The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has announced its launch has been pushed back to April 2021.
This is second time the debut of the new brand’s first ship Evrima has been delayed. The vessel had initially been due to launch in February 2020, but it was pushed back to June after the shipyard claimed it was facing delivery and project issues.
According to the brand, this new postponement is again due to delays at the Hijos de J Barreras shipyard. It now plans to launch Evrima on April 22, 2021, with a cruise from Lisbon to Palma.
A spokeswoman said the brand had built in additional time for disruptions to supply chains at the shipyard due to the current circumstances around coronavirus, but stressed the virus was not the main cause of the delay.
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The majority of shareholders have agreed to hand over control to Cruise Yacht Yard Co Ltd, an affiliated entity to the ship’s owner, led by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s chief executive Douglas Prothero.
The move will “ensure the timely completion of Evrima”, according to a statement.
Prothero added: “We sincerely apologize to all guests who were ready to sail with us.
“We remain deeply committed to ensuring a seamless delivery of the standards of quality and service that The Ritz-Carlton is known for as well as providing a highly customized, state-of-the-art build that will make our inaugural yacht the most distinctive of its kind.”
The brand is offering voyage fare savings to guests who reschedule their sailings or full refunds for their voyage fare paid to date.
The brand pledged to protect travel agent commission on the cruise-only fare.