Scotland to welcome £450m luxury superyacht with tickets costing £16,000

Scotland is to welcome a £450m luxury superyacht with tickets costing £16,000.

The Ritz-Carlton Ilma, the world’s biggest hotel-branded superyacht, is due to arrive at the Port of Aberdeen later this year.

The vessel, which cost more than £450m to build, measures 207 meters in length and will make her first visit to Aberdeen less than a year after a maiden voyage in September 2024.

Fares on the 11-night cruise in August start at over £16,300 per person.

The journey will see Ilma start in Reykjavik and visit Lerwick, Kirkwall, Invergordon, Edinburgh and finally, Amsterdam.

The Ritz-Carlton Ilma is set to dock in Aberdeen later this year. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The yacht features 224 suites, each with a private terrace, and introduces two new upper suite categories spanning over 1,000 square feet.

It measures 790 feet and offers luxury cruises to Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe destinations.

Port of Aberdeen: Viking cruise liner docks ahead of ‘historic’ season

Aberdeen’s South Harbour is also set to welcome 16 calls from Norwegian-flagged liner Viking as part of more than 60 visits between April and September this year.

The port aims to bring up to 40,000 visitors to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire after the Viking Vela’s inaugural visit on Thursday.

As nearly 1,000 guests disembarked onto the quayside, they were met with bagpipes and performances by Highland dancers.

Wendy Atkin-Smith, managing director of Viking UK said: “We’re delighted to have added Aberdeen as a new port of call on some of our British Isles and Scandinavian itineraries and we are looking forward to our first ever visit today.

“As Scotland’s third-largest city, it has so much to offer, especially with its strong coastal culture and rich history.

“Our culturally curious guests will enjoy learning about the city’s maritime heritage and its interesting architecture – as well as experiencing the local art scene and exploring many of the historic sites nearby when they visit.”

The Viking Vela made its inaugural visit on Thursday to Aberdeen South Harbour. CruiseAberdeenshire

Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen said: “The expansion of Port of Aberdeen, coupled with CruiseAberdeenshire’s incredible efforts to market the city and Shire, is delivering outstanding results as we welcome 64 cruise calls in 2025.

“This landmark season demonstrates Aberdeen is growing as a premier destination for international cruise lines, which brings tremendous economic benefits to the region. We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of guests to the port this year.”

Chris Foy, CEO, VisitAberdeenshire said: “The North-east’s visitor proposition is strong, as the region’s tourism and hospitality businesses offer memorable, authentic experiences that leave a lasting impression on visitors.

“The initial welcome is equally important, and VisitAberdeenshire’s volunteers will be quayside to greet arriving passengers, getting their visit off to the best possible start. We look forward to a successful cruise season ahead.”

At the height of the cruise season, Aberdeen will also host Cruise Britain’s annual summer event, bringing around 60 cruise executives and industry experts to the city.

Ian McQuade, Chair of Cruise Britain said : “Cruise Britain is delighted to be holding the association’s summer meeting in Aberdeen. In a series of firsts, it will be our first meeting in Scotland and first visit to a Viking Cruises’ ship; we are excited to bring our members and guests to the city and would like to thank the Port most sincerely for hosting.

“Cruise tourism touches all parts of the UK and is an increasing part of the economy of coastal communities.

“The growth of Aberdeen as an important call in regional cruise itineraries is a testament to the work in developing both the port and the destination offer.”