New Ritz-Carlton cruising yacht debut delayed due to COVID

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, a new cruise operation by the luxury hotel group, has delayed its inaugural cruise.

In a statement, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection cited ongoing supply chain and labor challenges created by COVID-19 as the reason for the delay.

The company said the pandemic was having an ongoing effect on construction operations, requiring the inaugural voyage of Evrima, the first yacht from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, to be rescheduled.

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Evrima is now due to set sail on August 6th, 2022 from Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

“Like many in manufacturing, we have experienced significant impact from COVID-19 variants as it relates to labour and supply chain disruptions, and we have had to reevaluate the timing of our first voyage,” said Douglas Prothero, CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

“We continue to make significant progress on Evrima and look forward to welcoming guests onboard this summer. We thank our guests for their support as we continue to navigate an evolving global landscape,” he added.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is personally reaching out to impacted guests and their travel agents, the company said.

Guests impacted by the schedule change may choose to reschedule their voyage to an available itinerary in 2022, 2023 or 2024, or discuss reimbursement options through The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is owned by Marriott International, which includes Ritz-Carlton among its 30 hotel brands. It was due to enter service with its first vessel Evrima on May 6th, 2021.

When she does enter service, Evrima will cruise to a variety of destinations depending on the season, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

The intimate size of the vessel allows the yacht to call on locations typically not accessible to larger cruise ships, including Saint-Tropez, Ibiza and St. Barts.

With a relaxed pace, which includes both overnight and daytime ports of call, guests will be offered a curated collection of experiences.

The 190-meter (624 foot) yacht features 149 suites and will offer a range of programming including spa treatments, watersports from the yacht’s marina and Evrima’s signature restaurant, S.E.A., designed by chef Sven Elverfeld of Aqua, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg in Germany.