Guests can spend at least three nights enjoying curated shorex in arrival or departure ports
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Azamara Club Cruises has partnered with luxury tour operator Cox & Kings to launch a new programme that enables guests to stay in cities around the world before or after their cruise.
Developed as part of Azamara’s Destination Immersion initiative, the new City Stays programmes allow guests on select itineraries to enjoy three or more nights of accommodation in their ship’s arrival or departure ports. The package includes curated travel experiences and shore excursions in the port city, certain meals, transportation services from the port to the hotel, or vice versa.
“As a leader in delivering authentic cultural experiences across the globe, the expansion of Azamara’s land offerings to include City Stays programmes in key markets enhances our guests’ connection with the destination by providing opportunities to explore a city from a local’s perspective,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “Now that we have the opportunity to visit more destinations with our new ship, Azamara Pursuit, we will continue to expand our City Stays programme across most, if not all, of our turnaround ports, reinforcing Azamara's commitment to Destination Immersion experiences.”
Highlights include a City Stays break in Singapore, where Azamara’s passengers are able to participate in a scavenger hunt in the city’s cultural sites, take a culinary tour with a local food critic and enjoy private meetings with local artisans. They include a fifth-generation baker, a paper house maker and a coffee connoisseur.
Guests can also opt for a stay in Barcelona, Spain, where they can meet with a fourth-generation candy artisan, visit the museums and luxury shops in the Born neighbourhood, enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch in the park with a Spanish family, watch an evening flamenco performance and attend an evening wine-tasting session,
Rome in Italy is another destination on the City Stays programme. While in this city, guests will head to an organic farm on the outskirts of Rome to learn how to forage for wild herbs and make bread and gnocchi, enjoy a lakefront lunch, visit a milk and cheese laboratory, and go horse riding. Following the excursion, participants will receive an exclusive tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel – before public opening hours – and have dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“We're thrilled to partner with Azamara on the new City Stays programme,” said Patrick Richards, president of Cox & Kings. “We've customised some truly special experiences in some of the world’s greatest cities and look forward to showcasing these to Azamara guests.”