Think of the most luxurious hotel you have ever stayed in — and now imagine it floating. The Four Seasons hotel chain is making its first move onto the water, launching Four Seasons I, a yacht-hotel it says will redefine the rules of the game.
Forget thousands of passengers and crowded pools. The vessel is designed as an exclusive club for just 222 guests, with a one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio and interiors intended to make the sea feel like a private backdrop.
Behind the branding is a technical specification built by Fincantieri in Trieste, at an estimated cost of 400 million euros. The yacht stretches 207 meters (679 feet) in length and rises 14 decks high — dimensions often associated with ships carrying several times as many passengers. In this case, however, the decision to limit capacity to just 95 suites creates one of the highest space-to-guest ratios in the global cruise industry.
The operating model relies on an extensive staff to maintain the unusual one crew member per guest standard, a level of service intended to distinguish the ship from competitors in the luxury category.
And what does the experience cost? That depends on the depth of your pockets. A weeklong stay in a standard suite starts at about $20,000. The real peak, however, is the Funnel Suite.
Located within the yacht’s glass funnel structure, the four-level, roughly 892-square-meter (9,600-square-foot) suite includes three bedrooms, a private elevator, a plunge pool and a private gym. Industry estimates and specialized travel sites put the price between $320,000 and $350,000 per week.
Unlike the traditional all-inclusive cruise model, Four Seasons has opted for an urban hotel approach, with the room rate covering breakfast only. Lunch, dinner and cocktails by the pool are billed separately. The company’s official website recommends guests budget about $250 per person per day for food, beverages and “indulgences,” potentially adding thousands of dollars to the final price of a voyage.
The yacht will feature 11 restaurants and bars, including Mediterranean dining venues and a high-end sushi bar.
One of the yacht’s most notable engineering features is its “beach club,” positioned midship rather than at the stern, as is customary on most yachts, with massive doors that open on both sides. The innovation, known as the Transverse Marina, creates “floating islands” on either side of the vessel, allowing guests to jump into the water, take out a jet ski or sunbathe on a sea-level deck.
At the stern, a 20-meter (66-foot) pool — among the largest at sea — features a movable floor that rises in the evening to transform the space into an event venue.
Although initial plans called for a Caribbean debut, recent updates indicate the yacht will officially launch its inaugural season in March 2026 in the Mediterranean. The first itineraries, branded Grand Mediterranean, will include stops in the Greek islands, Croatia, Montenegro, the French Riviera and Italy. The yacht’s relatively compact size will allow it to dock at smaller, more exclusive ports inaccessible to larger cruise ships.
At the helm
Commanding the floating hotel is one of the most recognizable figures in the global cruise industry: Capt. Kate McCue, 47. McCue is widely seen as a strategic hire for Four Seasons.
In 2015, she made history as the first American woman to captain a mega-ton cruise ship and arrives at her new post after a decade with Celebrity Cruises. During her tenure there, she not only commanded some of the industry’s largest vessels but also championed a clear agenda to expand female representation on the bridge, increasing it from 4% to 30%.
Her move to Four Seasons has been viewed within the industry as a significant vote of confidence in the new venture, as she left a secure leadership position to join what is effectively a maritime startup that has yet to launch its first ship.
McCue is also a social media personality, boasting more than 4.5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, where she has offered daily glimpses into life behind the scenes on the bridge. For years, her trademark companion was her hairless sphynx cat, Bug Naked, who became a mascot of sorts in the cruise world before its death in late 2024.
At Four Seasons, executives are counting in part on that charisma. McCue’s ability to cultivate personal connections with guests is central to the yacht’s concept. “Yachting truly embodies the essence of the sea – calm, effortless and deeply rejuvenating,” McCue said upon her appointment, pledging to shape a new service standard in which the captain is not a distant figure but part of the guest experience.