The second Four Seasons yacht officially has a hull. At Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard in Italy, a ceremony attended by Ben Trodd, CEO of Four Seasons Yachts, and Gilberto Tobaldi, the yard's director, marked the keel-laying of Four Seasons II — the traditional moment when the first structural section of a ship begins assembly. Sticking to maritime custom, a commemorative coin was welded into the hull, a good-luck blessing for the vessel and everyone who will sail on it.
So what is actually being built? Four Seasons II will come in at 34,000 gross tons and 207 metres long — small by cruise-ship standards, which is very much the point. Rather than thousands of passengers, there will be just 79 suites, designed along residential-style lines with generous terrace decks. The ship is also being fitted with newer environmental technologies, and the idea throughout is a closer connection between guests, the sea and the ports on the itinerary.
Timing matters here. Delivery from Fincantieri is expected ahead of an April 2028 debut in the Eastern Mediterranean — a natural first region for a yacht-style vessel, with routes that could take in the Adriatic, Greek islands and the Turkish coast. The concept will mirror the first ship in the class, which follows the same all-suite, residential philosophy: fewer guests, larger living spaces and service levels closer to a private villa than a mainstream cruise.
For context, Four Seasons Yachts is operated by Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, and the brand is one of a growing wave of luxury hotel names moving onto the water — Ritz-Carlton, Aman and others have made similar leaps. The pitch is simple: the familiarity and standards of a top hotel brand, delivered on a ship small enough to dock in ports the mega-ships skip.
Who should care? This is one for travellers already drawn to ultra-luxury, small-ship cruising — think Regent, Seabourn or Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection regulars — or anyone eyeing a 2028 Mediterranean holiday with a hotel-brand pedigree. Bookings for such debuts typically open well before launch, and inaugural seasons on new luxury yachts tend to fill early, so it is worth keeping on the radar now even if the sailing date feels distant. Anyone expecting big-ship entertainment should look elsewhere; the appeal here is space, quiet and destination-focused itineraries rather than waterslides and theatres.
If you want a preview of what Four Seasons II will feel like, the first Four Seasons yacht is already sailing and operating the same all-suite format — its itineraries and reviews are a useful benchmark before committing to a 2028 debut fare.
