st john ritz carlton
The new Ilma ship.
Caribbean

Barbados Kicks Off Cruise Season With First-Ever Visit By New Ritz-Carlton Yacht

By: Jose Antonio - January 12, 2025 - 5:20 pm

Cruise season is now underway in Barbados, and the island kicked things off with a major new arrival: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma ship. 

The brand-new 224-suite boutique ship made its first call in Bridgetown last week. 

“The Ritz-Carlton brand is globally recognised as a leader in luxury, hospitality and service excellence, so to have the Ilma call on the Port of Bridgetown is indicative of the strides made in reinforcing Barbados’ status as a premier destination,” said Francine Blackman, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport.

The island’s cruise industry is in a very good place, according to recent data. Through November, Barbados saw a 23 percent increase in cruise ship arrivals, with 649,125 total cruise arrivals in the first 11 months of 2023 (data is not yet in for the full year). 

Ilma’s visit was followed by calls from Norwegian Breakaway, MV Viking Sea and MS Amadea, which combined brought another 6,101 passengers to Barbados. 

Demand for small-ship cruises, particularly ultra-luxe boutique ships, has never been higher. 

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