The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's first vessel, Evrima, set sail on Saturday for a weeklong cruise from Barcelona to Nice, France, that brought stops in Spain's Balearic islands of Alcudia and Palma.
Because the new cruising arm of Ritz-Carlton and its shipyards had so many issues, but also so much extra time to work on the new cruise product, we had no idea whether it would be perfect or not.
Readers who are on board helped us out because The Points Guy wasn't able to get a spot. The feedback has been consistent.
The vessel is great, the staff is great, and the food is great, but there are still a few things that need to be worked out.
We share intel and photos from passengers Amy Southard and Laura Baill as well as comments from other passengers on Facebook.
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A cruise ship has a lot of food. The exception of S.E.A., a restaurant created by chef Elvergeld, who is the brains behind the Aqua restaurant in Germany, is included.
Baill is a fan of the food on the vessel.
She said the food met her expectations and that she anticipated being impressed with the dining options. We mainly had breakfast at the main pool restaurant, with food ranging from French toast to the best lox and bagel I have ever eaten. We ate breakfast at the Evrima Lounge, which specializes in local cuisine, and we loved the cheese plate and lobsteravore.
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The ship had almost all of its restaurants open for lunch. Mistral ranged from filets to lobster tails with a variety of sauces. Some Barbaresco wine was enjoyed to finish the meal. The Ritz avoided the buffet trap and large portions.
Baill said that they went to the sushi restaurant on the ship the past two nights and it was the hidden gem of the ship.
Baill and her boyfriend ate at S.E.A., but they didn't like how overpriced it was and they didn't recommend it.
We're told that the service on Evrima is great.
In a discussion group called The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection - All The News, passenger JL Thomas said that everything looked good, smelled good, and felt good. The crew is the best part of the boat. Everyone from the mechanics to the housekeeping team is kind.
It was agreed that bail would agree. Baill said the staff was the best part of the experience. In one instance, they gave me a cocktail recommendation and then brought me mango and white chocolate gelato at the pool.
When I booked the trip, I expected top-notch service at the pool and restaurants. The crew kept the wine flowing without asking. The personal nature of the service was something I have never experienced before.
Baill's room has a sleek and modern design. Being my first cruise, I was put at ease by the large deck with sliding glass doors and plenty of light in the room. We were greeted with a variety of drinks in our mini fridge. Our concierge was happy to keep the fridge stocked with our drinks at all times.
Southard said that her accommodations are great and roomy.
Baill said bar service, the all-inclusivity of the ship and the seamless embarkation process were noteworthy.
She said that Ritz made the boarding process easy and that she had a cocktail in the pool within 20 minutes of boarding. The bartender was very skilled in mixology and gave us drinks based on our taste and liquor preferences. The drinks were served in glass.
There are no new cruise ships that are perfect. Until each individual cabin is tested out, galleys prepare actual meals and crew members get into the swing of things, tweaking is almost always necessary.
Southard said that they need to work out the issues. Everyone on board is very nice, but it doesn't have the Ritz-Carlton vibe. They were working on the ship until 2 a.m. the night before, so they needed to finish things. They don't have enough time to get it done. This will be a great cruise in a few months.
Some of the issues cited by Southard and Baill are malfunctioning cabin phones, broken public bathroom locks, and an onboard wine list that isn't ready yet.
Some of the largest suites, which can cost $25,000 or more per person, per cruise, are not finished yet.
A passenger commented on a post on the official Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Facebook page that he had booked the ship after 2 and a half years. The View Suite, one grade below Suite Owners, was booked only to be demoted to the basic Suite because the top suites are not ready.
A small number of suites on the ship are taking longer to complete. Impacted guests were given the option to choose a different suite on their existing voyage with a refund for any difference in cost, rebook their voyage to maintain their suite category or be given a refund.
The staff on the ship still have a lot to learn about the ports of call.
Baill said that the staff had very little knowledge of dining or other activities outside of their scheduled trips. I asked them about the best local beach for swimming and water sports in Mallorca and ended up deferring to a passenger on the boat who had a home in Mallorca.
I think this could be an area of improvement for those guests who don't like the pre-canned tours. The staff's knowledge of the area was limited and it was up to my boyfriend and myself to book anything at port cities.
It is understandable that it will take some time for staff to get their feet wet, but either guest services or the shore excursion desk should be able to answer such questions.
The ship couldn't lower its platform for several days due to local regulations. The guests were as surprised as the line was about the restrictions. The platform has been lowered so that passengers can take out their personal watercrafts.
Some small problems are to be expected, but it appears that the line is already fixing them and addressing passengers' concerns.
Southard said that her concierge was not found for the first few days of the voyage. She said that the concierge stepped up her game.
Air-conditioning issues and other items that aren't functioning properly are some of the things that Southard and Baill had mentioned.
Baill said that he had become somewhat hard to delight and that Ritz had left him wanting more. I am planning my next cruise.
There will be more coverage in the future.
Are you planning to go on a cruise ship? These are the stories to start with.
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