Ritz Carlton Yacht FAQs

Below you’ll find helpful information about various travel policies as you prepare for your voyage with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. For complete details, please refer to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Terms & Conditions and Ticket Contract found in the footer of our website. If you have additional questions, please contact your travel professional or our Reservations team and they will be happy to assist you.

Cruise Fare, Inclusions & Fees

Your Cruise Fare

• Cruise fares are per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy and do not include additional taxes, fees, and port charges. Taxes, fees, and port charges vary by voyage and will be added to your invoice at the end of the reservations process.
• Your cruise fare includes suite accommodations, a dedicated Personal Concierge in all suite categories, onboard gratuities for all restaurant, bar and housekeeping services, multiple dining venues, 24-hour in-suite dining, beverages such as beer, select spirits and wines, soft drinks, coffee, tea and bottled water in-suite and throughout the yacht, onboard entertainment and enrichment, use of the marina-style platform with access to watersports, and Wi-Fi.
• Your cruise fare does not include airfare, hotel accommodations, transfers, luggage handling, shore excursions, meals ashore, specialty dining at our Specialty Dining Experience, salon services, spa treatments, upgraded Wi-Fi, or personal purchases from the boutique. Gratuities are not included for salon services or spa treatments. Select specialty champagnes, wine, spirits, and caviar are also not included in the cruise fare. If you wish to bring a quantity of your own wine onboard, a $20 corkage fee per bottle will apply when poured in the dining venues.

Single, Third and Fourth Guests

• The supplement for single occupancy in all suite categories is 200%. Single supplement fares are subject to change on select voyages and sail dates.
• Third and fourth guest occupancy is available on a limited basis at a rate of 50% of the first and second berth. Third and fourth guests must be under the age of 14 years old. A limited number of roll-a-ways are available upon request.

Credit Cards & Currency

• For reservations, payments may be made by American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Wire Transfer and Travel Agency Checks. Once payment has been applied to the reservation, the currency cannot be changed.
• Cash is not accepted for purchases onboard the yacht. Most major credit cards are accepted and will be authorized upon check-in, and any onboard purchases will be charged in US dollars to your onboard account and settled before final disembarkation from the yacht.

Payments, Changes & Cancellations – Cruise Fare

Payment Schedule

• A reservation can be held for three days prior to a deposit being secured. To reserve your voyage, a 25% deposit of the total cruise fare is required outside of 121 days of the voyage departure date. All reservations within 121 days require full payment within three days of the reservation date. Final payment on all reservations is required 120 days prior to the voyage departure date.

Waitlist

• If the voyage of your choice is unavailable, you may request to be placed on the waitlist by making a USD $1,000 per person deposit. If the waitlist clears, the deposit is applied toward your scheduled payment requirements. If the waitlist does not clear, your  deposit is fully refundable.

Reservation Transfers

• Reservations may be transferred to the travel professional of your choice within 30 days of your original deposit. We highly recommend speaking to your Travel Professional before requesting a reservations transfer. In order to fulfill the transfer request, please contact a Yacht Vacation Consultant with the contact information of the Travel Professional you wish to transfer your reservation to. Please note, this service is offered on a one-time basis, and reservations that are made within final payment or paid in full cannot be transferred.

Cancellations & Refunds

• In the event that you need to cancel your voyage, you or your travel professional are required to contact our Reservations Department. If a cancellation request is received 121 days prior to the voyage departure date, and a deposit is already paid on the reservation, you will receive a full refund less an administrative fee of $250 per person. While this administrative fee is non-refundable, you may transfer this fee to a new reservation made within one year of the cancelled reservation.
• Proper name changes such as “Bill” to “William” are accepted, yet double name changes are not permitted and constitute a cancellation.
• Cancellation requests received within 120 days of the voyage departure date will be subject to the following cancellation fees:
  • 120 to 91 days prior to the voyage departure date:  25% cancellation fee
  • 90 to 61 days prior to the voyage departure date:  50% cancellation fee
  • 60 to 31 days prior to the voyage departure date:  75% cancellation fee
  • 30 days or less prior to the voyage departure date:  100% cancellation fee
• Additional air, hotel, pre- and post-land programs and special event fees may apply.
• Refunds will be provided in the original currency and method of payment, according to our cancellation policy.

Payments & Cancellations – Land Programs

The Shore Collection

• The Shore Collection excursions are available for booking 120 to 7 days prior to embarkation. Cancellation requests received more than 24 hours prior to port arrival will not result in a cancellation fee. Payment can be made onboard with your final invoice. (Specialty tours like flightseeing, golf, diving, etc. will need to be pre-purchased and will have a 30-day cancellation penalty prior to port arrival, which will be noted in the tour description at booking.)

Pre- & Post-Land Programs and Overland Programs

• Pre- & Post-Land Programs and Overland Programs are available for booking 300 to 30 days prior to embarkation. To reserve your voyage, a 25% deposit of the total is required outside of 121 days of the voyage departure date. Final payment on all reservations is required 120 days prior to the voyage departure date. (A minimum number of participants must be met to operate the tour. If minimum number is not met, a private option will be available at a higher price.)
• Cancellation requests received within 120 days of the voyage departure date will be subject to the following cancellation fees:
  • 121+ days  prior to the voyage departure date: no penalty
  • 120 to 91 days prior to the voyage departure date:  25% cancellation fee
  • 90 to 61 days prior to the voyage departure date:  50% cancellation fee
  • 60 to 31 days prior to the voyage departure date:  75% cancellation fee
  • 30 days or less prior to the voyage departure date:  100% cancellation fee

Concierge Ashore

• Private arrangements can be arranged 120 to 7 days prior to embarkation, and also onboard the yacht. To arrange a bespoke tour through the Concierge Ashore, a non-refundable, non-transferrable $100 administrative fee will apply and be credited towards the tour price. Private tour arrangements require payment in full upon booking. Cancellation terms will vary by tour and will be advised upon booking.

Marquee Events

• The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection may offer access to exclusive international sporting events and cultural celebrations that require advance purchase. These special events require payment in full upon booking. Cancellation terms will vary by event and will be advised upon booking.

Flights, Hotels & Transfers

Allow our Yacht Vacation Consultants to design a seamless travel experience for you from beginning to end. Find peace of mind with our customized reservation arrangements, where every logistical detail of your vacation experience has been considered. Choose your preferred airline and class of service or allow us to help facilitate your private air arrangements. Additional services such as luggage shipments and ground transfers can also be arranged for an additional fee.

Concierge Air

• Select your preferred schedule, flights and airlines with our customized air program, available from most major U.S./Canadian cities, as early as 300 days prior to date of sailing. Private jet service can also be arranged.

Hotel Program

• As a member of one of the most prestigious hotel brands in the world, we are pleased to offer access to premiere Ritz-Carlton® and Marriott luxury properties worldwide. Your Yacht Vacation Consultant can seamlessly arrange your pre-arrival and post-voyage hotel stays and special events as early as 300 days prior to sailing, creating the perfect complement to your voyage.

Transfers

• Group and private transfers can be arranged as early as 300 days prior to sailing or onboard the yacht for an additional fee. Transfers between the airport and the pier, or between the pier and the hotel are available on embarkation and debarkation days to allow for a stress-free experience.

Luggage Handling

• Our luggage valet program provides guests with the option to have all luggage shipped directly from their home to the yacht. Guests wishing to take advantage of this service should advise their Yacht Vacation Consultant at the time of reservation.

Health & Medical

Health & Medical Requirements

• Guests with any disability, including those primarily confined to wheelchairs or scooters, are medically oxygen dependent, are hearing impaired or use service animals, must notify The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection at the time of reservation.

Inoculations

• Inoculation requirements vary by destination and often change. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will inform all guests of the health requirements; however, it is the responsibility of each guest to obtain the required vaccinations with a signed international certificate of vaccination. We encourage you to contact your personal physician with any health concerns. Failure to comply may result in refusal or passage by customs and immigration authorities.

Medical Facilities

• The yacht is equipped with an onboard medical center and physician.

Pregnancy

• Expectant mothers are required to supply a medical certificate to validate that it is safe for them to travel at the time they are due to set sail. Please note, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection cannot accommodate women who have entered their 24th week of pregnancy.

Service Animals

• All service animal inquiries should be discussed with your Yacht Vacation Consultant  at the time of booking. Service dogs are allowed onboard the yacht, but prior approval is required. Service animal requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must be in compliance with ADA requirements. All service dogs should be qualified with the appropriate documentation verifying certification of the service animal for that specific guest prior to sailing. Guests traveling with a service animal should independently consult local authorities at each port of call to determine approval to travel. Service dogs do not include pets, service dogs in training, or emotional support dogs based on a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice, and as such, these animals will not be permitted onboard the yacht.

Traveling with Minors

Ritz-Kids®

• Families exploring the world together are welcome aboard The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. With its own dedicated space on board, Ritz-Kids® is an educational and fun-filled program that encourages children ages 4 to 12 to explore the world around them. Enhanced programming will be available during holidays and summer months.

Minimum Age Requirements

• The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection welcomes children age 6 months or older. Fare for infants 6 months to two years of age is 25% of the first and second berth, when reserved as the third berth in the suite. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 21 years old. On voyages with three or more consecutive days at sea, the minimum age for children is one year of age. Children under the age of 5 years are not permitted on Zodiacs.

Childcare

• Babysitting services are not available onboard. A limited number of cribs are available onboard on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Savings & Incentive Programs

Combined Voyage Incentive

• Most of our itineraries allow guests the opportunity to combine voyages back-to-back without repeating the same ports, offering the perfect option to extend your time on board. Plus, enjoy a 5% cruise fare savings incentive when combining two or more consecutive voyages. Terms and conditions apply, see special offer page for more details.

Onboard Incentive

• Enjoy a cruise fare savings incentive when you reserve your next voyage while onboard the yacht. To reserve your future voyage with one of our onboard Yacht Vacation Consultants, floating deposit is required, and you will have one year to select your voyage. Our reservations team will contact your Travel Professional of record to assist you with your future travel plans. Terms and conditions apply, see special offer page for more details

Smoking

• Smoking onboard is only permitted in The Humidor on Deck 10.

Travel Documents

Passports & Visas

• Passports are required for all guests boarding the yacht and must be valid for six months after the voyage’s completion date. Due to airline security measures, your passport name must match the name on your airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.
• Visa requirements and passport regulations vary by destination. It is the responsibility of each guest to obtain the valid travel and health documents prior to their voyage. Any guest traveling without the proper documentation will not be allowed to board the yacht.
• We encourage you to visit Pinnacle Travel Document Systems for assistance with visa and U.S. passport processing at PinnacleTDS.com, or by calling 1-888-838-4867.

Travel Protection Program

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Travel Protection Program is a package of travel insurance coverage and non-insurance emergency assistance services designed to meet the particular needs of our guests. One major benefit is that the program reimburses you for cancellation penalties or provides reimbursement for the unused portion of your trip should it be interrupted, when you are forced to cancel or interrupt your trip due to a covered reason. Click here to learn more.