Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Faces Another Setback

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection luxury cruise line is postponing its inaugural voyage aboard its first ship, the Evrima, yet again.

Previously scheduled for November 2021, the ship’s maiden voyage is now set to depart from Lisbon on May 6, 2022.

The luxury yachting company cited the ongoing impact of COVID-19, combined with related challenges created for construction operations in Europe” for this latest delay.

"While we are eager to welcome guests onboard the Evrima, we have had to re-evaluate the timing of our first voyage given the rapidly changing circumstances and their impact on the Evrima's completion," said Douglas Prothero, CEO of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. "We remain excited to set sail in the spring and thank our guests for their understanding and patience as we continue to navigate this unprecedented global environment.”

The decision marks the fifth time the new brand has faced a setback. The Evrima’s initial sailing was originally anticipated to take place back in January 2020, but the ship wasn’t completed in time due to issues at the Hijos de J. Barreras shipyard in Vigo, Spain.

The debut of the 298-guest ship was then pushed to June 2020, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to April 2021 and then November.

The luxury hotelier announced in 2017 it would build three super yachts for the ultra-luxury market, all of which will be small enough to navigate ports and waterways that larger ships cannot reach.

The company said that it was contacting affected guests and travel advisors to reschedule their bookings on canceled sailings to an available departure in 2022 or 2023, or to discuss reimbursement options.