By
Sam Ballard |
The news that Royal Caribbean Group was selling Azamara sent ripples across the cruise industry earlier this year. However, for many, it wasn’t a total surprise. Azamara had become something of an odd fit for Royal, squeezed between Celebrity Cruises and the recently acquired ultra-luxury and expedition line Silversea Cruises, Azamara occupied a narrowing piece of real estate – marketed as a destination specialist, it was now in direct competition with its own stablemates. So, while many questions about the consequences of the deal remain unanswered, few could argue that the purchase by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, isn’t an exciting one for Azamara.
“The most important thing for everyone to know is that our product will not change, and neither will the people at Azamara,” explains Carol Cabezas, president of Azamara. “We will continue to deliver leading upmarket and ‘Destination Immersion’ cruising and will maintain the high guest engagement and personalised service we are known for among our loyal global customer base, but with the added benefit of Sycamore’s consumer business and operational expertise.
“In addition, together with Sycamore Partners we are committed to exploring the expansion of Azamara and opportunities for future growth, both as a brand and as a fleet.”
That is a very tantalising prospect for industry analysts and fans of Azamara. The company, which will soon launch its fourth ship, Azamara Onward, now owns half of the former Renaissance Cruises fleet, the others being operated by Oceania Cruises. Backed by private equity, questions will undoubtedly surface about whether Azamara’s next ship could be a newbuild – and all the prospects that designing a ship from scratch can bring – however, such conversations are premature for Cabezas. For now, her main goal is simply to get her ships back out on the water.
“Our number one priority continues to be a healthy return to service,” she says. “Azamara Quest started a series of country-intensive voyages in Greece on 28 August and we were more excited than ever to get back to what we love doing most, in a country that we know best.
“Looking ahead to 2022, we’re excited for Azamara Onward to officially join our fleet with her maiden voyage departing from Monte Carlo, Monaco in May, and to have all four sisters delivering the finest Destination Immersion cruising to our guests.
“We’re extremely excited about what the future holds. We have a fantastic team committed to expanding the brand with a passion for protecting and celebrating its special identity as the leaders in Destination Immersion, inspiring people to connect with people, cultures and themselves.”
And so, to those much-talked about return-to-sail policies. At the time of writing, Azamara had just embarked on its first cruise for more than 18 months. But the question on many guests’ minds was how exactly would these cruises be different to those pre-pandemic?
“Ahead of our return to service, we worked with the Royal Caribbean Group Healthy Sail Panel to implement new brand standards and launched our ‘Explore Well at Sea’ programme,” explains Cabezas. “Guests sailing with us can expect advanced screening protocols such as fully vaccinated crew and guests, enhanced sanitation measures, and enhanced medical services.
“Given our current focus is the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit, earlier this year we announced the launch of a new, immersive onboard programme – Destination Celebration – which is an adaptation of our exclusive AzAmazing Evenings.
“We wanted to continue to provide an immersive experience bringing the essence of the destination to life, while keeping everyone’s health and safety in mind. The complimentary events will celebrate the destination’s culture and heritage and are exclusive to Azamara guests.”
And there you have it. The future, will look, in many ways like the past. There will be key differences thrown in – and health procedures are going to be front and centre for a good while yet, but when it comes to a cruise line’s fundamentals, not even a pandemic can change that.
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
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