Four Seasons Yachts: What No One Is Telling You

Let’s start with the thing everyone in the travel industry is talking about: the Four Seasons Yacht is not all-inclusive.

In a world where luxury cruise lines have conditioned travelers to expect that once you’re onboard, everything is covered, Four Seasons made a deliberate and controversial choice: you pay for meals and drinks the same way you would at a Four Seasons hotel. Breakfast is included. Everything else is a la carte.

Travel agents and luxury cruise enthusiasts on forums like Reddit’s Chubby Travel have been vocal about this. Alex Barnes, a well-known voice in that community who sailed on the inaugural voyage, weighed in with her own take. The short version: this is a hotel that happens to move, not a cruise ship that happens to be nice. And Four Seasons is not pretending otherwise.

Is it the right call? Honestly, it depends on what kind of traveler you are. If you want a fixed, predictable cost with no surprises at the end, there are incredible all-inclusive options out there. But if you travel the way many of our clients do, where you want to eat what you want, when you want, exploring the towns you are docking in, this model makes sense. You’re not subsidizing a buffet you’ll never touch.

One of our Alpenglow clients was on Four Seasons I for the inaugural sailing on March 20, 2026, staying in a Seaview Suite. Their verdict? They had a blast. 

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What the Ship Actually Is

Four Seasons I launched on March 20, 2026, and the timing was intentional. It coincides with the 65th anniversary of Four Seasons and the opening of their first hotel, on the first day of spring in 1961. If you know the brand, you know they do not do anything by accident.

At 207 metres, the ship draws from the golden age of yachting, with nods to the legendary Christina O superyacht. It was built by Fincantieri and designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden, with social spaces by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, whose work you’ll recognize from some of the world’s best hotels and restaurants.

There are 95 suites, ranging from 500 to 9,975 square feet. Not a single interior cabin. Every suite has a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows. The ship offers 50 percent more space per passenger than its closest competitors, and you feel it.

Families and groups traveling together can connect up to five suites through modular partitions or private terraces, accommodating up to 16 people. This is something I look for immediately when I’m planning for multi-generational families, and Four Seasons built it in from the start.

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The Funnel Suite

At nearly 10,000 square feet, the Funnel Suite sits at the very top of the ship with wraparound curved glass windows, the largest contiguous piece of glass ever installed at sea. It has its own private terrace and splash pool. The word “suite” genuinely does not cover it. If you have to ask the price, the answer is yes, it is that much, and yes, someone will book it.

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The Transverse Marina

One of the features I keep coming back to is the transverse marina, which opens across both sides of the yacht and puts you directly at sea level. Two retractable platforms, a bar and lounge, and up to 676 square metres of space on marina days. It is the closest thing to a private beach club that actually travels with you.

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The Food (Back to That Pricing Question)

Here’s where the a la carte model starts to make more sense. There are 11 dining venues onboard.

• Sedna features rotating master chefs-in-residence from Four Seasons restaurants around the world.

• Terrasse is the al fresco option, drawing from the Cote d’Azur, with an open kitchen and locally sourced ingredients.

• Miuna is an omakase restaurant that seats only 16 guests, making it one of the most exclusive dining experiences on any ocean.

When your ship has a restaurant that takes omakase seriously, you understand why they are not bundling it into a flat daily rate. This is not cruise ship dining. It is actually good.

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Where You’re Going

The inaugural season covers 32 voyages across 130 destinations in more than 30 countries. In spring and summer 2026, the ship explores the Mediterranean, including Saint-Tropez, Bodrum, Hydra, Montenegro, the Greek Isles, and the Croatian coast. Many of these are ports large ships cannot access, which is a significant part of the appeal.

Winter 2026/2027 takes the ship to the Caribbean and Bahamas, with ports like Grenada, Tobago, and Anguilla. The festive season offers three round-trip, five-night sailings from Miami into the Exuma Sound, one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the world.

Should You Book It?

If you are someone who wants every cost locked in before you travel, this is not the right fit and I will be the first to tell you that. There are exceptional all-inclusive luxury options and I am happy to talk through those.

But if you want a Four Seasons experience at sea, with the intimacy of a private yacht, access to ports that larger ships cannot reach, and the flexibility to spend your days exactly as you want, this ship was built for you. Voyages run five to fourteen nights and availability is limited by design.

What is pricing like? Suites start at $40,000. 

Reach out to us at info@alpenglowtravel.com and we can walk through whether this is the right voyage for you.