Four Seasons Takes Its Hotel Formula to Sea
2 min
The luxury-cruise market has spent years borrowing the language of private yachting. Four Seasons I attempts to close the gap more convincingly, pairing the operating culture of a global hotel group with a vessel designed around unusually large suites and direct access to the sea.
The first yacht in the Four Seasons fleet began sailing in March 2026. Its debut year includes 32 voyages and 52 sailings across more than 130 destinations in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamas, according to the company.
Accommodation is entirely suite-based and designed with a residential emphasis. The headline Funnel Suite occupies nearly 929 square metres at the forward-facing prow, with panoramic views and extensive private outdoor space. It is less a cabin than a major waterfront apartment that happens to move between countries.
The transverse marina opens across both sides of the vessel, creating direct sea access for swimming, water sports and small-craft activities. This is an important distinction from ships where passengers experience the ocean principally from elevated decks. The value will depend on weather, port restrictions and how often the marina can actually operate on a given itinerary.
Eleven restaurants and lounges move the product closer to a resort, with concepts ranging from Mediterranean seafood to omakase. The challenge is consistency: delivering destination-level cooking across multiple venues while provisioning a moving vessel. Travellers should clarify which dining experiences carry supplements and how reservations are allocated.
The itinerary philosophy combines major ports with smaller coastal stops. That can offer a more varied Mediterranean trip, but buyers should compare time in port, tender operations and excursion inclusions rather than focusing only on the number of destinations.
Privacy is the central luxury. Tilberg Design of Sweden and creative director Prosper Assouline developed an all-suite arrangement with numerous connecting configurations, allowing families and groups to create larger residential zones. The product is still not a private charter, however; public spaces, schedules and operating decisions remain shared.
Australian travellers should consider air connections, travel insurance that covers the full trip value, cancellation conditions and pre- or post-voyage accommodation. They should also ask exactly what the fare includes, because dining, beverages, transfers, excursions and service charges can materially alter the final cost.
Four Seasons I is compelling because it does not merely decorate a conventional ship with a hotel badge. Its suite scale, marina and service model attempt to make the vessel itself feel like a new Four Seasons destination.
Fact box
– Vessel: Four Seasons I
– Debut: March 2026
– Accommodation: All-suite residential-style layout
– Largest suite: Funnel Suite, approximately 929sqm
– Dining: 11 restaurants and lounges
– Signature feature: Transverse marina opening on both sides
– Debut programme: 32 voyages, 52 sailings, 130+ destinations across 30+ countries and territories
– Regions: Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamas
The Swiss watchmaker’s first collaboration with Atlassian Williams F1 Team produces two sporting Laureato models inspired by the team’s 2026 racing car.
Victorian auction buyers will soon receive a piece of information that has traditionally been withheld until bidding reaches it: the vendor’s reserve price. Under new property-sale and underquoting laws, agents must publish the agreed reserve at least seven days before an auction or fixed-date sale. Most changes begin on 1 October 2026 and apply to …
Continue reading “Victoria’s New Auction Rules Will Force Reserve Prices Into the Open”
Four decks, 34.5 metres and a made-to-measure interior: step aboard the new Custom Line Navetta 35, unveiled at Cannes.
2 min
The most compelling modern yachts increasingly borrow from residential architecture: clearer circulation, larger windows and outdoor rooms that feel genuinely connected to the interior. Custom Line’s new Navetta 35, given its world premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival, pushes that idea across four decks.
At 34.5 metres long with a beam of 7.7 metres, the yacht is the new entry point to Custom Line’s displacement range. Its scale is substantial enough to create distinct private, social and service zones, yet remains below the dimensions of the yard’s larger custom superyachts.
The exterior was developed through Ferretti Group’s Strategic Product Committee and Engineering Department, while Custom Line Atelier supervised the interior definition and owner personalisation. That made-to-measure process is central to the brand: layouts, materials, furniture and artwork can be shaped around how an owner intends to use the yacht rather than applied as a fixed decorative package.
Outdoor living is distributed across the vessel rather than concentrated at the stern. The beach club brings guests close to the water; the main and upper decks provide protected entertaining areas; and the sun deck creates a more private elevated retreat. The design seeks to preserve open sightlines, allowing sea views to run through social spaces and reducing the sense of division between saloon and terrace.
The Navetta designation signals a displacement yacht intended for composed, efficient cruising rather than outright speed. For owners, the appeal lies in range, comfort and the ability to spend longer periods aboard. Technical specifications, engine options, range and top speed should be confirmed against the final shipyard data for the displayed hull.
What can be seen is a continuation of Custom Line’s preference for quiet sophistication. Instead of decorating every surface, the interior architecture uses proportion, natural light and carefully selected materials to carry the experience. Built-in pieces establish structure, while freestanding furniture and art allow an owner’s personality to emerge.
The debut also arrives during Custom Line’s 30th anniversary year. Since its foundation, the marque says it has delivered more than 300 made-to-measure yachts. The Navetta 35 is therefore both a new model and a statement about what the next chapter should look like: more openness, closer contact with the water and customisation that goes beyond choosing finishes.
At Cannes, where new models compete for attention metre by metre, the Navetta 35’s proposition is relatively restrained. It is not trying to look like the fastest boat in the marina. It is designed to feel like a highly private waterfront home — one capable of moving when the owner wants a different view.
Yacht snapshot
– Model: Custom Line Navetta 35
– Type: Displacement superyacht
– Length: 34.5 metres
– Beam: 7.7 metres
– Decks: Four
– Debut: Cannes Yachting Festival, 8–13 September 2026
– Builder: Custom Line, Ferretti Group
– Price: On application
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