Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons built its reputation on a single operating idea: consistent, intuitive service delivered by staff empowered to solve problems without escalation. That model transfers unusually well to a small ship, where the crew-to-guest ratio is closer to a private members' club than a hotel.

The maritime venture is structured as a partnership. Four Seasons owns the brand, the service standards and the guest relationship; Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings finances and technically operates the vessels, built at Fincantieri in Italy.

For travellers the practical consequence is that Four Seasons Yachts behaves like a floating Four Seasons rather than a cruise line: no set dining times, no muster-style entertainment programme, and a residential suite product with the largest average cabin footprint at sea.