8 July 2025
Today saw another first for Portsmouth International Port, as Ritz Carlton’s luxury superyacht Ilma made her debut arrival into UK waters.
Andrew Williamson, head of cruise and ferry at Portsmouth International Port said: “It’s been fantastic to host Ritz Carlton at the port and celebrate their first visit to UK shores, on a beautiful sunny day in Portsmouth. Ilma sailed in this morning with 386 guests, who we are proud to have welcomed today. The Captain also informed us that many of the guests have plans to spend a couple of days in the city.
This ultra-luxury brand is part of the Ritz Carlton group and is at the high-end of our boutique cruise offering. The ship runs on cleaner LNG fuel (liquefied natural gas), making it our first LNG cruise ship. Ilma is also shore power ready, meaning she will be able to plug in to our new shore power system which will be completed later this year.”
Entering service in October 2024, today marks her inaugural call to Portsmouth and the start of a nine night cruise around the British Isles. Ritz Carlton is set to return to Portsmouth in 2026, as part of a busy cruise schedule for the port.
Ilma will depart at 1900 tonight, setting sail to Holyhead.