Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has once again (for the 5th time) decided to delay the maiden voyage of the company's first superyacht - Evrima - citing shipyard issues due to the COVID crisis.
The brand's/ship's inauguration was previously scheduled for 2021 (April 22, June 14, July 25, November 10).
In December 2019, the new cruise brand Ritz-Carlton and Oaktree Capital Management (part of Oaktree Capital Group Holdings) signed a deal to finance the Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Barreras (Vigo Spain) in order to ensure the delivery of the brand's first boat (Evrima).
The company also signed with CESCE (Spanish Export Credit Agency) to cover the newbuild's cost overruns and to secure the 2nd yacht's construction. This way, the shipyard was also saved from bankruptcy.
Due to the shipyard's financial difficulties, Evrima's delivery has now been delayed to May 2022. This affected a total of 22 voyages/now canceled.
Douglas Prothero, CEO of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, said in a statement:
“While we are eager to welcome guests onboard Evrima, we have had to reevaluate the timing of our first voyage given the rapidly changing circumstances and their impact on Evrima’s completion.
“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 rescheduled maiden voyage will set sail on May 6, 2022, from Lisbon Portugal.
Initially, Evrima's inaugural cruise was scheduled for June 14, 2020. The 7-day itinerary had to depart from Barcelona Spain to Palma de Mallorca (Majorca Island, Balearic Spain) and had booking code 11200614. Prices started from EUR 6310 pp / USD 6960 pp with double occupancy, including taxes and port fees. However, due to shipbuilding delays, the Maiden Voyage (and cruise brand's launch/inauguration) was postponed to 2021 and rescheduled - first for April 22 (out of Lisbon), then for July 24 (out of Venice), then for November 10 (Caribbean from San Juan Puerto Rico), and finally for May 6, 2022.
The latest cancellations affected the entire Europe-Mediterranean season.