Ritz-Carlton is launching a cruise line

Who says hotel companies can't dabble in cruising, too?

In a hospitality industry crossover, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. is launching a luxury cruising yacht line slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2019, the hotelier announced Thursday. RitzCarlton will enter a crowded luxury cruise field. In doing so, it follows a path similar to Disney when it founded Disney Cruise Line in 1996.

Ritz-Carlton, part of Marriott International, is planning to build three 298-passenger yachts for its new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, to be based in Coconut Grove. (No home ports have been announced).

The Yacht Collection is a venture created by maritime experts Douglas Prothero, CEO and founder of the Canadian Maritime Group, and Lars Clasen, former president of Aida Cruises. Each ship will feature 149 balcony suites and two duplex penthouse suites.

The yacht-board experience also will reflect its current hotel offerings, RitzCarlton said. The yachts will feature a restaurant by Sven Elverfeld, the chef who runs Ritz-Carlton's three Michelin-starred restaurant, Aqua, in Wolfsburg, Germany. They also will have a Ritz-Carlton Spa, panorama lounge and wine bar and on-board entertainment.

Off the ship, the new line is working on creating curated tours in collaboration with local chefs, musicians and artists from the locations its ships visit. Itineraries will range from seven to 10 days with seasonal stops in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The ships will also stop in locations not accessible to mass market cruise ships, such as Capri and Portofino in Italy and St. Barths in the Caribbean.