Holiday travel no longer has to mean choosing between a private villa, a five-star resort, or a classic cruise. For travelers who want luxury, ease, and a different holiday adventure, the new generation of luxury super yachts offers this: spacious suites, polished service, destination-rich days, and celebrations that unfold at sea.
For December 2026 through January 2027, Explora Journeys, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and Four Seasons Yachts are each presenting festive voyages with their own sense of place. These are not traditional cruise vacations. They are designed for travelers who already value five-star hotels, private terraces, thoughtful dining, and a more refined way to explore.
This guide highlights the voyages each brand is offering, with a focus on the luxury experience, the yachts, and the destinations that make each sailing special. Availability for these holiday sailings should be confirmed with a KJ Travel advisor.
Explora Journeys
Explora Journeys brings a contemporary style to luxury cruising. The brand is polished, design-forward, and deeply focused on what it calls an “Ocean State of Mind.” For travelers looking to set sail during the holidays, that means elegant spaces, thoughtful dining, wellness, and itineraries that feel less rushed than a traditional cruise.
The Yachts to Know
Explora I - Is the brand’s original ship and sets the tone for the Explora style: intimate, ocean-facing, and designed to feel closer to a private yacht than a large cruise ship. The yacht features ocean-front suites, multiple dining venues, heated pools, lounges, and wellness-focused spaces.
Explora II - Is the yacht to watch for travelers who want the Mediterranean during the holiday season. She is positioned as a sanctuary for cultural discovery, ocean views, and slower travel. For winter 2026/2027, Explora has dedicated EXPLORA II to its Mediterranean program, with sailings through Southern Europe and North Africa.
Explora III - Brings the brand’s newest expression of luxury to the Caribbean holiday season. She is designed with a private-yacht feeling, generous space, and a strong connection to the sea. Her December 2026 holiday voyages focus on festive Caribbean islands, warm evenings, and New Year celebrations at sea.
A Mediterranean Winter on EXPLORA II
For travelers looking for something different during the holidays, Explora II offers a quieter winter take on the Mediterranean. Rather than beach clubs and summer crowds, this is about historic cities, coastal views, art, architecture, and a slower seasonal pace.
12-Night Mediterranean & Atlantic Voyage
Barcelona to Lisbon
December 9–21, 2026
Itinerary highlights include:
Ceuta, Casablanca, and Arrecife in Lanzarote.
7-Night Christmas Week Mediterranean Voyage
Lisbon to Barcelona
December 21–28, 2026
Itinerary highlights include:
Gibraltar, Málaga, and Alicante.
Caribbean Festive Voyages on EXPLORA III
These voyages bring together sunlit islands, celebratory evenings at sea, and the ease of unpacking once while exploring several destinations. For travelers dreaming of warm weather over Christmas and New Year.
16-Night Festive Caribbean Voyage
Miami to Miami
December 20, 2026 – January 5, 2027
Itinerary highlights include:
Ocho Rios, Catalina Island, Jost Van Dyke, Philipsburg, Charlotte Amalie, San Juan, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Cruz Bay, Samaná, and Puerto Plata.
8-Night New Year’s Caribbean Voyage
San Juan to Miami
December 28, 2026 – January 5, 2027
Itinerary highlights include:
St.John’s, Guadeloupe, Tortola, Samaná and Puerto Plata
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Holiday Voyages
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brings the feeling of a luxury hotel brand to the sea. Its yachts are built for travelers who want a polished, familiar hospitality style, but with the intimacy and flexibility of yacht-style travel.
The Yachts to Know
Ilma - is the first 5-start cruise ship and the one leading the brand’s Caribbean holiday program.This vessel has 224 suites, each with a private terrace, along with a large pool deck, multiple dining venues, a spa, and an expanded marina-style platform for access to the sea. Her design is sleek, spacious, and made for warm-weather sailing.
Evrima - is the first yacht in The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fleet. She has 149 suites, each with a private terrace, giving the experience a more intimate scale. Evrima is well-suited for travelers who want a quieter, more personal yacht vacation with the service style of Ritz-Carlton.
Luminara -is the newest superyacht in the fleet and is part of the brand’s Asia-Pacific winter program. She features 226 suites with private terraces, five restaurants, seven bars, a wine vault, an expanded marina, and The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Luminara is designed for longer, more far-reaching journeys with a strong sense of space and refinement.
Caribbean Holiday Voyages on Ilma
For classic warm-weather holiday travel, Ilma brings The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to the Caribbean with winter departures from San Juan and Miami. These voyages are designed around island harbors, coral reefs, cultural ports, and the easy rhythm of the Caribbean at sea.
7-Night New Year’s Caribbean Voyage
San Juan to San Juan
December 28, 2026 – January 4, 2027
This is one of the key festive sailings aboard Ilma, ideal for travelers who want to celebrate New Year’s in the Caribbean without committing to a longer holiday itinerary.
Itinerary highlights include:
Bequia, Canouan, Soufrière in St. Lucia, St. John’s in Antigua, and Virgin Gorda.
Additional Winter Caribbean Sailings
San Juan and Miami departures
December 2026 – January 2027
Beyond the New Year’s sailing, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s broader Winter 2026/2027 Caribbean program includes more than 20 voyages, with departures from both San Juan and Miami.
Itinerary highlights may include:
Island harbors, coral reefs, cultural ports, and Caribbean coastlines across the region.
French Polynesia Holiday Voyages on Evrima
For travelers who want the holidays to feel far away from the ordinary, Evrima brings The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to French Polynesia during the December 2026 and January 2027 season. These voyages are designed around turquoise lagoons, reef life, volcanic peaks, and the slower rhythm of the South Pacific.
7-Night French Polynesia Voyage
Papeete to Papeete
December 15–22, 2026
Itinerary highlights include:
Taha’a, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, and Mo’orea.
7-Night New Year’s French Polynesia Voyage
Papeete to Papeete
December 29, 2026 – January 5, 2027
Itinerary highlights include:
Taha’a, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, and Mo’orea.
Asia-Pacific Holiday Voyages on Luminara
For guests drawn to culture, city energy, tropical islands, and longer journeys, Luminara brings The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to Asia-Pacific during the holiday season. These voyages are designed around vibrant cities, island landscapes, cultural heritage, and a more far-flung way to celebrate the season.
11-Night Asia Holiday Voyage
Bangkok to Hong Kong
December 23, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Itinerary highlights include:
Koh Samui, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong Bay, and Hong Kong.
13-Night Asia-Pacific Voyage
Hong Kong to Bali
January 3–16, 2027
This longer journey is a beautiful post-New Year option for travelers who want to continue into the season with a more adventurous island-focused itinerary.
Itinerary highlights include:
Salomague, El Nido, Busuanga, Boracay, Cebu, Komodo, Lombok, and Bali.
Four Seasons Yachts Holiday Voyages
Four Seasons Yachts brings the Four Seasons hotel experience to the water with a strong focus on space, privacy, dining, wellness, and residential-style design. For the December 2026 through January 2027 holiday season, the brand is focused on the Caribbean and Bahamas aboard Four Seasons I.
The Yacht to Know
Four Seasons I - is the first yacht from Four Seasons Yachts. The vessel is a 679-foot yacht with 95 suites, private terraces, panoramic windows, and a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio. The yacht is designed to feel residential and spacious, with world-class dining, wellness, entertainment, and suite configurations that work especially well for families and groups.
For multigenerational travelers, the suite setup is especially notable. Four Seasons has highlighted flexible connecting-suite options, including configurations that can connect up to five suites for larger families or groups.
Christmas and New Year’s Voyages on Four Seasons I
For travelers looking for a festive Caribbean escape, Four Seasons I offers several holiday-season voyages across the Caribbean and Bahamas. These sailings are designed around white-sand beaches, yacht-friendly harbors, warm-weather celebrations, and the residential-style comfort of Four Seasons at sea.
7-Night Pre-Holiday Caribbean Voyage
Philipsburg to Miami
December 13–20, 2026
This sailing is ideal for travelers who want an early festive escape before the peak Christmas week.
Itinerary highlights include:
Anguilla, Antigua, and Sint Maarten.
7-Night Christmas Caribbean Voyage
Miami to Philipsburg
December 20–27, 2026
Itinerary highlights include:
Jost Van Dyke, St. Barths, Barbuda, and Marie-Galante.
14-Night Holiday Caribbean Voyage
Miami to Miami
December 20, 2026 – January 3, 2027
This longer holiday sailing is designed for travelers who want to be away for both Christmas and New Year’s.
Itinerary highlights include:
Jost Van Dyke, St. Barths, Sint Maarten, Nevis, Guadeloupe, and other Caribbean ports.
7-Night New Year’s Caribbean Voyage
Philipsburg to Miami
December 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
This New Year’s sailing is ideal for travelers who want to ring in 2027 in the Caribbean.
Itinerary highlights include:
Sint Maarten, Antigua, Nevis, and Exuma Sound.
January 2027 Bahamas and Caribbean Voyages
Miami and Caribbean departures
After New Year’s, Four Seasons I continues with shorter Bahamas sailings and a longer Grand Caribbean voyage later in the month.
Itinerary highlights include:
Exuma Sound, Tobago, Dominica, Marie-Galante, and Le Diamant in Martinique.
These sailings work well for travelers looking for a January reset, with clear Bahamian waters, nature-rich Caribbean islands, and a slower post-holiday pace.
Final Thoughts
For the December 2026 through January 2027 holiday season, these three luxury yacht brands are giving travelers several beautiful ways to celebrate.
Explora Journeys brings a choice of warm Caribbean festivities and a quieter Mediterranean winter. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection opens the season across the Caribbean, French Polynesia, and Asia-Pacific. Four Seasons Yachts brings its first festive season to the Caribbean and Bahamas with a highly residential, resort-style yacht experience.
For luxury travelers, the appeal is simple: unpack once, celebrate beautifully, and let the holiday unfold across the water. If you're ready to learn more about each voyage and their availability for the holiday seasons and beyong, get in touch with a KJ Travel advisor today.
FAQ’s About Holiday Voyages
Which luxury yacht brands are offering holiday voyages in December 2026 and January 2027?
Explora Journeys, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and Four Seasons Yachts all have published holiday-season or winter-season voyages for the December 2026 through January 2027 period. Explora is sailing the Caribbean and Mediterranean, Ritz-Carlton Yachts is sailing the Caribbean, French Polynesia, and Asia-Pacific, and Four Seasons Yachts is sailing the Caribbean and Bahamas.
Is anyone offering Mediterranean voyages during the holidays?
Yes. EXPLORA II from November 2026 through March 2027, including December 2026 with sailings through the Mediterranean and Western Europe.
Which brands are offering Caribbean holiday voyages?
All three brands have Caribbean or Bahamas options during the December 2026 through January 2027 holiday window. Explora Journeys has Caribbean winter voyages aboard EXPLORA III, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has Caribbean voyages aboard Ilma, and Four Seasons Yachts has Caribbean and Bahamas voyages aboard Four Seasons I.
Are there New Year’s yacht voyages for 2027?
Yes. Explora III has Caribbean voyages that include New Year. Ilma has a December 28, 2026 roundtrip San Juan New Year’s voyage, and Four Seasons I has a December 27, 2026–January 3, 2027 New Year’s sailing featuring Nevis and Exuma Sound.
Are these voyages good for families and multigenerational groups?
Yes, many of these yachts can work well for families and multigenerational travelers, especially when planned early and matched to the right suite configuration. Four Seasons Yachts specifically highlights flexible connecting-suite options for larger groups, while Explora Journeys and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offer suite-based accommodations with a luxury hospitality focus. Specific suite layouts, occupancy limits, connecting options, and children’s programming should be confirmed before booking.
Do holiday yacht voyages sell out early?
Holiday sailings are typically high-demand because they fall over Christmas, New Year’s, and winter school breaks. Availability can change quickly, and some festive voyages may move to waitlist or limited availability well before departure. Travelers considering these sailings should confirm space early before building plans around a specific date or itinerary.