Ritz-Carlton Evrima

The 2021-built/2022-inaugurated Ritz-Carlton's Evrima cruise ship (fka "Ritz-Carlton Azora"/official website) is the first of all three ultra-luxury expedition yachts owned by Marriott International Inc (shipowner). The superyacht is operated by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (cruise brand and subsidiary of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company).

The vessel (IMO number 9823687) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 215001000) and registered in Valletta.

Due to construction delays (shipbuilder's financial difficulties caused by the Coronavirus crisis), the vessel's delivery was first postponed for 6 months - from November 2020 to April 2021. Evrima's Inaugural Cruise was rescheduled eight times - from 2020 (June 14) to 2021 (April 22, June 14, July 25, November 10) and 2022 (May 6th, June 25th, August 6th, and finally October 15th). A total of 138 voyages (74x planned for 2020-2021 plus 64x planned for 2021-2022) were canceled.

Fun fact is that this vessel was known as/named "Hull 1705" and "Yacht 1" in the period January 2017 through December 2018, and "Azora" between December 2018 and October 2019.

History - construction and ownership

Ritz-Carlton's cruise brand "The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection" is a Miami-headquartered (Coconut Grove) new company owned by Marriott International Inc via its subsidiary The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC.

On June 22, 2017, the 5-star hotel brand Ritz-Carlton announced its privately-owned cruise line brand, with a planned start in 2019. The company's fleet consists of 3 newbuilds, with a shipbuilding option to expand to 5 vessels. Ritz-Carlton's cruise company was created by Douglas Prothero (CEO, founder of Canadian Maritime Group) and Lars Clasen (Managing Director, former President of AIDA Cruises).

Unlike the Spain-built Evrima, the France-built sisterships Ilma (2024) and Luminara (2025) are larger as both gross tonnage/volume (46750 GT-tons, compared to Evrima's 25400 GT-tons), cabins (228 vs Evrima's 149) and max passenger capacity (456 vs Evrima's 298).

The 300-passenger ship Evrima was designed by Tillberg Design (Sweden) as a "mega-yacht - cruise ship" hybrid. The custom-built superyacht was even dubbed "anti-cruise ship".

Due to shipyard issues/financial difficulties, the vessel's delivery/inauguration (originally planned for November 2019) was first postponed to 2020 (4 months - from February to June 2020), then to 2021 (first for April, then July and November) and eventually to 2022 (May, June, Aug, Oct). The latest cancellations were due to the ongoing pandemic - safety concerns, international travel restrictions and uncertainties (countries' lockdowns and port closures).

Decks and Cabins

All Evrima cruise ship staterooms (149 total) are balcony suites with tall ceilings, including two Duplex Suites (2-level apartments). The fore-located Owner Suites are the yacht's largest accommodations, featuring upper suite living area, floor-ceiling windows (for 270-degree views) and a huge wraparound terrace (with an outdoor plunge pool).

The boat has 10 decks, of which 8 are passenger-accessible and 5 with cabins.

Staterooms include 27x Signature Suites, 18x Grand Suites, 12x Loft Suites (2-deck accommodations), 90x Terrace Suites. Loft Suites are duplexes (bedroom on the lower level). Terrace Suites are connecting cabins (with a soundproof blind wall in between) easily combined to reduce the cabins number from 149 to 107 (when the mega-yacht is privately chartered).

Cabin categories include:

• Owners Suite (1100 ft2 / 102 m2) plus balcony (590 ft2 / 55 m2)
• View Suite (625 ft2 / 58 m2) plus balcony (95 ft2 / 9 m2)
• Loft Suite (700 ft2 / 65 m2) plus balcony (75 ft2 / 7 m2)
• Grand Suite (635 ft2 / 59 m2) plus balcony (110 ft2 / 10 m2)
• Signature Mid-Suite / Signature Suite (475 ft2 / 44 m2) plus balcony (100 ft2 / 9 m2)
• Terrace Mid-Suite / Terrace Suite (310 ft2 / 29 m2) plus balcony (65 ft2 / 6 m2)

Standard (complimentary) cabin amenities and services include custom-made King-size beds (premium sleeping system, custom-made for Ritz-Carlton linens, hypoallergenic pillows), smart HDTVs (infotainment system with Internet, movies-on-demand, Room Service ordering), seating area with contemporary furniture (mirrored dressing table, upholstered low stool, lounge cabinet with shelves, armchairs, coffee table), complimentary minibar (fully stocked to guests’ preferences/upon request after boarding the ship), Espresso coffee machine (complimentary capsules /coffee and tea), direct-dial phone, wardrobe, electronic safe box and lifejackets (in the closet), 220-110 V power outlets, USB charging ports, complimentary WiFi Internet, complimentary 24-hour room service and in-cabin dining (ordering items from all onboard dining venues), dedicated butler (Personal Concierge assistant), en-suite bathroom (double-sink vanity, separate WC-toilet, hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers, custom-made bath linens, luxury-brand bath products), individually controlled air-conditioning, LED lighting, modern light fixtures (recessed lights).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Ritz-Carlton Evrima yacht offers a total of 10 ultra-premium dining options at intimate venues with chef-curated menus, small seating capacity, opened around the clock and without assigned seating or fixed mealtimes. Passengers can eat whenever they want, rather than the traditional pre-set dining times customary on most companies. All-day and all-night dining in cabins (or on their terraces) can be ordered from the 24-hour room service menu (items from all onboard dining venues), as well as during regular hours from the MDR menu.

The dress code is Yacht Casual during the day for breakfast and lunch - shoes, shirts, and bathing suit cover-ups are required when the passengers are not at the swimming pool. During the evening for dinner sleeveless t-shirts and bathing suits are not allowed and shoes and shirts are required throughout the vessel. The dress code in the specialty dining restaurant by Sven Elverfeld is Yacht Sophisticated and collared shirts are not required, but recommended. No formal nights are organized on board.

Follows the complete list of Ritz-Carlton Evrima restaurants and food bars.

• S.E.A. (Aqua Restaurant) is via partnership with celebrity chef Sven Elverfeld (3-Michelin stars) who presides over Ritz-Carlton's Aqua Restaurant in Wolfsburg, Germany. Aqua Restaurant has capacity 28 seats, offers a la carte 5-course menu and wine pairing (with premium wines and champagnes by the glass). An additional fee is applied and reservations are required.
• Evrima Room is the boat's Main Dining Room restaurant (MDR) with capacity 140 seats. The venue is designed to look like 10 small restaurants, with plenty of nooks. The menu consists of locally inspired creations and changes daily to reflect the ports visited. Dining Privee (10-seat room) is part of the MDR and can be reserved as VIP dining room for lunches and dinners with customized menus.
• Talaat Nam is a contemporary Asian cuisine restaurant with a separate sushi bar and outdoor terrace seating.
• The Pool House (casual poolside food bar) offers all-day dining (including breakfasts, lunches, dinners).
• Mistral (aft on Deck 8/initially named "Outdoor Grill") is a Lido bar restaurant serving the swimming pool with food and beverages. This pool deck/lower Sundeck is served by Poolside Grill (steakhouse) and Seafood Grill. Mistral is a casual alfresco eatery offering from Early Risers (portable breakfast) to late-night complimentary dining. Various cuisine specialties are prepared outdoors and a la minute, including gourmet meats (prime beef steaks) and fresh seafood (grilled to order).

Ritz-Carlton cruise line's Culinary Director is Matthieu Godard (pastry chef) who oversees the brand's culinary activities and menus. Lee Goble is the brand's Executive Chef who manages the fleet's culinary teams.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MS Evrima ship offers destination-based activities (onboard performances by local artists and musicians), itinerary-based gourmet cuisine (with locally-sourced products and dishes prepared by local chefs). Onboard entertainment includes live performances (jazz and classical) and professional (expert-led) lectures and media presentations. During each voyage, local guests (artists, lecturers, chefs) board the ship for various entertainment acts throughout the cruise. The shipwide Wi-Fi is free of charge.

Ship's main social hubs are The Observation Lounge (top-deck) and The Living Room (ship entrance hall / Atrium Lobby lounge, also doubling as Cafe and Library). The ship doesn't have a dedicated Theater (show lounge) or Casino (gambling lounge).

The mega-yacht has an aft marina platform for watersports, providing direct access to the sea. The marina is also used for open-air parties and other events. A selection of water toys (sea kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling equipment) is provided complimentary to all passengers. The marina is connected to the indoors, forming an indoor-outdoor solarium (sundeck) looking more like a cozy lounge than the usual sundeck.

Next image shows Spa Deck's fore-located sundeck with a large Jacuzzi (covered in the evenings) and outdoor padded seating (sofas, loungers, tables and chairs).

Above Sun Deck is the Helideck with a helipad (helicopter landing area) used in cases of emergency.

The open-air Marina Bar provides 270-degree sea views and is covered by a retractable glass roof. Marina Bar is operated as al fresco dining lounge by day and as disco nightclub in the evening. The venue serves a variety of made-to-order dishes prepared a la minute.

The superyacht has two infinity whirlpools/hot tubs (aft portside and starboard on Deck 5), two aft swimming pools (one deep on Deck 5, and one shallow on Deck 8) and one spa pool/Jacuzzi (forward on Deck 9). The infinity pool (aft on Deck 5) is also used for exercising (resistance swimming). Glass doors open to a sweeping staircase leading to Lido Deck and the infinity pool (on the stern, with a glass wall facing the ship's wake). The superyacht also carries speedboats.

Due to fire and safety regulations, most of the ship's spaces are sectioned off and subdivided, with metal walls dividing restaurants from lounges and bars. Ritz-Carlton ships pioneered an open floorplan concept ("fluid and transparent") designed to "break down the traditional boundaries between dining and drinking areas".

Follows the complete list of Ritz-Carlton Evrima ship lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Bar is a cocktail lounge serving premium brand liquors and Champagnes with caviar pairings.
• The Humidor is a top-deck smoking bar lounge (part of Observation Lounge) where can also be purchased hand-rolled cigars and premium liquors.
• The top-deck located Observation Lounge is the best place for cocktails and socializing. At twilight, it is transformed into a late-night hangout with live entertainment.
• The Living Room is the ship's Cafeteria-Patisserie offering freshly-baked pastries, cakes, pies, roasted coffees (at the Espresso Counter and the Bar) and traditional British Afternoon Tea service. Ready-made sweets are available for ordering until late-night.
• The Pool House (poolside bar) provides all-day complimentary food and beverage service. The ship's pool deck (aft sundeck) is fitted with loungers, deckchairs, banquettes and whirlpools, along with a spacious spot for outdoor movies and deck parties.
• Ritz-Carlton Spa (Deck 9) is operated by Ritz-Carlton Hotels and provides indoor and outdoor treatments. Each massage room has its own private step-out balcony. Guests are able to pick if they wish a treatment indoor or outdoor. The Wellness complex also includes Relaxation Lounge, Medical Center, The Salon (full-service beauty parlor/hairdresser-manicure-pedicure), The Barber (grooming-barber services). Ship's Fitness Center is an indoor-outdoor Gym complex with training equipment inside and an outdoor exercise area for classes (yoga, pilates, aerobics, etc) and relaxation.
• Ritz-Kids is the yacht's Kids Club (indoor playground) providing a complimentary educational and fun activity program for children. Enhanced kids entertainment and services are available during summer months and holidays.
• Boutique Shop sells brand sportswear, fashion clothing and accessories, leather goods, premium jewelry and watches, brand perfumes and cosmetics. In select ports along the cruise itinerary, the onboard shopping experience is enhanced via collaborations with local artisans boarding the ship to showcase their unique handmade products.

The Marina is an aft-located/stern watersports platform providing direct access to the sea and the ship's watersport equipment. It is also used for parties and other open-air events. A selection of water toys (sea kayaks, paddleboards) are launched from here and provided complimentary to all passengers. Glass doors open to the sweeping staircase leading to Lido / Pool Deck above (aft / on the ship's stern). The Marina is adjacent to an indoor/outdoor solarium (Marina Terrace) which is more a cozy lounge than a conventional sundeck.

Marina Terrace is an open-air deck space (served by Marina Bar) offering 270-degree panoramic views. This outdoor area is covered by a retractable glass roof and can be operated as al fresco dining lounge by day and as a disco nightclub in the evenings. As a dining venue, Marina Terrace serves a variety of dishes prepared a la minute, as well as handcrafted cocktails.

Itineraries

Evrima's MAIDEN VOYAGE is currently scheduled for August 6, 2022. The 7-day itinerary is from Piraeus-Athens to Chioggia-Venice, visiting Greece (Parga, Kerkyra-Corfu Island), Croatia (Dubrovnik/overnight, Korcula, Rovinj), Slovenia (Koper) and Chioggia (overnight).

Initially, Evrima's inauguration was planned for June 14, 2020. The 7-day itinerary (booking code 11200614) had to depart from Barcelona Spain to Palma de Mallorca (Majorca Island, Balearic Spain). 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 Ritz-Carlton's cruise brand's launch/inauguration) was postponed from 2020 to 2022, and rescheduled several times - in 2021 (April 22nd, out of Lisbon, July 24th out of Venice, November 10th out of San Juan Puerto Rico), and in 2022 - May 6th (out of Lisbon), June 25th (from Piraeus), August 6th (from Piraeus), Aug 31st (from Piraeus) and finally October 15th (Maiden Voyage from Barcelona to Nice).

The latest cancellations affected the entire Europe-Mediterranean (2020) and Caribbean (2021) seasons - or a total of 96 voyages.

Next are listed Evrima's canceled 2020-2021-2022 schedules as homeports and (in brackets) departure dates and booking codes. IMPORTANT: All itineraries in 2020 and some in 2021 (January 3 through April 22) were canceled.

Ritz-Carlton 2020 schedule (CANCELED)

• (June 14) 7-night Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca (code 11200614)
• (June 21) 7-night Palma de Mallorca to Lisbon (11200621)
• (June 28) 7-night Lisbon to Bordeaux (11200628)
• (July 5) 9-night Bordeaux to London-Greenwich (11200705)
• (July 14) 7-night London-Greenwich to Amsterdam (11200714)
• (July 21) 9-night Amsterdam to Copenhagen (11200721)
• (July 30) 10-night Copenhagen to Stockholm (11200730)
• (August 9) 10-night Stockholm to Copenhagen (11200809)
• (August 19) 9-night Copenhagen to Edinburgh Scotland (11200819)
• (August 28) 8-night Edinburgh to Reykjavik (11200828)
• (September 5) 7-night Reykjavik roundtrip (11200905)
• (September 12) 14-night Reykjavik to Halifax NS Canada (11200912) Transatlantic, from EUR 7400 pp
• (September 26) 7-night Halifax to Boston MA USA (11200926)
• (October 3) 12-night Boston to Montreal Canada (11201003)
• (October 15) 12-night Montreal to Boston (11201015)
• (October 27) 9-night Boston to Nassau Bahamas (11201027) repositioning, from EUR 5050 pp
• (November 6) 8-night Fort Lauderdale to San Juan Puerto Rico (11201106) Inaugural Caribbean cruise, from EUR 5250 pp
• (November 14) 7-night San Juan to Philipsburg St Maarten (11201114)
• (November 21) 7-night Philipsburg to Bridgetown Barbados (11201121)
• (November 28) 7-night Bridgetown roundtrip (11201128)
• (December 5) 7-night Bridgetown to Castries St Lucia (11201205)
• (December 12) 7-night Castries to Philipsburg (11201212)
• (December 19) 8-night Philipsburg to San Juan (11201219) Inaugural "Christmas Cruise 2020", from EUR 6300 pp
• (December 27) 7-night San Juan roundtrip (11201227) Inaugural "New Year Cruise 2020", from EUR 5650 pp

Ritz-Carlton 2021 schedule (CANCELED)

• (January 3) 7-night San Juan to Philipsburg St Maarten (11210103)
• (January 10) 7-night Philipsburg to Bridgetown Barbados (11210110)
• (January 17) 7-night Bridgetown to Castries St Lucia (11210117)
• (January 24) 7-night Castries to Oranjestad Aruba (11210124)
• (January 31) 7-night Oranjestad to Castries (11210131)
• (February 14) 7-night Philipsburg to Castries (11210214)
• (February 26) 7-night Castries to San Juan Puerto Rico (11210226)
• (March 10) 7-night San Juan roundtrip (11210310)
• (March 27) 7-night San Juan to Bridgetown (11210327)
• (April 3) 7-night Bridgetown roundtrip (11210403)
• (April 10) 12-night Bridgetown to Lisbon (11210410) Transatlantic, from EUR 6200 pp
• (April 22) 9-night Lisbon to Palma de Mallorca (11210422)
• (May 1) 7-night Palma to Nice France (11210501)
• (May 8) 7-night Nice to Civitavecchia-Rome (11210508)
• (May 29) 7-night Valletta Malta to Piraeus-Athens (11210529)
• (June 5) 7-night Piraeus-Athens roundtrip (11210605)
• (June 12) 7-night Piraeus-Athens to Venice (11210612)
• (June 24) 9-night Dubrovnik Croatia to Piraeus-Athens (11210624)
• (July 10) 7-night Piraeus-Athens to Dubrovnik (11210710)
• (July 17) 7-night Dubrovnik to Venice (11210717)
• (July 24) 7-night Venice to Piraeus-Athens (11210724)
• (July 31) 7-night Piraeus-Athens to Valletta Malta (11210731)
• (August 7) 7-night Valletta to Civitavecchia-Rome (11210807)
• (August 14) 7-night Civitavecchia-Rome roundtrip (11210814)
• (August 26) 8-night Civitavecchia-Rome to Malaga Spain (11210826)
• (September 3) 7-night Malaga to Lisbon (11210903)
• (September 10) 12-night Lisbon to Halifax NS Canada (11210910) Transatlantic, from EUR 6300 pp
• (September 22) 7-night Halifax to Boston MA USA (11210922)
• (September 29) 11-night Boston to Montreal Canada (11210929)
• (October 10) 12-night Montreal to Halifax (11211010)
• (October 22) 12-night Halifax to Fort Lauderdale FL USA (11211022) repositioning, from EUR 7900 pp
• (November 10) 7-night from San Juan to Castries (11211110) MAIDEN VOYAGE
• (November 17) 7-night Castries to Oranjestad Aruba (11211117)
• (November 24) 8-night Oranjestad roundtrip (11211124)
• (December 2) 7-night Oranjestad to Bridgetown Barbados (11211202)
• (December 9) 7-night Bridgetown roundtrip (11211209)
• (December 16) 7-night Bridgetown to San Juan Puerto Rico (11211216)
• (December 23) 10-night San Juan roundtrip (11211223) "Christmas and New Year Cruise 2021", from EUR 7760 pp

Ritz-Carlton 2022 schedule (CANCELED)

• (January 2) 7-day roundtrip from San Juan ($4900)
• (January 9) 7-day from San Juan to Philipsburg St Maarten ($5300)
• (January 16) 7-day from Philipsburg to Bridgetown ($4895)
• (January 23) 7-day roundtrip from Bridgetown ($4910)
• (January 30) 7-day from Bridgetown to Castries ($5410)
• (February 6) 7-day from Castries to San Juan ($5405)
• (February 13) 7-day roundtrip from San Juan ($5795)
• (February 20) 7-day from San Juan to Philipsburg ($5395)
• (February 27) 7-day from Philipsburg to Castries ($5090)
• (March 6) 5-day from Castries to Bridgetown ($3910)
• (March 20) 8-day roundtrip from Oranjestad ($5600)
• (March 28) 12-day from Oranjestad to Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale Florida ($7690)
• (April 9) 7-day roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale ($5410)
• (April 16) 7-day roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale ($5100)
• (April 23) 13-day Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon ($7505)
• (May 6) 11-day Lisbon to Barcelona ($13400)
• (May 17) 9-day Barcelona to Marseille ($9900)
• (May 26) 10-day Marseille to Civitavecchia-Rome ($12200)
• (June 5) 5-day Civitavecchia to Valletta Malta ($5800)
• (June 10) 8-day Valletta to Piraeus ($9200)
• (June 18) 7-day roundtrip from Piraeus-Athens ($8400)
• (June 25) 7-day Piraeus to Venice ($8100)
• (July 2) 7-day Venice to Dubrovnik Croatia ($8400)
• (July 9) 5-day Dubrovnik to Venice ($6100)
• (July 14) 9-day Venice to Piraeus ($10600)
• (July 23) 7-day Piraeus to Venice ($8100)
• (July 30) 7-day Venice to Piraeus ($8400)
• (Aug 6) 7-day roundtrip from Piraeus ($8400)
• (Aug 13) 7-day Piraeus to Istanbul ($7400)
• (Aug 20) 11-day Istanbul to Piraeus ($12100)
• (Aug 31) 9-day Piraeus to Chioggia
• (Sept 10) 7-day Chioggia to Civitavecchia
• (Sept 22) 9-day roundtrip from Civitavecchia
• (Oct 2) 6-day roundtrip from Civitavecchia
• (Oct 8) 7-day from Civitavecchia to Barcelona

An extensive list of ship relocation voyages you can see at RepositionCruises.com (dates, itineraries, regions).

Ritz-Carlton cruise fares are inclusive of onboard accommodation, dining, beverages (including alcoholic), gratuities (shipboard tipping) and Wi-Fi. A 5% discount is offered with the booking of 2 or more B2Bs (back-to-back itineraries).

In early-September 2020, Ritz-Carlton announced the company's winter 2022-2023 itineraries (November through April). The Evrima ship's program featured 15 new ports - Golfito (Costa Rica), Portsmouth (Dominica), Puerto Quetzal (Guatemala), Bocas Del Toro (Colon Island, Panama), as well as longer port stays.

In late-August 2021, Ritz-Carlton postponed Evrima's Maiden Voyage through 2022 (rescheduled to May 6th).

In spring and summer 2022, MS Evrima was to be deployed in the Western Caribbean and Bahamas, Bermuda and Mediterranean (including Holy Land / Israel and Cyprus). Themed voyages in 2022 included Christmas Cruise (Dec 25 in Roseau Dominica), New Years Eve Cruise (Dec 31 in Saint Barthelemy Island), Casablanca overnight (tour to Marrakesh Morocco), Monaco Grand Prix 2022 (Circuit de Monaco).

In the summers of 2023 and 2024 (April through November) the ship was deployed in the Mediterranean (French Riviera, Adriatic, Balearic Islands, Greek Isles) with itineraries ranging 7- to 11-night in length. Program 2023 featured 5x maiden ports - Melilla (Spanish Morocco), San Sebastian de la Gomera (Canaries Spain), Praia (Santiago Island, Cape Verde), Mindelo (Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde), Catania (Sicily Italy). Program 2024 ((total 21x sailings) featured 14x new ports and overnights in Monte Carlo (Monaco), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Portofino (Italy), Casablanca (Morocco).

Ritz-Carlton's The Shore Collection (land tours and excursions) program offers customized services provided by dedicated cruise ship staff (Concierge Ashore) working with local certified tour guides and other specializing in tourism and travel professionals.

All Ritz-Carlton superyachts are available for private chartering.

Ritz-Carlton's shipbuilder is Astilleros Barreras Shipyard (Hijos de J. Barreras SA, with parent company Tropical Hoteles SA) in Vigo Spain.

The vessel's physical construction/assembly (yard/hull number 1705) officially started with the keel-laying ceremony held on January 11, 2018. The special event was attended by Jose Garcia Costas (shipyard's Chairman), Fredrik Johannson (Tillberg Design's owner), Timothy Grisius (Marriott International's global real estate officer), Douglas Prothero (Ritz-Carlton Yachts' CEO).

On October 9, 2018, the vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) and moved to a shipyard pier for final outfitting. During the ceremony was also announced its initial name "Azora". In 2019, however, Ritz-Carlton decided to change the name and started to call the ship "Yacht 1". On October 14, 2019, was officially announced the vessel's new name "Evrima".

On March 20, 2021, the vessel (towed from Vigo) arrived at Astander Shipyard in Santander for exterior finishing (drydock works).

From Greek, Evrima translates as "discovery". The original ship name (Azora) was abandoned due to trademark issues.

The ship's first Master was Captain Steven MacBeath (previously employed by HAL-Holland America Line) who also commanded Evrima during the sea trials (conducted in June 7-9, 2022) in Cantabrian Sea/Biscay Bay.

Ritz-Carlton ship technology

The yacht Evrima is powered by four MAN marine diesel engines (model 9L32/40, total power output 18 MW), as opposed to the new trend for LNG-powered passenger ships. The diesel-electric propulsion is with common rail fuel injection, providing better fuel efficiency at various speeds.

The ship's propulsion consists of two Azipods (by ABB) with total power output 15 MW. Azipod D are azimuth thrusters ideal for smaller-sized vessels as they require lower installed power. The unit's electric drive motor is installed in the pod and submerged outside the hull, thus allowing more space for passenger cabins. The patented Azipod system also produces less vibration. The thrusters have the ability to turn 360 degrees which increases the ship's maneuverability and allows access to ports without the need of tugboat assistance.

The Azipods are part of ABB's medium voltage powerplant. It also includes sensors producing real-time data that can be tracked from land-based facilities operated by both ABB Operations Centers and the customer. The Azipod thruster is approx 10% more fuel-efficient in comparison to shaft line propulsion systems. This results in a significant reduction of the vessel's operating costs and emissions. The lack of traditional rudders also allows the hull's hydrodynamics to be optimized.

"ABB Ability" is a remote diagnostic system using Microsoft Azure (cloud computing). It monitors the vessel's electrical systems and is connected 24-7 to ABB's infrastructure ashore. The system monitors all linked devices and sends real-time data analytics for maintenance (predictive and planned) and online support.

In late-September 2018, ABB contracted Raytheon Anschutz (Singapore-based manufacturer) to provide the ship's Integrated Navigation System "Synapsis NX" (bridge and navigation equipment). Synapsis NX includes autopilot, track control, radars, navigation sensors, communications, multifunctional navigation workstations (with software).

The first Ritz-Carlton yacht had an initial building cost / as ordered EUR 190 million (USD 225 million). During the vessel's construction, due to design changes, the cost reached EUR 240 million (USD 260 million) and the delivery was rescheduled from November to December 2019. In August 2019, the shipbuilder (Astilleros Barreras) demanded an additional EUR 50 million (USD 55 million) to finish the first Ritz-Carlton superyacht.

Ritz-Carlton's 3-ship project's equity investor is Oaktree Capital Management (Los Angeles USA-based global investment management firm). The shipbuilding order was supported by CESCE Espana (Madrid Spain-based commercial risk management company/world's 4th-largest, also ECA-Export Credit Agency) and CaixaBank SA (fka Criteria CaixaCorp - one of Spain's largest banks).

The deal with CESCE covered the Evrima yacht's cost overruns, secured the construction of Ritz-Carlton's second vessel (tbn) and also saved the Astilleros Barreras shipyard from bankruptcy.

MS Evrima Inaugural cruise itineraries 2022

The new superyacht was planned to enter service for Ritz-Carlton in January 2020, but due to the pandemic, these plans were changed several times (8, to be exact). A total of 138 voyages (itineraries planned for 2020-2021-2022) were canceled. Eventually, the ship's Maiden Voyage was rescheduled for October 15, 2022.

(MAIDEN VOYAGE 2022) 8-night/7-day Mediterranean from Barcelona to Nice - from USD 7100 (EUR 6970 / GBP 5880) per person with double occupancy.

(inaugural Transatlantic crossing 2022) 12-day from Lisbon to Barbados (from US$6890 / EUR 5840 / GBP 5010 pp)

(inaugural Caribbean cruise 2022) 5-day roundtrip from Barbados (from US$3690 / EUR 3130 / GBP 2680 pp)

Godspeed!

Ritz-Carlton Inaugural cruise itineraries 2020 (canceled)

On February 1, 2020, the Ritz-Carlton ship Evrima (fka Azora) was scheduled to depart on a 4-day Inaugural Cruise from Fort Lauderdale FL to Key West FL and Bimini Islands (Bahamas). Previously, the company announced starting operations in November 2019. Yacht's delivery was planned for 2019-Q4, but reset the launch date to coincide with "Super Bowl LIV" at Dolphins Stadium (Miami FL). The maiden voyage was supposed to start a Caribbean itinerary program extending through March 28, when was planned a 12-day Transatlantic repositioning crossing from the Caribbean to Europe (Barbados to Lisbon Portugal).

In Europe, Ritz-Carlton's first Mediterranean voyage was planned as 8-day roundtrip from Lisbon to Gibraltar, Valencia, Malaga, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca. With it, the yacht had to start an inaugural Mediterranean season extending through July (2020). For July 5th was scheduled a 9-day itinerary (Bordeaux to London UK) visiting the French ports Belle-Ile, St Malo, Honfleur and also St Peter Port (Guernsey, Channel Islands). From London followed the repositioning to Northern Europe prior to the North Atlantic crossing (via Iceland) to Halifax (departure Sept 12, 2020). Next were planned Canada-New England itineraries, starting with a 7-day voyage from Halifax. On October 27, the ship was planned to reposition to the Caribbean again with a 9-day itinerary (Boston to Nassau Bahamas).

Later in 2019, the boat's maiden voyage was rescheduled for February 5, 2020. The 10-night Carbbean itinerary (booking code 11200205) was from Florida to Barbados, with prices starting from EUR 9200 / USD 10400 per person with double occupancy (Terrace Suite rates, inclusive of all taxes and fees).

Next are listed the originally scheduled Ritz-Carlton cruises (all canceled in October 2019) between:

• Bridgetown Barbados and Oranjestad Aruba (7-night, Feb 15-22) visiting Bequia (Saint Vincent/overnight), Mayreau (Saint Vincent), St George's (Grenada), Kralendijk (Saint Vincent), Willemstad (Curacao), with prices from EUR 4600 pp
• Oranjestad to Bridgetown (7-night, Feb 22-29) visiting Kralendijk (St Vincent), Willemstad (Curacao), St George's (Grenada), Carriacou (Grenada/overnight), Bequia (St Vincent), with prices from EUR 4630 pp
• 7-night Bridgetown to Philipsburg (Feb 29 - Mr 19)
• Follow 3 itineraries leaving from Castries (March 19) - 5-night roundtrip, and to Bridgetown (4-night and 9-night).

From Barbados was scheduled a 12-night Transatlantic repositioning cruise (March 28 - April 9) to Portugal (Lisbon), with prices from EUR 4720 pp. The itinerary included Canary islands - Tenerife (April 5 / 8 am - 9 pm) and Lanzarote (April 6 / 9 am - 10 pm).

Yacht's remaining 2020 cruise scheduled included the following itineraries (departure dates in brackets):

• 8-night Lisbon to Palma de Mallorca (Apr 9)
• 9-night Palma to Valletta Malta (Apr 17)
• 7-night Valletta to Piraeus-Athens (Apr 26)
• 7-night Athens to Venice (May 3)
• 11-night Venice to Civitavecchia-Rome (May 10)
• 8-night Civitavecchia roundtrip (May 21)
• 9-night Rome to Monte Carlo Monaco (May 29)
• 7-night Monte Carlo to Barcelona (Jun 7)
• 7-night Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca (Jun 14)
• 7-night Palma to Lisbon (Jun 21)
• 7-night Lisbon to Bordeaux France (Jun 28)
• 9-night Bordeaux to London-Greenwich (Jul 5)
• 7-night London to Amsterdam (Jul 14)
• 9-night Amsterdam to Copenhagen (Jul 21)
• 10-night Copenhagen to Stockholm (Jul 30)
• 10-night Stockholm to Copenhagen (Aug 9)
• 9-night Copenhagen to Edinburgh Scotland (Aug 19)
• 8-night Edinburgh to Reykjavik Iceland (Aug 28)
• 7-night Reykjavik roundtrip (Sept 5)
• 14-night Transatlantic crossing from Iceland to Canada - Reykjavik to Halifax NS (Sept 12) - the voyage visits Newfoundland (L'Anse aux Meadows, Corner Brook), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown/overnight), Magdalen Islands (Quebec), Saint-Pierre Island (France's St Pierre and Miquelon), and Nova Scotia (Louisbourg and Halifax/overnight)
• 7-night Halifax to Boston MA USA (Sept 26)
• 12-night Boston to Montreal (Oct 3)
• 12-night Montreal to Boston (Oct 15)
• 9-night Boston to Nassau Bahamas (Oct 27) - the repositioning cruise itinerary to the Caribbean visits Newport RI (overnight), NYC New York (overnight) and Charleston SC (overnight).
• 8-night Fort Lauderdale FL USA to San Juan Puerto Rico (Nov 6)
• 7-night San Juan to Philipsburg St Maarten (Nov 14)
• 7-night Philipsburg to Bridgetown (Nov 21)
• 7-night Bridgetown roundtrip (Nov 28)
• 7-night Bridgetown to Castries St Lucia (Dec 5)
• 7-night Castries to Philipsburg (Dec 12)
• 8-night Philipsburg to San Juan (Dec 19) - the Christmas 2020 cruise itinerary visits Falmouth (Antigua), Basseterre (St Kitts), Gustavia (St Bartholemy), Virgin Gorda (BVI/overnight), Road Town (Tortola BVI/overnight), Jost Van Dyke (BVI) and St John (BVI). Prices started from EUR 6280 pp.
• 7-night San Juan roundtrip (Dec 27) - the New Year 2020 cruise itinerary visits Samana (Dominicana), Santo Domingo (Dominicana), La Romana (Dominicana/overnight), and Ponce (Puerto Rico). Prices started from EUR 5650 pp.