Four Seasons Yachts are best booked through Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisors. They can get you the best price, and also add a shipboard credit. Ford and his team are happy to help with any requests, and can be reached at [email protected].
Hello from Dubrovnik, as I just completed a cruise with Four Seasons Yachts, which is Four Seasons’ new cruising venture. I’ve been fascinated by the recent trend of luxury hotel groups launching cruise brands, and it’s wild to see how quickly this industry is evolving.
Several months ago I sailed with Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and had a great time, all things considered. Now the industry has moved even more upmarket, with the launch of Four Seasons Yachts’ first ship, Four Seasons 1. This has essentially been marketed as a Four Seasons resort at sea, aimed squarely at non-cruisers (including that most food & drinks aren’t even included, a major departure from the norm in the cruising industry).
I’ll be publishing a very detailed review soon, but I would first like to provide some initial thoughts on the experience. Did the Four Seasons Yacht live up to my (very high) expectations? Not quite.
On the plus side, the ship is beyond gorgeous, and the suites are incredible and unlike anything the industry has seen up until this point. The staff couldn’t be lovelier, and they really had a passion for taking care of guests.
That being said, I definitely felt like there were a number of teething problems that should’ve been worked out at this point, especially given the rates being charged. I’m a huge fan of Four Seasons, and generally what stands out to me most about the brand is the incredibly consistent service. That’s still missing from the Four Seasons Yacht, despite the promise of this being a resort at sea.
I trust Four Seasons can work out these issues and make the experience (close to) perfect, but I’m just a bit disappointed that it’s taking so long. Here’s the thing, though — a vast majority of people onboard we spoke to commented something along the lines of “yeah, there were some real issues, but we’d do it again.” So I guess on balance, that’s an endorsement of the experience.
For what it’s worth, our seven night cruise retailed for a staggering $35K in a base room, though we initially booked a sailing that was delayed, so we could rebook with a 30% discount, and get an additional shipboard credit. Let me of course acknowledge this is a massive amount to spend on a cruise, but Ford is increasingly booking a lot of cruises for clients, so it was an investment worth making.
In this post:
The Four Seasons Yacht is absolutely stunning
Four Seasons 1 is a gorgeous and spacious ship. It’s 679 feet (207 meters) long, 89 feet (27 meters) wide, has 15(ish) decks, and is 34,000 gross tons. With just 95 suites onboard, the amount of space allocated to each guest is simply next level.
I’ll of course have a detailed review, but the design of this ship is of a different caliber than anything I’ve seen before. I was just in awe at the design, and I can’t imagine how much was spent on fitting this ship to bring it up to this standard.
Quite honestly, design-wise, this is next level compared to Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. I often forgot I was on a ship, because so many of the facilities are built to “land” standards, from the hallways, to the spa, and more. It is physically the pinnacle of luxury.
Four Seasons Yacht suites are massive & luxurious
Generally cruise ships don’t have accommodations that are on the same level as hotels, but that’s not the case on the Four Seasons Yacht. We stayed in an entry level room, which was 473 square feet (44 square meters).
This really felt every bit as luxurious as a Four Seasons property. From the design, to the signature Four Seasons bed, to (particularly) the bathroom… wow! I remember on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection I wasn’t blown away by the bathroom design, in contrast to the Four Seasons Yacht.
Four Seasons Yacht food & drinks are reasonably good
Unlike virtually all other cruise lines, the Four Seasons Yacht doesn’t include all food and drinks. Instead, breakfast is included for all (in Terrasse Restaurant and/or Pistachio Cafe), and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks in the minibar are complimentary. Other than that, everything is like staying at a Four Seasons hotel, where food and beverages are chargeable.
Obviously a lot of people aren’t a fan of that concept, but the argument is that the Four Seasons Yacht is intended to be like a Four Seasons resort, and a vast majority of guests are first time cruisers, so they may not be conditioned to that “norm.”
So, what did I make of the food on the Four Seasons Yacht? The good thing is that for the most part, food pricing wasn’t unreasonable (and there’s obviously no sales tax). I think most people would be pleasantly surprised by the prices, and also keep in mind that if you book through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, you receive an onboard credit, so we didn’t actually end up spending that much on food.
When it comes to the actual quality of food, I found it to be mixed. Breakfast consists of a buffet and a la carte selection, and I found the quality to be quite good, though it quickly got repetitive. I wish the buffet had a little more variety across days and that the a la carte selection was a bit more imaginative.
The dining highlight onboard was Sedna, the fine dining restaurant, and I found that to be exceptional, comparable to what you’d expect at a great restaurant on land.
There was also Miuna, an omakase restaurant, which was good when you factor in that you’re on a ship, but don’t expect this to be comparable to an amazing omakase experience in Japan. We enjoyed our meal here, but we didn’t feel like we had to repeat it (we initially booked it twice, but then canceled the second reservation).
There’s also Terrasse, the all-day dining restaurant, and I found that to be a mixed bag. Some of the dishes were quite good, while others were simply disappointing.
For example, I ordered a pizza, and the crust was so hard that I literally couldn’t cut into it. I’m not a pizza snob (I’ll gladly eat frozen pizza from the supermarket), but it was awful. So I sent it back and they made another one for me, and it was… equally bad, to the point that I again couldn’t cut into the crust. I’ve never in my life sent a dish back twice, and I can’t even tell you the last time I sent a dish back once.
There are also some great bar venues, and in particular, Bar O has exceptional cocktails.
I should also mention that while most drinks aren’t included, on three of the seven nights there were parties of sorts, with free drinks for some amount of time. On the first night, there was even free flowing Dom Perignon… not bad, eh?
Staff on the Four Seasons Yacht couldn’t be lovelier
Now we’ll get to the service portion of the Four Seasons Yacht. Without exception, I found the staff onboard to be lovely. I was curious how exactly the ship would be staffed, and it was definitely more folks from the cruise industry than people from Four Seasons hotels (it felt like most of the service staff are ex-Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection).
There were just so many kind and engaging staff we interacted with, and they all had a passion for taking care of guests. Marco in particular put a smile on everyone’s face, and Sunny was a delight (and the list goes on). Our room attendant, Andrea, had amazing attention to detail, as well as perfect timing, as our room was always cleaned while we were gone, without having to ask.
The management onboard were also fabulous, from general manager Mel (who has a “true” hotel background, having spent much of her career at Kerzner as well Mandarin Oriental) to director of rooms Cynthia (a cruising veteran), who constantly checked on guests.
I also want to say that I loved the live music onboard, and in particular, guitarist Francesca and pianist Ashton — they were both incredible! With such a small ship, it was like having a private concert every night, as there were very few other guests hanging out in the Salon.
There was a real feeling that everyone onboard wanted to get everything right, and that’s nice to see.
Four Seasons Yacht service needs improvement
I’m a huge fan of the Four Seasons brand, and I would love nothing more than to say “the service onboard lived up to Four Seasons brand standards.” But of course I’m going to be honest. For some context, let me point to my post from some time back about what I love about the Four Seasons brand:
I’d say that the single thing that impresses me most about Four Seasons is that the brand offers intuitive and frictionless service, and that comes down to the people. It doesn’t matter which property you stay at, I’ve found service to be more consistently excellent at Four Seasons than at any other major hotel group.
Many of the initial reviews I heard of the Four Seasons Yacht talked about a lot of service issues. The yacht has now been sailing for around four months, so my hope was that many of these concerns would’ve been resolved at this point. However, I found way more issues than I was expecting.
It’s so weird, because before we took this sailing, I heard so many people say “the staff are amazing, but there are service issues,” and that confused me, because how could that be? Amazing people typically provide great service, right? Well, now I largely have to echo what I had heard.
It’s not that service was awful, or anything, but there was just a myriad of little things that went wrong. Individually none of them are a big deal, but when you add them all up, it takes away from the experience. The thing is, these weren’t just isolated incidents — most people we talked to had a similar take.
Heck, I’m sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Dubrovnik where half of our ship is waiting to check-in, and there’s a bit of a debrief, and everyone has the same take — “amazing experience, but the service still needs help.” I’d be doing a disservice if I glossed over these details, because ultimately the perception a guest has of an experience is the difference between what they were expecting and what they get.
If I claim service was flawless and then people get onboard expecting that, they’ll probably be disappointed when that’s not the case. That’s why I think it’s important to set the right expectations, because the reality is that despite the service shortcomings, we had an amazing time, and I’d actually recommend the Four Seasons Yacht. As things currently stand, board the Four Seasons Yacht expecting to have a great time, but don’t expect flawless service.
I don’t want to pick apart every little thing that went wrong, but let me just give some examples:
- When we arrived in our room, someone else’s luggage was there (and it was an obvious mistake, since we could see the tags were for a different room)
- We were traveling with some friends as a group of 12 and had booked dinner the first night for everyone — they seated us at two tables of six (without acknowledging that), then it took over 20 minutes before someone came to greet us (and he simply said “ready to order?”), then 25 minutes after that our drinks still hadn’t arrived, and then after that the manager came to verify what food we had ordered, as there was confusion
- Several times either the wrong order was brought out, or they just didn’t deliver things that were ordered at all; they’d bring out food, but not notice there was no cutlery, so you’d have to specifically ask, and still and sparkling water were frequently mixed up
- Here’s perhaps the most basic example of the consistency of minor issues; four days in a row I ordered an iced americano with milk in the coffee shop, and each time I was given the drink without any milk (and this isn’t a place where you pour your own milk in); on another day the coffee shop just didn’t open at the standard time, because staff were apparently confused
- Spa treatments are subject to an 18% service charge, but that’s not disclosed anywhere; not on the website, not on the price list, etc., and I find that to be deceiving four months in
- The Four Seasons Yacht has a portal through which you make spa and dining reservations as well as reserve shore excursions, but it has so many glitches; it shows things as “waitlisted” when they’re not, when you cancel something it still shows as confirmed, etc.
Like I said, everyone was very friendly and wanted to do their best, but it just seems like there’s the issue of the newness of staff, and a lack of good procedures in place. For example, at dining outlets, some orders were taken with iPads, some were taken on notepads, and some people went off memory. There should be a standardized system in place, as that would help with consistency (as you’d expect, orders taken via iPad were most frequently correct).
In fairness, service got better throughout our journey. And we were very upfront with sharing our feedback with management, and they were keen to get all the feedback they could. There’s obviously some disconnect when it comes to service quality, and I can’t figure out why. But I’m confident that will be resolved… hopefully soon, but definitely… eventually.
Perception of service is highly subjective, so people will have varying takes. We asked a lot of other guests about their experience (in a non-leading way), and I found the answers to be interesting. I’d say maybe 25% of people just had just good things to say. Then the other 75% of people talked about how beautiful the ship is, how much fun they were having, and how friendly the staff were, while also noting service issues. The most interesting part? Every single one said they’d sail on the Four Seasons Yacht again, despite those issues.
Bottom line
We had an amazing time sailing on the Four Seasons Yacht, and it’s fascinating to see how the luxury cruising sector is evolving. We found the ship to be gorgeous, and the staff to be exceptionally friendly.
The thing to be aware of, though, is that service is a work in progress. Four Seasons is known for its seamless and anticipatory service, and that’s not yet consistent on Four Seasons Yacht. Everyone is lovely and is trying, but there’s some friction. I trust this will be worked out over time, because they have great staff and management.
The service issues were a common observation among guests. Obviously cruise logistics are hard, but the issue is that Four Seasons is charging through the roof for these cruises, so understandably, expectations are sky high. Despite these service issues, we had a great time, as did everyone else we spoke with.
What’s your take on the Four Seasons Yacht cruising experience?
Im assuming at this price point the Carnival Cruise Line demographic is not prevalent on this ship?
Read your review, Ben, and many of the comments. This BradStPete (among others) was spot on. I've traveled a great deal, from budget to ultra lux (including 4S properties). The ship's fit a finish is about the only positive. Great service rarely, if ever, makes up for poor execution.
I think something like this puts you - and Ford, especially - in a pickle: he needs to vouch for selling a product to others...
Read your review, Ben, and many of the comments. This BradStPete (among others) was spot on. I've traveled a great deal, from budget to ultra lux (including 4S properties). The ship's fit a finish is about the only positive. Great service rarely, if ever, makes up for poor execution.
I think something like this puts you - and Ford, especially - in a pickle: he needs to vouch for selling a product to others that he can recommend. After reading your review, I don't know how he could recommend it to anybody, unless it was somebody who purely had money to burn.
I've sailed on yachts with fewer passengers. Your experience seemed to pale in comparison - both product and service - and I must be honest: I am grateful you took one for the team here because it solidified to me what a monumental waste 4S is for my money. I won't sail them unless someone pays my way and then I'll ask 'why?"
Frankly, all of the food images you presented were enormously underwhelming - not because of your photography skills. But, will trust your palate. Still, a yacht experience is when you go shopping with the chef at the next port of call to purchase the local ingredients for that night's meal.
All of that AND you still had to pay extra for food and drinks?! Unacceptable.
Owww, that doesn't seem right for us. This company should have it right from the start, not train while on duty.
The milk thing may be small, but that is not 4 Seasons.
Many years ago we stayed at the Fours Seasons Miami. We thought it would be really nice. There were problems aside from the dying floral display in the lobby, to the leaking room window causing a wet carpet and excess moisture...
Owww, that doesn't seem right for us. This company should have it right from the start, not train while on duty.
The milk thing may be small, but that is not 4 Seasons.
Many years ago we stayed at the Fours Seasons Miami. We thought it would be really nice. There were problems aside from the dying floral display in the lobby, to the leaking room window causing a wet carpet and excess moisture in the room, to the chef making eggs benedict, getting it wrong, my wife telling the chef what he did wrong and then he admitted it, so no 4 or 5 stars there.
We decided to go with other brands after that. Back then if one stayed at St Regis it was on par and it was Starwood.
Not sure about the picture you put of the exterior. The hull looks like it has been repainted many times in different sections.
Do they buy old ships and renovate?
We had also tried Four Seasons NYC, Georgetown, London prior to Miami. They were supposed to be tops but were not.
That pizza somehow looks simultaneously soggy and rock hard. So good on them for that achievement.
I feel that FS does the standard elevated luxury experience super well. But when they try to go a little TOO bespoke, the cracks start to show in how they execute. Looking at the flights that they offer too and you see them getting out of their comfort zone, and are going on name more than anything else. And...
That pizza somehow looks simultaneously soggy and rock hard. So good on them for that achievement.
I feel that FS does the standard elevated luxury experience super well. But when they try to go a little TOO bespoke, the cracks start to show in how they execute. Looking at the flights that they offer too and you see them getting out of their comfort zone, and are going on name more than anything else. And will probably do fine at this venture, but they will be outclassed by smaller rivals that can really tailor the experience for similar price points.
And I think this mini-review confirms it. The customer that wants a good enough experience that they can just call FS and book, and not try to string together a more exotic itinerary.
Beautiful pics of the yacht, beautiful pics of the pool area, beautiful pics of the dining venues, beautiful pics of the spa area, then................the DREADED pic of the avacado toast. Can we EVER escape this - maybe just once????
The price point is insane, you could do five cruise on Ponant in a massive suite for this price.
With 12 persons it is also cheaper I assume to charter a boat?
@ Lepetitbelge -- Yeah, you definitely could charter a yacht for that cost (some are much cheaper, some are much more expensive). Ultimately this is a different kind of experience, though, and you'd choose this if you value the bigger shared spaces, more amenities, more flexible dining, etc.
Is also a suggestion to review Ponant :)
A bit quirky, very French but seems somewhat similar (less grand) at a much lower price point
Having cruised 75+ times in mainstream lines, the dining issues in particular are VERY surprising for an ultra luxury line.
I would consider those waits, lack of attention to detail & the pizza issue to be unexpected at the mainstream level, much less at the prices for Ritz.
Very odd to be sure.
Agree.
Could not agree more. I'm so surprised by Ben's review. On just so many levels.
#totallynotsponsoredreview
@ TheBestBlackBrent -- Okay, so sponsored content is generally reviewed by the party sponsoring it. Can you point to any other case where sponsored content had a conclusion like this in the introduction section?
"Did the Four Seasons Yacht live up to my (very high) expectations? Not quite."
I'll be waiting...
This is such an oddball review. Rich people spend a fortune for a ride on a pretty boat, food is extra, they don’t even know how to prepare the pizza that’s on the menu, service is middling and people go like ‘I’ll be back for more’, if Ben can be trusted. It’s definitely not about the product but the exclusivity. Probably the same people spending a million $ for a studio in a Ritz Carlton Residencies in Pompano Beach. Funny. All the power to them.
@ Udo -- I can't disagree with most of your conclusions, because the price point is high, and they need to get the details exactly right. I think people might be after "exclusivity" in the sense that they want a ship that doesn't feel crowded, and where they have a lot of space to themselves. But I don't think it's "exclusivity" in the traditional sense that they're after, like only wanting to be around a...
@ Udo -- I can't disagree with most of your conclusions, because the price point is high, and they need to get the details exactly right. I think people might be after "exclusivity" in the sense that they want a ship that doesn't feel crowded, and where they have a lot of space to themselves. But I don't think it's "exclusivity" in the traditional sense that they're after, like only wanting to be around a certain group of people. I say that because the passenger profile was truly all over the place.
It’s really not possible that the passenger profile was that diverse. I’m not saying everyone has the same background, but at $35k for a week, the amount of people who can afford this is a minuscule proportion of the population. Add in the fact they’re on a ship, and you really are just surrounded by the 0.1%.
"I say that because the passenger profile was truly all over the place".
THIS would have been great to hear more about in the review. Still, at $35k for an entry level room, I wonder how many people with much 'depth' when they are paying for superficiality?
@Udo: the same complaint can legitimately be lodged against pretty much everything that's reviewed on this blog. It's *about* luxury travel with very little consideration given to budget or value. While this cruise may have cost 5x what other fairly equivalent experiences might have cost the same is true if pretty much all the hotels Ben reviews.
i swear you morons will only be happy when ben exclusively reviews la quinta's or best westerns. like if you're broke maybe dont read a blog that focuses on premium travel? bunch of weirdos man
@Harold, I can't recall any of the Best Western hotels where I've stayed only offering shared toilets like the business/first class cabins I've experienced myself and/or seen reviewed on this blog.
I have had some involvement (including in a professional capacity) with people working on cruise ships as well as the tourist industry in the Mediterranean and my distinct impression is that the vast majority of people who are willing* to pay these sort...
@Harold, I can't recall any of the Best Western hotels where I've stayed only offering shared toilets like the business/first class cabins I've experienced myself and/or seen reviewed on this blog.
I have had some involvement (including in a professional capacity) with people working on cruise ships as well as the tourist industry in the Mediterranean and my distinct impression is that the vast majority of people who are willing* to pay these sort of prices would generally expect to travel on their own terms by chartering planes/yachts as opposed to choosing upscale public transport. At the end of the day, I suspect that most people would rather sample the local cuisine of the places they visit than confine themselves to a small range of onboard restaurants.
*It goes without saying that this isn't purely a question of affluence - a large proportion of those who can afford to pay such prices will have no interest in that type of travel.
Bingo!
The only member of the crew who has ever stepped foot in a Four Seasons is the GM. In fact, it is possible that only a couple members of the crew have ever been in a luxury hotel or in the U.S. at all. They are all from second and third world countries. They were not trained by anyone associated with the Four Seasons.
Well going to the US isn't exactly a way to understand good service. More the opposite.
"...but Ford is increasingly booking a lot of cruises for clients, so it was an investment worth making."
Serious question: Does that mean you wrote this off somehow?
Duh. Like every trip. It is his business after all.
You may safely assume that every penny associated with anything that Ben writes about is legitimately taken as a top line business expense. There's no hint of impropriety about this, it's the textbook definition of a business expense.
The only thing is that it does -- especially in a case like this -- change the math. At the undiscounted rate that would bring the all-things-considered cost down to $21,000 and on the discounted amount something like $14,400.
Sorry Ben (and Ford) but this looks horrible for the price charged. I’ve had better service and similar looking food on mass market lines that are 90% cheaper than this nonsense.
Why don’t you stick to reviewing ships that most people can afford. I’m sure you enjoy going on a comped trip but means nothing to more than 99.5% of people who could never afford it. Stick to major cruise lines and ships
It wasn't "comped", they paid for it. Read the article.
Why should he? There are hundreds of reviewers of major cruise lines. Find one you like, problem solved.
Most people cant afford International First or Business class, but they still read this blog.
Huh. FS didn't charge enough to provide clear ice cubes for cocktails? Wow. That shows the overall level.
Sounds terrible. Four seasons has never gotten their F&B right. It’s always almost very good but not really. “Just good enough food is…. good enough” is their philosophy. For 7k a night, I can stay at most Singita, Cheval Blanc, Amans with mostly flawless execution in a suite bigger than 500 sqft. Why would anyone go on Four Seasons cruise? I rather spend few nights at Xigera lodge for 35k.
I couldn't see an espresso machine in the coffee shop
I recommend you sail on an established luxury line (viking), pay half the price, and provide a comparison
@ Duncan -- The coffee shop absolutely did have an espresso machine, and had the best coffee onboard (I wish the coffee in the main restaurant at breakfast was barista made, though).
I have been very fortunate in life to have enjoyed many lux experiences in travel be it it the air, fine hotels and suites on cruises.
I cannot fathom paying what FS charges for these cruises and then having to pay for food and beverages.
And then the service mistakes.
I am glad, Ben, that you did this and I understand the business decision (wise) that Ford made but I am quite...
I have been very fortunate in life to have enjoyed many lux experiences in travel be it it the air, fine hotels and suites on cruises.
I cannot fathom paying what FS charges for these cruises and then having to pay for food and beverages.
And then the service mistakes.
I am glad, Ben, that you did this and I understand the business decision (wise) that Ford made but I am quite grateful that I cannot afford this experience for myself and my husband but sure did enjoy reading about it.
Thanks. (but no thanks)
A well-balanced reaction. I totally agree.
Well said. Extremely. I could not agree more, and have had the same experience, Brad.
I have to say the food in the pictures looks rather uninspiring. Based on the looks of things, Virgin Voyages or Explora serves better food. Particularly the pictures from the fine dining restaurant looks rather run of the mill food you could get anywhere. Beyond having a credit, I hope that the full review gives some insights into the pricing of the food. It is hopefully not equal to fine dining pricing on land, but a good deal lower.
@ CPH-Flyer -- I'll include all the menus in the full review. :-)
Looking forward to seeing it :-)
The amount of money you spent on this is obscene. Sorry, but that’s the reality. Now, would you mind sharing how much you spent on food, beverages, etc? If you really want to give an honest review, you have to tell everything. My biggest problem with the cost is that you are literally trapped inside the boat for 7 days so you have to eat and drink there and even you saying the prices were...
The amount of money you spent on this is obscene. Sorry, but that’s the reality. Now, would you mind sharing how much you spent on food, beverages, etc? If you really want to give an honest review, you have to tell everything. My biggest problem with the cost is that you are literally trapped inside the boat for 7 days so you have to eat and drink there and even you saying the prices were “unreasonable”, I cannot imagine they charged what you can get in some amazing restaurants in Europe where locals eat. You still have to probably pay Four Seasons prices. I am happy to stay at a Four Seasons hotel but have the optionally to eat and drink wherever I want at the prices I want to pay.
I think he said the prices were *not* unreasonable, and I expect he'll have (interminable? comprehensive?) photos of the menus in his eventual full review (which is where I'd expect him to give out-of-pocket specifics). Also, other commenters have noted that part of the idea is that the boat remains docked so that you can have dinner on shore, although last tenders at 10pm doesn't sound very realistic for European summer dining.
Sorry, typed on my phone. Yes, I meant "prices were not unreasonable" so I will wait to see what Ben thinks "not unreasonable" is for food. I spend at least 2 months in Europe every year for the last 20 years so I have a very good idea about how much I have to pay for very high quality food in many different countries there so will wait to see what prices were on board...
Sorry, typed on my phone. Yes, I meant "prices were not unreasonable" so I will wait to see what Ben thinks "not unreasonable" is for food. I spend at least 2 months in Europe every year for the last 20 years so I have a very good idea about how much I have to pay for very high quality food in many different countries there so will wait to see what prices were on board of the cruise. And you are correct, 10pm is usually time to start dinner in many European cities in the summer months.
@ Santastico -- I'll disclose everything in the full review. We had $2,500 in onboard credits ($500 for booking through Preferred Partner, and another $2,000 due to our delayed sailing), and that roughly covered our food and beverage spending (and we had a good number of drinks). ;-)
I will wait for it. Now, I understand you disclosed the discounts you had BUT you have to understand that it is not the reality for your readers or Ford's customers. They WILL NOT get a 30% discount for a delayed trip and will not get $2,000 credit for the delayed trip. So, a regular customer will pay full price for everything which is a different experience than what you had.
Thanks for the initial notes. All sounds pretty consistent with initial general feedback. One point though - "Obviously a lot of people aren’t a fan of that concept, but the argument is that the Four Seasons Yacht is intended to be like a Four Seasons resort, and a vast majority of guests are first time cruisers, so they may not be conditioned to that “norm.”
- not quite. The argument is that they are...
Thanks for the initial notes. All sounds pretty consistent with initial general feedback. One point though - "Obviously a lot of people aren’t a fan of that concept, but the argument is that the Four Seasons Yacht is intended to be like a Four Seasons resort, and a vast majority of guests are first time cruisers, so they may not be conditioned to that “norm.”
- not quite. The argument is that they are trying to promote the destinations you're visiting and to dine on land (while not feeling like you're losing out on the money you already spent if it were all inclusive). At first I couldn't believe it wasn't all inclusive, given the rates, but I actually can appreciate that reasoning. However, this has also lead to one of the big complaints I've received, which is that the tender rides were not flexible and ended at 10pm or so, which doesn't give guests much time to actually stay on land/enjoy dinner and so on.
@ pstm91 -- Regarding eating on shore, on only two of our seven nights were we at a destination past 7PM (and that means you need to be back by 6:30PM). So that narrative is rather questionable.
Interesting... Could that possibly just be the itinerary you were on? My boss was on the inaugural and this was the exact point told to her by management.
Ben , the hard crust on the pizza might be explained by perhaps using cement powder rather than baking powder .
The table spacing at the Terrasse restaurant is disappointing. If traveling as a couple, there's no opportunity for private conversation while dining.
I get it's not the fine dining venue, but on an experience like this I would have expected spacious seating in all venues.
@ Greg -- In fairness, I don't think I ever saw the indoor tables all full, especially at lunch and dinner. So we ate there several times, but never sat within "conversation distance" of other tables.
What was the occupancy level on your sailing? Do you or Ford have information as the current occupancy levels?
$7k a night. Insane.
Couldn't agree more. This is obscene.
Yeah, if I wanted to get f'd that hard, there are ample cheaper ways to do so.
Let’s try to do some basic math at least. $35k/7 nights.
I see Math wasn't your major. 35k ÷ 7 nights = 5k.
Although it sounds like they were prepared to pay the $35,000 (which would be $21,000 after the tax deductibility is figured in, although that's not applicable to other travelers) they actually only paid about $24,000 due to the discount -- about $14,400 after you figure in the tax effects. So the net cost was closer to $2,000 a night than the $5,000 a night sticker price.
How did your kids do on the cruise?
Ben going to Dubrovnik IN JULY (!!), ON A CRUISE (!!!), ON AN EXPENSIVE CRUISE (!!!!) is the ultimate sacrifice. And some of thought that flying T5 was taking one for the team. Kudos for the courage :)
@ Samo -- Hahahah, a European cruise in July wasn't our initial plan, but it ended up being the best of the options when our initial sailing was canceled. Our older son starts school soon, and we already had plans for June, so...
Interesting review; looks like an experience to try at some point. Though when I see a yatch of that size I can't help of being reminded of Triangle of Sadness, not only of the people who go to these cruises but the vomiting scene. But I digress...I'm curious about what on earth is that reddish minuscule soupy thing on the gigantic plate on the second "Four Seasons Yatch Miuna Restaurant dinner"? Also curious about the...
Interesting review; looks like an experience to try at some point. Though when I see a yatch of that size I can't help of being reminded of Triangle of Sadness, not only of the people who go to these cruises but the vomiting scene. But I digress...I'm curious about what on earth is that reddish minuscule soupy thing on the gigantic plate on the second "Four Seasons Yatch Miuna Restaurant dinner"? Also curious about the pizza, which already came precut into slices since you say couldn't cut into the crust, do you mean with knife/fork or with your teeth? Cause pizza is eaten with your hands, right? Right? And did you get to taste it?
Outside of "pan pizza", sold by weight as street food, in Italy at least, pizza is eaten with a knife and fork.
Any plans to review Orient Express cruises? Frankly they look more attractive than 4S cruises.
For 35k plus the price of the item, the pizza should be perfect. That's not hospitality. You could literally go to any pizza place in the world for the same price. You choose the Four Seasons, and they failed. The vacation should be bliss.
I find it absolutely stunning that- after paying tens of thousands of dollars- one is still expected to provide gratuities. Even THIS price point is not sufficient to ensure that workers are paid a decent wage, it would seem. The expectation of "rewards for good service" (which is then, apparently, lacking) is still present even at the "luxury" level.
I thought gratuities were included in the price(?).
100%. At this price point EVERYTHING should be included. Gratuities, meals, drinks. All of it. Spa treatments should be the only extra they charge you for.
Even if I felt it was a wise choice of resources to spend $35,000 for a short cruise (with your group of 12 not even receiving some kind of group discount or Ford given a travel agent FAM rate) - I don't - my concern would be about the lack of demographic diversity of the guests, their obvious search for exclusivity, leading to a certain degree of snobbishness. Just FYI, Four Seasons had said when...
Even if I felt it was a wise choice of resources to spend $35,000 for a short cruise (with your group of 12 not even receiving some kind of group discount or Ford given a travel agent FAM rate) - I don't - my concern would be about the lack of demographic diversity of the guests, their obvious search for exclusivity, leading to a certain degree of snobbishness. Just FYI, Four Seasons had said when establishing their non inclusive policies, that their ships would spend more time in port allowing guests to dine on land.
Ya know, sometimes a little ‘friction’ can be fun… not after paying $35,000, though. Glad you did this so some of us don’t have to!
@Lucky; I’m no cruise expert….but I believe they are called cabins or staterooms, not rooms.
For $35,000 a week, they'll call them whatever the heck you want them to be called.
I am a few days out from final payment for an upcoming 4S cruise and am considering taking the 3% fee and canceling due to the slew of poor reviews, in addition to several pre-cruise issues.
1. My initially-booked voyage was among those that were canceled. I, too, received the 30% offer. Now that final payment is almost due, 4S has asked for the full amount (easily correctable, I’m sure, but a significant oversight).
2....
I am a few days out from final payment for an upcoming 4S cruise and am considering taking the 3% fee and canceling due to the slew of poor reviews, in addition to several pre-cruise issues.
1. My initially-booked voyage was among those that were canceled. I, too, received the 30% offer. Now that final payment is almost due, 4S has asked for the full amount (easily correctable, I’m sure, but a significant oversight).
2. My TA presented several suites as available at time of booking the new voyage. 4S would come back telling her “that suite is no longer available”, always trying to put me in a connecting suite or one on a lower floor. It was clear they were holding out suites with preferable locations for future clients who carry more weight.
3. Automated emails from 4S about final payment, with due dates in 2025 (for the previously-canceled cruise), and the incorrect amount due.
4. My TA reached out to 4S about these emails, and they acknowledged the errors, but told her my final payment was due “immediately”. This, despite the invoice from 4S that shows final payment is not yet due.
I have done one RCYC cruise and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Another two booked (one this year, one next). For me, like Ben, I am looking for a frictionless experience with good food and good service. I’ve sailed Celebrity in the Retreat, Seabourn, Crystal and Explora. They’re all nice, but not as pleasant and crowd-free experience as Ritz was (for me, at least). In addition, the food on Ritz was the best I’ve experienced at sea. Explora was #2, with Crystal coming in third. Of course, this is very subjective.
I hope 4S can remedy the issues plaguing their new cruising experience.
Think the problem with these ultra luxury experiences is for the cost, you notice every flaw (as you should). Makes it hard to just sit back and enjoy.
This is 100% true for me, and it doesn't have to be ultra luxury. Even just at a Park Hyatt. We stayed in the (wonderful) Park Hyatt Vienna a few years back and what do I remember most? Okay, the truffled eggs at breakfast. But the second thing I think of was a piece of paper in the hallway that wasn't cleaned up for a whole day.
One advantage of spending $80 a night on...
This is 100% true for me, and it doesn't have to be ultra luxury. Even just at a Park Hyatt. We stayed in the (wonderful) Park Hyatt Vienna a few years back and what do I remember most? Okay, the truffled eggs at breakfast. But the second thing I think of was a piece of paper in the hallway that wasn't cleaned up for a whole day.
One advantage of spending $80 a night on hotels (which is still quite possible in Europe, at least outside the capitals) is that it's almost impossible to be disappointed. I have to remind them to put milk in my coffee? Personally, I couldn't care less -- unless I paid $600 a night for the hotel in which case, WTF?
The result is, the less luxurious the place I stay the net happier I am.
"The result is, the less luxurious the place I stay the net happier I am."
I'm not sure I agree with this, but I'd never thought of/about it until I read your comment. Either way, thank you for the great food for thought (100% serious, none of my occasional (usual?) snark). Great comment.
Maybe put another way, "the lower our expectations, the easier it is not to be disappointed?" Not trying to put words in your mouth, just thinking here.
For sure, it is just funny cause I stayed at the Montreal Delta a few weeks ago for like 200 bucks and was amazed by the free bottle water, a door man and the smiles.
Then last week I stayed at the St. Regis Kanai (excellent) and was outraged (I am being dramatic, slightly irritated) that they forgot turn down service one night.
So yes, agreed it is an expectations thing and if I am paying 35k for a cruise I expect perfection.
Ben, are you sure you didn't accidentally book the Four Seasons Auto Spa and Yacht Line?
Four Seasons Total Landscaping: The Yacht
So , if the bags with a different room Number , were wrongly delivered to the wrong room Number , isn't that an illustration of the crew being unable to read Numerals . If a crew is unable to read Numerals , why does anyone deserve any gratuity ?
"...isn't that an illustration of the crew being unable to read Numerals ."
Yes, that is an illustration of the crew being unable to read Numerals. Sometimes, when I'm typing fast, I'll write the word "the" as "teh." That is an illustration that I cannot spell "the."
"If a crew is unable to read Numerals , why does anyone deserve any gratuity ?"
They don't deserve gratuity. They should pay the passengers a gratuity, and...
"...isn't that an illustration of the crew being unable to read Numerals ."
Yes, that is an illustration of the crew being unable to read Numerals. Sometimes, when I'm typing fast, I'll write the word "the" as "teh." That is an illustration that I cannot spell "the."
"If a crew is unable to read Numerals , why does anyone deserve any gratuity ?"
They don't deserve gratuity. They should pay the passengers a gratuity, and in this case, the crew pooled their money and paid each person €700 (€100 per night) for their innumeracy, which is a lesson they won't soon forget!
Good catch on your part!
Willy . You spell "the" correctly , yet perhaps type faster . Slowly is better as explained by Sinatra in "nice and easy" , meaning "slower , nicer and easier" . Yet if they don't know the numerals , they need to be tested before employed . The hard crust on the pizza might be explained by cement powder used instead of baking powder .
Hey Ben, just pointing out a technical issue regarding a ship’s “weight”. Go ahead and run the ship’s specs through AI to learn a bit about weight/displacement/internal volume, etc.
Thanks for the ‘taster’ review!
@ Pauls98 -- Whoops, good point, thank you!
this blog has turned from a "how to use miles and points" to "here's another credit card offer", and "look how rich I am"
That's my cue to un-bookmark
@ RetiredATLATC -- I'm sorry to hear that, but I still do plenty of points content. I earn Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status the (mostly) hard way, and also World of Hyatt Globalist status through stays, and I review as many of those interesting properties as I can. And my flights are booked almost entirely with points as well.
I know this blog is all about airlines and airports but no need to announce your departure. Ben will miss his most important Diamond member.
And the flights to/spending money on ethically questionable places.
The rooms do look gorgeous! I don't think I fully registered how expensive this is though, crazy. Although I'm mostly impressed that you have no less than 10 friends that can spend 35k for a week, that sounds like reality TV material right there (yes I'm obviously jealous)!
Almost half a million dollars and you get served a pizza that you can’t eat… TWICE!
Ryan Walker's youtube review on this ship was brutal. And his opinion is always spot on. Recommend you watch if you haven't seen it yet.
@ Ryan (not Walker) -- Yeah, I saw that, it was really rough. I was at least happy that seemingly some of those issues were addressed, like room cleanliness (at least in our case).
Good recommendation I enjoyed the video
Was Captain Kate the captain on your ship?
@ Mike1977 -- She was not, I believe she'll be back soon.
$7k per night with no food or drinks included.
Yikes what a waste of money
Saying you're going to book a 30k+ cruise again is vastly different than booking your next cruise before you disembark. Talk is cheap, literally.
Yeah, one of those things I could afford, but know I could never convince myself to buy. (Just like I will buy J on widebody flights, but never F---though I'm rarely on flights with both J and F.) My mathematical mind can't help but do the calculation that $35K would get me the serviced apartment I'm currently renting in Ireland for over 100 nights (and I'm paying high season prices---the high season isn't even 100 days.)
100% agree with F vs J. Or a "suite" vs standard room at my intended hotel. Or renting a "premium luxury SUV" vs regular SUV. Etc, etc, etc.
I guess like all things, there is a market for this, and that's great.
I'd rather go on five $7k cruises, or better yet, seven $5k cruises, ten $3k cruises, etc.
Some people cannot take the time off from work for five cruises or more. Accordingly, they may opt to spend more on fewer vacations or cruises.
@ This comes to mind -- That's totally fair, and I even largely agree with you. I wrote a while back about the general luxury hotel rate inflation we've seen over the years:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/luxury-hotel-rate-inflation/
There's just not "value" in luxury travel in the way there used to be. Ultimately that's driven largely by American spending power, and a lot of very rich people having very little time to vacation, and therefore spending whatever it...
@ This comes to mind -- That's totally fair, and I even largely agree with you. I wrote a while back about the general luxury hotel rate inflation we've seen over the years:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/luxury-hotel-rate-inflation/
There's just not "value" in luxury travel in the way there used to be. Ultimately that's driven largely by American spending power, and a lot of very rich people having very little time to vacation, and therefore spending whatever it costs.
Once you start comparing other expenses in life, it's of course hard to justify any sort of luxury hotel experience (or something like this).
But we're also talking about a product here that has a total of 95 rooms, in an industry that has hundreds of thousands of rooms. So from Margaritaville at Sea to Four Seasons Yacht, there's something for everyone.
It’s also larger economic trends. Our economy is supported by the spending of the top 10%. This cruises concept is a great example.
Can we all be honest for a moment? People don't pay this kind of money for "service" or whatever else Ben found lacking on this cruise.
It's to segregate away from those that cannot afford this. Plain and simple.
There, I said it.
@ Simon -- I think people book trips for all kinds of different reasons. Let's be honest, cruising hasn't historically been thought of as "cool," so this isn't like booking Saint Tropez in July, where you're paying a fortune to see and be seen.
Quite to the contrary, I actually found the crowd onboard to be all over the place in terms of what they were looking for, and their vibe. You had people from...
@ Simon -- I think people book trips for all kinds of different reasons. Let's be honest, cruising hasn't historically been thought of as "cool," so this isn't like booking Saint Tropez in July, where you're paying a fortune to see and be seen.
Quite to the contrary, I actually found the crowd onboard to be all over the place in terms of what they were looking for, and their vibe. You had people from everywhere from Vietnam to South Dakota. Sure, maybe some people book to "segregate away from those that cannot afford this," but I think an equal number of people wanted a great experience, and of course had the means to pay for it.
Since when are wealthy people obsessed with "cool"?
"Rich" Miami people, maybe. But truly wealthy people, like you say from South Dakota, couldn't care less about "cool".
@ Simon -- "Cool" can be defined in many ways by many people. Presumably the whole basis of your argument of people wanting to "segregate away from" people who can't afford that is based on some perceived judgment they make. Or what are you suggesting it's based on?
My point was that the crowd was very diverse (in comparison to expensive places that are all filled with the same kinds of "rich" people), so I...
@ Simon -- "Cool" can be defined in many ways by many people. Presumably the whole basis of your argument of people wanting to "segregate away from" people who can't afford that is based on some perceived judgment they make. Or what are you suggesting it's based on?
My point was that the crowd was very diverse (in comparison to expensive places that are all filled with the same kinds of "rich" people), so I think a lot of people were looking for a lot of different things.
For example, I met someone who said he otherwise prefers to charter yachts (obviously much smaller), but liked having a ship that has a lot more amenities, while still being intimate. I don't think that person is trying to "segregate away from" anyone else, and if anything, it's the opposite.
@Ben, that was almost exactly what I was thinking - chartered small yachts are the most likely alternative to this kind of cruise. Looks like the hard product is more than good enough for that, while the soft product is not. Also agree with @Simon about the price point - these levels are for people who want to socialize with others who can afford these prices. Those who don't want to socialize at all would...
@Ben, that was almost exactly what I was thinking - chartered small yachts are the most likely alternative to this kind of cruise. Looks like the hard product is more than good enough for that, while the soft product is not. Also agree with @Simon about the price point - these levels are for people who want to socialize with others who can afford these prices. Those who don't want to socialize at all would still prefer private charters.
And I just laughed at the sauna photo - an almost exact replica of a sauna on Celebrity Millennium class of slightly upscale mass market cruise ships from 25 years ago.
@ SBS -- In general, cruisers are VERY social people, and as an introvert, that takes some getting used to. But what I think is interesting is that cruisers seemingly just want to meet anyone, no matter what their story is. It's just less of a "clout chasing" social vibe than you'll find in many other places that are very expensive.
I have no inherent bias against rich people but given a preference would prefer not only to be on a cruise where some of my fellow guests were school teachers or nurses, but would want to avoid an ultra wealthy demographic who think this is a good way to spend their financial assets. (Guess that's why I hated living in Monaco when I worked in the cruise business).
That seems like a overly-simplistic explanation. Why not just stay home, or go to a trusted land-based property and not deal with imperfect service is if your goal is to “segregate away from those that cannot afford” the experience?
Spot on Simon, there are plenty of cruise experiences where you CAN have all inclusive dining with impeccable service. Silversea Cruise and Crystal are good examples. You don’t need to spend an obscene amount of money to get that. It’s definitely a flex and out-pricing people. Or as my mom would say “it’s for people with more money than brains.” I get why Ford needed to do it, but $35K is incredibly foolish when you could actually charter your own boat for that.
yeah this is a marvelously unhinged take, and it makes me wonder whether the OP has ever paid this much for an experience.
i'll admit that i haven't, but i've paid a pretty penny that amounts to a not-insubstantial chunk of this on certain occasions, and when i do, it's absolutely for the service.
to the extent that it's about segregation at all, it's the luxury of being segregated from everyone writ large...
yeah this is a marvelously unhinged take, and it makes me wonder whether the OP has ever paid this much for an experience.
i'll admit that i haven't, but i've paid a pretty penny that amounts to a not-insubstantial chunk of this on certain occasions, and when i do, it's absolutely for the service.
to the extent that it's about segregation at all, it's the luxury of being segregated from everyone writ large besides my significant other, which is why brands like Miraval or Alila tend to appeal - and that's just inapplicable to cruises.
@ digital_notmad
Of course I haven't ever paid this much for an experience. And I don't foresee myself doing so, at least for the next decade or two (barring some terminal diagnosis). Although I easily could, I've worked too hard to light that much money on fire.
The closest I've come to this kind of exclusivity (if the word "segregation" is triggering) is having access to AA Flagship lounges on domestic economy itineraries by virtue...
@ digital_notmad
Of course I haven't ever paid this much for an experience. And I don't foresee myself doing so, at least for the next decade or two (barring some terminal diagnosis). Although I easily could, I've worked too hard to light that much money on fire.
The closest I've come to this kind of exclusivity (if the word "segregation" is triggering) is having access to AA Flagship lounges on domestic economy itineraries by virtue of OneWorld status from an overseas carrier. It's less crowded, the service is better, the clientele is different than an Admirals Club or credit card lounge - there, I said it. And it's nice! But despite the price of admission being only $150 - less than 100x this cruise - I still couldn't fathom paying it unless I had a crazy long connection.
Correction - I meant to say "more than 100x less than this cruise" - hopefully, that's obvious in context.
I think you're being too nice here. I don't want the wrong bags in my cabin on any cruise, much less one of this stature. And I certainly don't want my bags in someone else's room while they figure out where my bags are.
The pizza crust. The split dinner for 12. Service recovery was better the last time I was on Celebrity. Captain Kate knows better, or she not involved anymore?
@ NSS -- Hah, Captain Kate is off right now, she'll be back soon (the captains work three months on, three months off).
To be honest, after day two we were really disappointed, and if we were staying at a hotel, we would've just asked to check out early. But things did improve over the course of our journey, and everyone was *trying*.
Regarding me being too nice here, I do think it's telling that...
@ NSS -- Hah, Captain Kate is off right now, she'll be back soon (the captains work three months on, three months off).
To be honest, after day two we were really disappointed, and if we were staying at a hotel, we would've just asked to check out early. But things did improve over the course of our journey, and everyone was *trying*.
Regarding me being too nice here, I do think it's telling that a vast majority of people had a similar impression, including that they had a great time and that they'd sail on it again, despite the issues.
Celebrity is 10 weeks on, 10 weeks off. Training etc of course in "off-weeks"
I’m assuming hotel Excelsior or perhaps Villa Dubrovnik? Btw Airelles Venice was great.
@ KC -- I think you're onto something. ;-) And yes, Airelles Venice is excellent, stayed there on the way out.
@ Ben — Looks like we did it in reverse order… saw the four seasons yacht in Rovinj harbor on my way up to Venice.
Trying to complete my set of luggage tags from all the Airelles properties… lol
I’m sorry, how is $25k an investment?? Most likely he got this gifted to write a review by the PR department.
@ C Sun -- Not only would it be illegal for me to lie about this, but does this really sound to you like a paid review?
Regarding your question of how this is an investment... I thought that was pretty straightforward, but if it's not, let me explain. Travel advisors get paid a commission on bookings they make, and can add perks for people. Writing about an experience (whether good or bad) hopefully leads...
@ C Sun -- Not only would it be illegal for me to lie about this, but does this really sound to you like a paid review?
Regarding your question of how this is an investment... I thought that was pretty straightforward, but if it's not, let me explain. Travel advisors get paid a commission on bookings they make, and can add perks for people. Writing about an experience (whether good or bad) hopefully leads to bookings, and in turn, commissions. There aren't many firsthand reviews of the Four Seasons Yacht, so it seemed worth spending the money to be able to experience it.
"Writing about an experience (whether good or bad) hopefully leads to bookings"
With respect, writing badly about an experience would NOT be expected to lead to bookings.
You could not be more wrong. At this level, the target customer is smart enough to understand how the world works.
Go to the Dorsia Travel website and read there blog. Tom (a friend of mine) has NEVER written a positive review of anywhere he has visited, and he only visits the worlds most expensive resorts. He finds something to hate wherever he goes.
His travel booking service is now one of the most successful...
You could not be more wrong. At this level, the target customer is smart enough to understand how the world works.
Go to the Dorsia Travel website and read there blog. Tom (a friend of mine) has NEVER written a positive review of anywhere he has visited, and he only visits the worlds most expensive resorts. He finds something to hate wherever he goes.
His travel booking service is now one of the most successful one-man (well, one-couple) operations in the world, with few bookings under six figures in value. Those sarcastic reviews have literally built his entire business.
@ Simon -- Raffles is exactly correct. You'd think that, but I can say from experience that even negative reviews can generate a lot of bookings.
@ Ben and @ Raffles - great points. Hadn't thought about it that way before.
In retrospect, one of the ways I screen hotels is by reading the bad reviews (from the best-reviewed options) - that way, I get a sense of what people don't like, how petty the negative reviews are, etc. Learned something new today - appreciate it!
Illegal? Not sure on that one. There’s no laws against taking free or discounted trips. It’s more of an ethical question. But on that front I would say you have the highest standards of any Blogger/reviewer out there. That’s why OMAAT is the only site worth reading anymore and why we all trust you. Especially since most cruise bloggers are amongst the biggest shills out there.
It’s more of who exactly has $25k to throw down on a vacation?
You are wrong. There are regulations requiring disclosure around editorial content that is paid for (or comped). Those regulations are quite particular about things like font sizes and which page the disclosure appears on. Also, who do you think would have the straight information on this -- a professional blogger who is subject to those rules or you, a random person throwing around groundless accusations on the internet.
@LarryInNYC
Ah yes, the classic ‘a rule exists, therefore nobody can break it’ argument. If compliance were automatic, we could probably eliminate audits, investigations, and every ethics discussion ever. Give me a break. Like I said, look at most YouTubers or cruise bloggers.
@Sun. You stated no such regulations exist. You were wrong, they do. Whether or not they're followed is a different question. In general they are, your suggestion that they are not is no more based in fact than your original incorrect statement that they don't exist at all.
@LarryinNYC Larry, you're working awfully hard as this guy's unpaid PR department. Rules existing doesn't magically mean everyone follows them. That's why regulators exist. But since you're so confident, name one major blogger who's ever been seriously held accountable over disclosure violations. And if this is 'illegal' tell me how long they're in prison for.
Beautiful ship - we get it. But it’s doesn’t sound like it’s even nearly worth tens of thousands per weeks when they can’t get a basic meal, coffee or pizza right.
It sounds exactly like what it is (if I‘m not wrong): a branding deal with a sub-par partner trying to get high-paying customers through the four seasons brand (and apparently it works looking how often you stated how much you love the beans).
The...
Beautiful ship - we get it. But it’s doesn’t sound like it’s even nearly worth tens of thousands per weeks when they can’t get a basic meal, coffee or pizza right.
It sounds exactly like what it is (if I‘m not wrong): a branding deal with a sub-par partner trying to get high-paying customers through the four seasons brand (and apparently it works looking how often you stated how much you love the beans).
The review would have probably sounded differently if this was an unknown brand with the same experience.
@ Florian -- I think it's important to emphasize that Four Seasons does actually have a stake in Four Seasons Yachts, and it's not just a branding and licensing deal (unlike Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection). Clearly that doesn't translate to immediately flawless service right away, though.
And yeah, you're definitely right that the brand gets a lot of people through the door. A vast majority of the guests had never been on a cruise before, and...
@ Florian -- I think it's important to emphasize that Four Seasons does actually have a stake in Four Seasons Yachts, and it's not just a branding and licensing deal (unlike Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection). Clearly that doesn't translate to immediately flawless service right away, though.
And yeah, you're definitely right that the brand gets a lot of people through the door. A vast majority of the guests had never been on a cruise before, and I imagine it's the Four Seasons name that caused them to give it a try.
I guess if you have money to burn then this could be good. But otherwise looks awful.
@ Brian -- Sorry, the ship looks awful, or what are you trying to say? Obviously service was an issue and I can see people arguing the value isn't good, but I can't figure out how one comes to the conclusion that it "looks awful?"
It’s a cruise, you’re trapped in a 44sqm room on a ship with only other people who also want to be on a cruise and for that immense privilege you are paying more than you would pay for a suite at basically any Four Seasons globally. That’s why it looks awful.