The Johanna Ortiz Touch
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Faith XueFashion and hospitality have been increasingly intertwined (see: the Jacquemus takeover at the Monte Carlo Hotel), and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has joined in the designer takeover trend by outfitting Decks 9 and 10 with custom prints from Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz. Ortiz, best known for her bold tropical prints and breezy designs that are just begging to be worn to sip a Mai Tai on a beach somewhere warm, was tasked by the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection team to add a touch of style and whimsy to the Ilma. The result is a custom print series, which weaves Ortiz's signature sailing rope knot motif through Caribbean-inspired flora: " “feels immersive yet effortless," was the goal, according to Ortiz.
Her La Rumba print lives on Deck 10's Pool Deck, rendered in layered deep blue, while La Siesta takes over Deck 9's Observation Terrace in rich tropical green. "[They] reflect two moods I am always drawn to when I travel," Ortiz says. "Moments of celebration and moments of pause. Both are deeply connected to nature, craftsmanship, and the joy of living."
The Food & Drink
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Faith XueThe Ilma casually boasts five dining venues and seven bars. There’s also a wine vault (!) on board.The food program was developed in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning chefs Fabio Trabocchi and Michael Mina. Thus, it's clear the food is a priority, not an afterthought.
Our trip kicked off on embarkation night with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection x Johanna Ortiz welcome dinner at Beach House on Deck 5. The airy restaurant has an outdoor space overlooking the back deck (this ended up being our favorite place to get lunch on the yacht—don’t skip the soft shell crab burger), but dinner was served indoors and consisted of a fragrant black cod and a chocolate mousse. Dinner the first full night at sea was at Memorī on Deck 4, which became one of my favorite dining locations. As a devoted sushi person, I was immediately won over by the sashimi, which is sliced fresh at the counter in front of you, and stayed for the most decadent and rich slice of black sesame cake, which has haunted my thoughts ever since.
The final night's dinner was at Seta su Ilma on Deck 3, the most formal of Ilma's venues and the only one with an added fee (and worth every penny). Designed with Trabocchi, the menu is Italian at its core: we started with a 24-karat gold-encrusted caviar bite, moved through a perfect lobster ravioli, and finished with the most delicate slice of wagyu. Each course also came with its own pairing, explained thoughtfully by our knowledgable sommelier. Overall, the food was stunning from start to finish, and the service was impeccable—as in, the waiters will remember your exact coffee order the next morning at breakfast, or the specific brand of hot sauce you prefer with your eggs.
The Spa
The Ritz-Carlton Spa on board is everything you'd expect, with the added bonus that you're at sea when you're inside it. I had a deep muscle massage mid-morning on our St. John day and emerged looking like someone who has recently made very good life choices. Don't skip the steam room after your treatment—you’ll practically float back to your room.
The Activities
If you're nervous about spending extended time on a boat, I'll say this: get over it, and also, Ilma is large enough that you'll never feel cramped. But for the adventurous, the yacht docks each day, and the shore excursions are genuinely exceptional.
On the first day, we went on a Maho Bay National Park Turtle Snorkel Sail: a three-hour catamaran excursion aboard the 65-foot Lady Lynsey II through the Virgin Islands National Park, culminating in snorkeling alongside green and hawksbill sea turtles in improbably turquoise water. We ended with a glass of champagne sailing back to Cruz Bay, which felt like exactly the right conclusion.
There’s also the Virgin Gorda Speed Boat Experience, where you’ll spend hours cruising, swimming, and snorkeling through the British Virgin Islands. If Maho Bay was serene, Virgin Gorda is more exhilarating. Both days left plenty of afternoon time on board, which I spent sunbathing (SPF on, always) on the front deck, happily horizontal.
The Secret Spot
My favorite tucked-away space on the Ilma—and, it turns out, Aiguesvives' as well—was the Observation Terrace on Deck 9, where Ortiz's La Siesta print lives. "It's a quieter, more understated area of the yacht and an ideal place to pause and unwind, whether for a mid-day nap or to watch the sunset," she told me. "There's a natural sense of stillness there, where the sea feels endless and time slows down."
On our last evening, the farewell cocktail hour was held right there—and I watched the sky turn every shade of pink and orange before finally going dark, cocktail in hand, thinking: nothing bad can happen to anyone here.
Final Thoughts
Would I go back? Without hesitation, immediately, on the next available sailing. Ilma runs through the Caribbean for the rest of winter 2026 and pivots to the Mediterranean for summer. If you find yourself on the Observation Terrace at golden hour, order the Coconut Veil and stay until the sky fades to pink. It’ll just be you and miles and miles of open ocean as far as your eyes can see. That feeling alone is worth the trip.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's Ilma is currently sailing Caribbean itineraries through winter 2026, with Mediterranean sailings beginning summer 2026. The Johanna Ortiz takeover of Decks 9 and 10 continues through the summer season.