Continual supply issues have been cited by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection for the latest delay in launching its ultra-luxury yacht, Evrima. Initially slated to launch in February 2020, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has repeatedly set back its debut over the past two years. This latest timeline adjustment is the eighth.
Up until last week, the first cruise on the 298-passenger yacht was scheduled to sail on 31 August 2022. That date itself was deferred in late June from the revised 6 August inaugural, coincidentally coming just days after conducting Evrima‘s first rounds of sea trials.
With the end of August countdown fast approaching, last weekend the company confirmed in a statement supplied to LATTE that it will “reschedule its inaugural voyage due to ongoing global supply chain challenges and the unprecedented delay in receiving certain compulsory materials necessary for the final stage of finishing”.
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Evrima‘s updated launch is now set for 15 October 2022 – 6 weeks later than anticipated and resulting in the cancellation of five Mediterranean voyages to Croatia, the Greek Isles, as well as the French and Italian Riviera.
The updated inaugural sailing is now the pre-scheduled 7-day itinerary of the Balearic Islands, from Barcelona to Nice. Prices for this 7-night voyage start at US$7,600 per person (plus taxes, fees and port expenses).
The change means Evrima will only operate three week-long voyages in its maiden Mediterranean season, before the yacht is repositioned to the Caribbean on a 12-night sailing from Lisbon to Barbados on 5 November 2022.
Guests and their travel advisors impacted by this latest delay are being contacted by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
“Guests impacted by this schedule change may choose to reschedule their voyage to an available itinerary or be reimbursed by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection,” the company added.
Some yet-to-be-formally-informed guests however vented their fury at RCYC on its social media page, questioning the brand’s reputation. One passenger who was prebooked on the 31 August voyage blasted the company, saying:
“Shame on you Ritz Carlton! We were scheduled to leave on our cruise on August 30th and I just noticed on Instagram that the sailing is cancelled!!!!! We still have not received confirmation from you guys saying that our cruise is cancelled. We have booked flights, excursions, and hotel rooms,” Bessie Psaltakis remarked.
“I am so disappointed and would have never expected this from such a reputable brand!”
“3 weeks before the cruise and we still have not been notified that the cruise was cancelled. No email, no phone call, nothing. Absolutely horrible! We had to call and ask if the cruise was on,” Psaltakis added.
Another guest, Melissa Petrilla, was also frank about her experience, stating: “This is the WORST customer service ever! 9 canceled cruises and literally I have to hear about this latest cancellation from the Facebook group! I booked day one and have been lied to every day since!”
While another booked guest commented on Facebook: “I’ve been canceled 4 times with one excuse or another. I was scheduled for Venice to Athens two weeks ago. My rep didn’t tell me, the internet did. Very disappointed. Now, rebooked for 2023. Hopefully all the bugs will be resolved and I’ll have a good time. I can’t wait to see reviews in the next few months.“