After a delay of almost three years, the first ship of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is set for its debut.
The 190-metre Evrima, which can accommodate 298 passengers in its 149 suites, will carry its first guests on a seven-night cruise from Barcelona to Nice on October 15.
It will sail to various destinations depending on the season, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, Ritz-Carlton said.
The size of the vessel allows the yacht to reach locations typically not accessible to larger cruise ships, the company added.
“It’s taking Ritz-Carlton casual modern luxury to sea,” founder and chief executive of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Douglas Prothero said.
Designed by Swedish maritime architecture and design company Tillberg, the Evrima offers eight different suites to customers — owner’s suites, view suites, grand suites, loft suites, signature mid suites, signature suites, terrace mid suites and terrace suites.
Potential customers can request a quote by entering their details on the company’s website. The site said taxes, fees and port expenses of $265 per passenger are additional.
Prices for the seven-night journey start at $7,600 per person, according to Latte, a luxury news portal.
Originally scheduled for a February 2020 launch, this was delayed a number of times. This year, the Evrima was due to debut on August 6, but this was pushed back to August 31 and then October 15.
The company said delays were caused due to the Covid-induced global supply chain frictions and difficulties in procuring certain essential materials necessary for the final stage of finishing.
The global yacht market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.4 per cent from 2022 to 2030, from $8.5 billion in 2021, according to Grand View Research.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is a collaboration of Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton brand, Oaktree Capital Management and maritime expert Mr Prothero’s Yacht Portfolio — a Malta-based maritime investment group.
Guests will enjoy “a range of programming including a thoughtfully curated menu of spa treatments, watersports from the yacht’s marina and Evrima’s signature restaurant and the three Michelin-starred restaurants”, the company said.
In each destination, guests can choose from a selection of experiences within the “shore collection” that align with their interests or utilise the services of the “concierge ashore” to customise their private tours, it added.
“We are moving into a space we believe many of the affluent consumers have wanted to go but have not had the brand to support them,” Bloomberg quoted Chris Gabaldon, senior vice president for luxury brands at Marriott International, as saying.
“The millions of Ritz-Carlton customers are ready for the next innovation of the brand, and they are demonstrating, in terms of bookings, that they are willing to come with us.”
In March, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection also announced the expansion of its fleet with the addition of two newbuild superyachts, Ilma and Luminara, scheduled set sail in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Competition is brewing in the industry.
Last month, Four Seasons announced its latest project — Four Seasons Yachts — that is expected to deliver its first vessel by the end of 2025.
The 207-metre-long, 14-deck vessel will offer nearly 50 per cent more living space per guest compared to what is currently in the market, Four Seasons said.
This will allow guests ultimate privacy, flexibility and spaciousness in an all-suite “nautical residential setting”, it said.
