Canadian international hotel and resort company Four Seasons is entering the top end of the cruise market with a newbuild from Italy.
Targeted at the ultra-luxury segment, the 207m vessel to be constructed by Fincantieri will operate under the Four Seasons Yachts brand. The hotel group’s partner for the planned three-ship fleet is the Malta-registered company Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings.
Fincantieri had announced an order earlier this year for such a vessel, plus two options, without revealing the identity of the contractual interests. The first of class, incorporating a distinctive design with an exceptionally large funnel amidships, is due to make her debut towards the end of 2025.
The 14-deck ship will have just 95 suites, incorporating floor-to-ceiling windows, a ceiling height of 2.4m, and expansive terraces. The living space is claimed to be substantially more than that currently available in all-suite, yacht-type cruise vessels, and the guest-to-staff ratio will be 1-to-1. Lead architect for the vessel’s exteriors and interiors is Tillberg Design of Sweden, while London-based Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has also been retained for many of the guest suites.
Technical design work has been implemented at Fincantieri’s Trieste headquarters, near the Monfalcone yard, where the orderbook includes tonnage for Princess Cruises, Cunard, MSC Crociere, and TUI Cruises. Few details of the bespoke Four Seasons newbuild have been revealed, beyond the indication that the vessel will use “green” energy fuels and zero-emission energy sources when possible(such as solar and shoreside electrical power), and will achieve “air emissions far better than international requirements”.
Four Seasons Yachts will be led by cruise industry veteran Larry Pimental, whose career spans Azamara, SeaDream, Cunard and Seabourn. The company’s initial itineraries will be in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
