The luxury Evrima, part of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, made its inaugural home-port call to Bermuda and was this week docked in the City of Hamilton.

The 623ft Malta-registered vessel arrived from Grand Turk, the capital island of the Turks & Caicos, on Tuesday and is due to depart today, with passengers who arrived on the island by air joining the ship.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport said: “This call is a home-porting visit whereby 238 guests will disembark on Thursday morning between 6am and 10am.

“Approximately 228 guests will arrive by air to Bermuda to join the ship for departure on Thursday.

“The No 5 Car Park on Front Street will be used for the disembarkation and embarkation process.”

The spokeswoman said of the 238 passengers disembarking this morning, some will go to hotels then fly out on another date, and some will fly out of Bermuda today.

The ministry said that the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is “leading the way for a new era of ultra-luxury cruising”.

The Ritz-Carlton website said: “Named for a word of Greek origin meaning ‘discovery’, Evrima sails to the world’s yachting playgrounds, where you’ll discover hidden coves and iconic cities while enjoying the relaxed pace of the yachting lifestyle.

“Culinary experiences on board range from casual poolside eateries to elegant fine dining, and The Ritz-Carlton Spa offers a wide array of revitalising treatments.

“When you’re ready to explore, the sea or the shore is just steps away from Evrima’s aft marina.

“After the day’s adventures, retire to your spacious suite and watch the sun drop beneath the horizon from your private terrace.”

The duty officer for Harbour Radio said the 298-passenger ship is expected to leave for the Azores at 5.30pm this evening. He said large vessels such as superyachts are expected to start arriving in Bermuda in the near future as the season gets under way.

“In the last two or three weeks, the foreign vessels on their way to the Azores have started bypassing Bermuda,” he said.

“There will be a lot more sailing vessels in the next couple of weeks.”

Wayne Furbert, the Minister of Transport, said this week that the first quarter of 2024 marked a “milestone for Bermuda's cruise tourism industry”.

He said a total of 14 cruise ship calls between January and March brought an estimated 43,114 passengers.

The ministry said the previous record was in 2023, between January and March when there were 22,784 passengers.

Mr Furbert said Bermuda anticipated hosting approximately 578,000 passengers throughout the year, projecting a substantial revenue forecast of $172.4 million.

Lawrence Scott, a former transport minister, said in 2022 that Ritz-Carlton had yachts that could visit all three of the island’s ports, and it was hoped that the company would do so in the future.