All about Luminara, the Ritz-Carlton superyacht that hosted the summer celebrity party

La piscine du Beach House à bord du Luminara. Avec l’aimable autorisation de The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection et d’Edgardo Contreras.

Kendall Jenner, Colman Domingo, Martha Stewart, and Naomi Campbell board a 450-person superyacht in the middle of Rome’s Civitavecchia harbor.

This isn’t a joke or a clip from a music video peppered with cameo appearances. It was last weekend when these stars, and many others, boarded the Luminara, the Ritz-Carlton’s newest ultra-luxurious ship, for its maiden voyage. Far from your average ship, the Luminara offers 226 luxurious suites, each with its own private terrace, from which to admire the ocean as you sail to far-flung destinations like Bangkok or Mallorca. A dedicated butler is available 24/7, allowing for round-the-clock room service.

There are five restaurants on board (including Seta Su, by Michelin-starred chef Fabio Trabocchi), as well as a full spa, Cartier and Chanel boutiques, multiple pools, a hair salon, a high-end cigar humidor, seven bars, a gym, and a sense of tranquil luxury, thanks to Chapi Chapo Design, which collaborated with AD Associates on the ship’s interior design and art direction. (Luminara would certainly look right at home in a scene from Succession; in fact, it would be ideal for a Waystar Royco team retreat.)

Last year, Ritz-Carlton launched two of its superyachts, the Ilma and the Evrima. But on July 1, the company celebrated its biggest and most significant foray into the world of sailing: it welcomed more than 400 celebrities aboard the Luminara for a two-day stay in Malta, then threw a massive party on the ship, attended by Kate Hudson, J. Balvin, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tessa Thompson, Anitta, and many more. The general public seemed to be on board, judging by the social media posts pouring in from the upper deck. Each day, a new celebrity was in attendance: Janelle Monae, Anderson Paak, Adriana Lima, and Sofia Vergara.

The ship is certainly fit for a star. A week earlier, on June 26, Bridgerton star Simone Ashley christened the Luminara, becoming its official godmother—a time-honored maritime tradition of blessing the ship and smashing a champagne bottle against the bow to symbolize a safe voyage.

But this is just the beginning of the Ritz-Carlton’s foray from land to sea. In December, the Luminara will sail to the Asia-Pacific region, including Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, and Osaka, Japan. In 2026, the ship will set sail for Alaska and Canada for summer cruises focused on the region’s remote coasts, glaciers, and rich wildlife.