Ritz-Carlton Evrima, the first yacht in The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, opens her first-ever French Polynesia season next month. A 12-night sailing leaves Honolulu for Papeete on 3 December 2026, the first seven-night Papeete round-trip departs on 15 December, and the New Year’s voyage leaves Papeete on 29 December. Fares weren’t published on the official pages I checked on 2 November 2026.
The program itself isn’t new: Marriott International announced it in June 2025 in the winter 2026-27 release, which covers 32 new voyages across two ships. What is new is that it is about to happen: on 2 November, Evrima was crossing the North East Atlantic toward San Juan, ahead of a Panama Canal transit from 12 to 19 November. Her larger sister Luminara spends January and February 2027 in Indonesia, calling at Komodo, Rinca, Lombok and Bali.
Ritz-Carlton Evrima in French Polynesia: Key Facts
Figures come from the official release unless marked otherwise.
- Operator: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (Marriott International)
- Ship: Evrima, launched October 2022
- Built by: Barreras, Vigo (per CruiseMapper)
- Length: 624 ft
- Suites: 149, all with private terraces
- Guests: up to 298
- Crew: 246 (per CruiseMapper)
- Season: 13 voyages of 7 to 12 nights, 3 December 2026 to March 2027
- Islands named: Bora Bora, Mo’orea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, plus Fanning Island in Kiribati
- Fares from: not published on the official pages checked (2 November 2026)
How the Polynesia Season Runs
The season opens on Thursday 3 December with a 12-night crossing from Honolulu. Agency schedules show calls at Kailua-Kona and Kahului on Maui, a stop at Fanning Island in Kiribati on 9 December, then Bora Bora on 13 December and Mo’orea on 14 December before Evrima reaches Papeete on 15 December.
From there, seven-night Papeete round-trips leave every Tuesday from 15 December 2026 to 23 February 2027. The New Year’s departure runs 29 December to 5 January; agency listings put Huahine on New Year’s Eve, followed by Taha’a, Raiatea, two days at Bora Bora and a last call at Mo’orea.
A 12-night return from Papeete to Honolulu on 2 March 2027 closes the season. Hawaii (Kona, Kahului and Hilo, per the release) appears only on these two positioning legs: there are no Hawaii round-trips.
What Evrima Does in a Lagoon
Evrima’s marina platform is the piece of hardware that matters here: it is built for swimming and paddling straight off the yacht, which is exactly how you want to meet the lagoons of Bora Bora and Taha’a. Ashore, the operator lists Polynesian dance, visits to marae (traditional ceremonial sites), wood carving, and tapa and shell-jewelry workshops.
Luminara in Indonesia: Komodo, Lombok and Bali
Luminara is the larger sister: 241 meters, 46,750 GT, built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in 2025, with 452 guests and 374 crew per CruiseMapper. This winter she sails 19 voyages of 5 to 14 nights in Asia, adding 10 new ports. I’ve already covered her first Alaska season; this is her Asian winter.
Her Indonesian run begins when a 13-night voyage from Hong Kong, via the Philippines, reaches Benoa in Bali on 16 January 2027. The operator’s season page highlights a Rinca stop to see Komodo dragons. Agency schedules show these departures:
| Departure | Route | Nights | Indonesian calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jan 2027 | Hong Kong to Benoa (Bali) | 13 | Komodo, Lombok, Bali |
| 16 Jan 2027 | Benoa round-trip | 5 | Labuan Bajo, Komodo (Marina Day), Lombok |
| 21 Jan 2027 | Benoa to Phuket | 11 | Komodo, Semarang |
| 1 Feb 2027 | Phuket to Benoa | 11 | Semarang, Komodo |
| 12 Feb 2027 | Benoa to Singapore | 9 | Komodo, Lombok, Semarang |
The five-night Benoa round-trip on 16 January is the one I’d look at first: the shortest of Luminara’s Indonesian sailings, with a Marina Day in Komodo Bay, a call at Labuan Bajo and a stop at Lembar on Lombok. The release also names the Gili Islands, though the agency schedules I checked don’t tie them to a specific departure.
Why It Matters
French Polynesia suits Ritz-Carlton Evrima: lagoon islands like Bora Bora and Taha’a reward a marina platform, and weekly Tuesday departures from Papeete pair easily with a resort stay.
Komodo is more complicated. Komodo National Park’s best sites are already busy with liveaboards, and putting up to 452 guests onto Rinca’s dragon trails is a different proposition from arriving on a 38-meter sailing boat. This is not for divers chasing Komodo’s mantas and currents: a Marina Day in Komodo Bay is not a dive itinerary.
In June 2026, Seatrade Cruise News reported a $338 million refinancing: $167 million of shareholder equity plus about $171 million in deferred lender payments. The same report put Q1 2026 revenue at $97 million, up 106 percent, with record bookings of $134 million. The 2025 release quoted President Ernesto Fara on the aim to “unlock the world’s most extraordinary places through exclusive privileged access.” I read the new regions as part of the plan to fill those yachts.
Prices and How to Book
Fares weren’t published on the official Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection pages I checked on 2 November 2026, and the “from” prices agencies quote for the same Ritz-Carlton Evrima and Luminara departures differ by more than 20 percent, so I’m not printing a figure. Both programs are bookable through The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and cruise specialists; ask for the current fare and what it includes on your exact departure.
Readers connecting to Benoa (Bali) on Indonesian domestic flights often find international cards declined on local airline sites; Trip.com lists all carriers and accepts them.
For a far smaller, private alternative in the same islands, see Spirit of Ponant II, a 10-guest charter.
The Lens I’m Reading This Through
I haven’t sailed with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The nearest yacht-style ship I’ve reviewed is Ponant’s Le Ponant in Greece, which I rated 4/5: 32 guests out of Lavrio, with food the highlight. Evrima carries nearly ten times as many guests.
Komodo I know from the water. In July 2024 I sailed 12 days from Bali to Komodo on Tiare, a 38-meter sailing vessel with six cabins and a maximum of 12 divers, and rated it 5/5. We had Manta Alley to ourselves with about 30 mantas, but Batu Bolong and Manta Point were crowded, and there was litter near the Komodo ranger station. That’s why group size runs through my Komodo liveaboards round-up, and why I’d want to know how Luminara staggers 452 guests at Rinca before I booked.
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This preview is based on official announcements — I haven’t sailed aboard Evrima or Luminara yet. Read more about how I review or visit my Work With Me page.
