Ritz-Carlton…a ritzy name if ever there was one… is trying again to get its planned luxury yacht cruises off the ground… er, we mean, into the water. This time, they’ve hired a shipbuilder with more than a little experience.
The luxury brand, best-known for its hotels has ordered its second and third super-yachts from Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, one of the world’s leading cruise-ship builders—but its first ship, planned to sail in 2020, still hasn’t made it out of the shipyard after five years. The two new orders are to be delivered in 2024 and 2025.
That may be because the 450-passenger ship was contracted to a Spanish builder known for fishing boats, ferries and container ships, but which had never built a cruise vessel. After repeated the uncompleted ship was towed to another yard in Spain, one that specializes in conversions and repair projects.
The three Ritz-Carlton ships (want to bet which one is finished first?) are said to have the highest space-to-passenger ratio of any cruise vessels.
Image: Evrima under tow to its second shipyard