Skift Take
Aman has postponed the launch of its first yacht-style cruise offering until at least 2027. When it debuts, the palatial motor yacht will fuse Eastern mystique and minimalist chic.
Aman, in partnership with Cruise Saudi, plans to debut an ultra-luxury motor yacht in 2027 for small-ship cruising. The luxury group said the vessel will be the world’s first convergence between an ultra-luxury ship and a private yacht.
Aman’s offering will compete with the luxury yacht-style cruise ships pioneered by Marriott International’s The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Four Seasons Yacht and Accor’s Orient Express Silenseas are other luxury yachts soon to debut. Together, the four luxury hospitality brands may create a $5 billion-a-year luxury yacht cruise segment.
Here’s what we know about Aman’s upcoming yacht-style cruises.
1. Aman on the Water
Aman Group CEO Vlad Doronin recently told the Wall Street Journal that his company is worth $4.5 billion. Doronin recently told Skift that the company has 36 hotels across the Aman and Janu brands and 38 projects in development, including an emerging set of branded residences and a new line of furnishings and decor.
Aman’s luxury motor yacht is provisionally named Aman at Sea. First planned to debut in 2025, Aman now says the first ship will set sail in 2027 because of construction delays. Italy’s T. Mariotti shipyard began cutting the steel to create the ship in March.
For the new sailing ship, Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design will create the decor and furnishings, with a theme of “tranquility” that will blend Aman’s eastern heritage with a contemporary style.
2. Ship Specs
Aman has revealed a few specifications for the yacht, which will be only about a third of a mile long, or 600 feet. The vessel will accommodate 100 passengers in 50 suites, each with a private balcony.
The shipmaker said the vessel would be the world’s first dual-fuel powered new-build cruise ship, using both marine diesel oil and methanol to run. The dual power is supposed to release fewer carbon emissions than traditional cruise ships depending on the source of the methanol.
3. Amenities
The vessel will offer more than one restaurant, a club lounge, an oversized spa with a Japanese-style garden, two helipads, and a “beach club” with direct water access at the stern for watersports.
Aman at Sea will offer more service than standard cruise ships, with a planned two staff members per guest.
4. Saudi Backing
Aman is creating the ship in a joint venture with Cruise Saudi, a company backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The move aligns with Saudi’s ambitions to expand its tourism and cruise industry.
5. Aman at Sea’s New Leadership
Late last year, Aman Group appointed Jonathan Wilson as CEO of its luxury yacht brand. Wilson will lead the development and operation of the vessel.
Aman is no stranger to maritime adventures. Since 2015, it has been offering voyages on its sailing ship, Amandira Yacht. That twin-masted Phisini vessel offers bespoke, small-group itineraries.
