Citing ongoing supply chain and labor challenges created by COVID-19 and the impact on construction operations, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection said on Tuesday that it will reschedule the debut of its first new yacht, Evrima.
Evrima now will set sail on its inaugural voyage from Athens (Piraeus), Greece on August 6, 2022. The delivery of the line's first new yacht has been delayed several times during the pandemic. Delays have also been the case for some other cruise operators building new vessels.
“Like many in manufacturing, we have experienced significant impact from COVID-19 variants as it relates to labor 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.
In a statement, Prothero continued: “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.”
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection says it's personally reaching out to impacted guests and their travel advisors. Guests impacted by this 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.
Guests and travel advisors can also contact the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection via the reservation line. For the U.S. and Canada, that's (833) 999-7292.
The Yacht Portfolio focuses on strategic investments in maritime portfolio companies and plans to offer a collection of luxury cruise experiences. The first brand extension to launch under the portfolio, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, was created exclusively by the Ritz-Carlton and Prothero, a maritime expert, in collaboration with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management.
Just recently, as reported by our sister publication Travel Agent, the Yacht Portfolio announced that it had signed a letter of intent to acquire a second brand, Sea Cloud Cruises, a sailing ship line with three vessels. The original Sea Cloud was built as the Hussar in 1931 by cereal-company heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband E.F. Hutton; it was their private sailing yacht. Sea Cloud Cruises also operates Sea Cloud II and a new build, Sea Cloud Spirit, launched in 2021.
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