I paid $35,000 a person for a 10-night ultra-luxury Ritz-Carlton cruise through Japan. Here's what that price got us.

My arrival made me feel like I was at a luxury hotel, not a cruise.

From the moment I arrived at the cruise terminal in Tokyo, the experience felt intentionally elevated.

Instead of navigating check-in myself, I was met by a porter and a dedicated ambassador who handled everything — even walking my mom and me through the terminal in the rain under an umbrella before personally escorting us to the gangway.

Once on board, I was welcomed with Champagne and a caviar blini and guided through a quick safety orientation before being brought directly to my suite, which was already ready.

Our suite was filled with thoughtful details.

Entry-level cabins on this sailing started at almost $20,000 per person, while the largest top-tier suites climbed to over $65,000 per person.

We were staying in a Grand Suite, one of the ship's mid-tier accommodations. It offered about 600 square feet of interior space plus a 95-square-foot private terrace.

The bed can be configured as either a king or split into two twins; ours was set up as the latter during turndown the first night.

There were thoughtful details throughout: two large walk-in closets, excellent lighting controls, a large television, and high-end amenities from Diptyque and Bulgari.

The layout made it feel like a true residence at sea.

The layout felt genuinely residential. I entered through a proper hallway with a vanity that led into a dining area with a four-seat table.

The table was topped with a large, fresh floral arrangement and welcome amenities. The flowers were replenished daily.

Beyond that was the spacious living room and a separate bedroom, both with retractable doors that could be used to close off the areas.

The bathroom was especially well-designed.

A powder room sits off the entry hall and connects through to the main bath, which includes both a soaking tub and a separate shower — and that space also connects directly to the bedroom.

It meant the powder room could be accessed independently while someone else used the full bath, which made the suite feel far more functional.

Service was polished, personal, and occasionally remarkable

Service is where the experience consistently delivered. Crew members greeted me by name from the first day, something they told me they prepare for in advance by reviewing guest photos.

My suite was attended to by multiple team members and a supervisor, with frequent refreshes throughout the day.

One moment that especially stood out is when my mother left her phone in a taxi in port, the crew tracked down the driver and returned it to the ship shortly after. It was an almost unbelievable recovery — and a clear example of how seriously staff approached service.

There are a variety of dining options on board.

There are five restaurants on the ship, and notably no traditional main dining room.

Our options included:

• Seta su Luminara, from chef Fabio Trabocchi, offering refined Italian tasting menus
• Beach House, from chef Michael Mina, with Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern influences
• Haesu Bit, serving pan-Asian cuisine
• Azur, which functions as a flexible, all-day dining venue
• Mistral, a more relaxed rooftop restaurant with al fresco dining

Only Seta su Luminara carried an additional charge, with a dinner coming at around $300 per person before wine pairings. The rest of the onboard dining was included.

Seta su Luminara delivered polished, technically strong dishes, though given the strength of the included restaurants, it didn't exactly feel essential.

Most meals were flexible and tasty.

Menus rotated every few days, which kept things fresh.

What stood out most was the flexibility at most restaurants. At breakfast, for example, the kitchens would regularly prepare off-menu dishes, such as shakshuka or Japanese soufflé pancakes, upon request.

Bars, lounges, and nightlife gave the ship real energy.

Beyond restaurants, the ship has several bars and lounges. The Art Bar became a natural gathering spot, while other spaces ranged from relaxed cocktail lounges to more social venues.

Evenings had real energy, with live entertainment, themed parties, and cultural performances scheduled most nights. A white party brought out live music, elevated styling, and a crowd that leaned fully into the moment — it felt closer to a beach club in the South of France than a cruise.

On another night, an intimate geiko and maiko performance featuring traditional Japanese dance and music offered a completely different tone, blending cultural immersion with proximity that would be difficult to replicate on land.

The onboard experience goes well beyond cabins and dining.

In addition to bars and lounges, the ship has a spa with several treatment rooms, as well as sauna and steam facilities.

There's also a well-equipped fitness studio, complete with a dedicated Pilates studio with a reformer.

Although we didn't utilize them, the ship also had gathering spaces for families and special programming for children.

In many ways, the ship felt more like a boutique hotel than a cruise.

Beyond that, the ship includes:

• A marina platform for water sports (in warmer climates)
• Areas with pools and lounge seating
• A curated art collection with over 700 pieces (according to the woman who led our sea-day art tour)
• Luxury boutiques featuring brands like Cartier and Piaget, along with vintage Chanel and Hermès bags
• Cooking classes, lectures, and live music programming

The overall effect is a ship that feels layered — more like a boutique hotel with programming than a traditional cruise.

Exploring Japan this way felt seamless — and at times, magical.

The itinerary moved through Osaka, Hiroshima, Busan, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima, often docking in highly convenient, central locations.

Many ports were easy to explore independently, which I preferred.

Although the ship offered excursions at an extra cost — some priced into the thousands — I often found it just as effective to plan my own.

In Busan, for example, friends invited us to join them on their booking with a private guide and driver. The experience, which cost them around $3,000 for a group of six, underscored the range of optional spend available and what that level of access can deliver.

We visited a dramatic seaside temple and had a standout lunch featuring Hanwoo beef, widely considered Korea's highest-quality cattle. It was an exceptional day, though one that came at a premium.

No matter the excursion, traveling during cherry-blossom season added another layer to our trip entirely.

Ultimately, our experience felt special enough to justify the high price tag.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection delivers a genuinely elevated experience — and on this sailing, it worked.

With fares at this level, expectations are exceptionally high. I was looking for something seamless, memorable, and genuinely special.

We had a great time, and I did find moments of true standout luxury, though the value may have been harder to find had we not traveled during cherry-blossom season.

At the same time, this price point puts this sailing firmly in competition with other top-tier land-based experiences I've enjoyed — like safaris at Singita, stays at Château de la Messardière, or even journeys like the Orient Express — where expectations are equally high, and every detail needs to deliver.

That makes the itinerary especially important, and for a sailing like this one, where timing and destination aligned, the experience justified the cost.

The suites and service are among the best I've experienced at sea, and the ship felt elevated and thoughtfully designed.

Overall, I would absolutely sail with Ritz-Carlton again if the itinerary felt special enough.