The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Luminara Begins Its First Asian Season in Hong Kong

Luminara, the newest ship of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, arrived in Hong Kong on 13 January 2026. It was the ship’s first call at the city and the start of the company’s first season in Asia. The yacht had begun its Asian sailings from Singapore in December 2025.

The ship

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection was created by the hotel company to offer voyages at sea in the manner of its hotels. Its ships are larger than private yachts and smaller than most cruise ships, and are designed to resemble the former. Luminara is the third and the largest. It is 242 metres long, measures 46,750 gross tons, and carries 452 guests in 226 suites. Every suite has a private terrace.

There are five restaurants and seven bars on board. At the stern, a marina platform opens at water level when the ship is at anchor, so that guests can swim and use paddleboards and small boats directly from the yacht.

The season

From January to the middle of April 2026 the yacht sailed from Hong Kong on voyages that end in Singapore or in Tokyo, or return to Hong Kong, and the same in reverse. Most last between seven and fourteen nights. The ports of call include Osaka, Incheon for Seoul, Ha Long Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. The itineraries were announced in 2024 and favour long stays and overnight calls, so that passengers can dine ashore.

The company’s chief executive, Ernesto Fara, said the itineraries were meant to let guests experience the region in a more intimate and unhurried way. The Hong Kong Tourism Board welcomed the call as evidence of the city’s appeal to the top end of the cruise market. The company has announced a second Asian season for Luminara, from October 2026 to April 2027, with nineteen voyages and new ports that include Cebu, Naha and Miyazaki. Dates and itineraries are on the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s official site.

For travellers

The arrival is part of a wider movement of small luxury ships into Asian waters. Until recently the choice in the region lay between large cruise ships and a few expedition vessels. Yachts of this kind call at ports that the big ships cannot enter and spend more time in each.

Hotels on the Kowloon waterfront, convenient for the cruise terminals, include The Peninsula and Rosewood Hong Kong. A night or two in the city before sailing allows time for the museums of West Kowloon, described in our guide to Hong Kong’s cultural decade.

Travellers who prefer something smaller have other options in the region. Aqua Blu carries thirty guests through eastern Indonesia, and the floating ryokan guntû has nineteen cabins on the Seto Inland Sea.