The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has again delayed its debut after interruptions caused by a metalworkers strike in the Cantabria region of Spain prolonged the ship’s completion. According to the company, the highly disruptive protests have impacted the finishing process, causing it to reschedule its inaugural voyage. Evrima, the first yacht from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, will now set sail on August 31, 2022, from Athens (Pireaus), Greece.
This is at least the sixth time that The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has pushed back the debut of its inaugural ship. It was initially scheduled to launch in late 2019 before being pushed into early 2020. Shipyard delivery and project costs delayed the launch then from February 2020 to June 2020. This debut was soon after pushed back once again—this time to 2021, citing again delays at the Hijos de J. Barreras shipyard. At this time, the shareholders of the Hijos de J. Barreras shipyard agreed to hand over control to Cruise Yacht Yard Co Ltd, an affiliated entity to Evrima’s owner, Cruise Yacht 1 Ltd, also led by Douglas Prothero. Ritz-Carlton said that the move effectively gives this newly formed entity oversight of the shipyard, which will ensure the timely completion of Evrima.
In January 2021, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection said it would have to reschedule the inaugural voyage of Evrima due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, delaying it from April 2021 to July 2021. Supply chain and labor challenges delayed yet again the ship’s debut; this time, the company set the inaugural voyage to August 6, 2022. The latest delay is just a matter of weeks.
According to the company, Evrima’s finishing touches are being completed at the Astander Shipyard, in Santander, Spain. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, its subcontractors and the Astander Shipyard are not involved in the metalworkers' disagreement. That said, violent protestors repeatedly gathered at the shipyard’s gates, making it difficult for workers and subcontractors to safely access the facilities.
“After making significant progress on Evrima and recently conducting a series of successful sea trials, it is upsetting to have faced interruptions that are outside of our control; however, the safety and well-being of those working on the ship are our top priority,” said Douglas Prothero, CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection says it is reaching out to affected 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 lines below:
Americas and Australia:
- (833) 999-7292 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 (305) 907-7099 (outside the U.S. and Canada)
- Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
Europe, Asia, the Middle East & Africa:
- +356 2778 0076 (outside the U.K.) or 08000 488667 (U.K.)
- Monday to Friday: 8 – 18:30 CET; Saturday: 9 – 13:00 CET
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