Azamara, the extraordinary three-ship Royal Caribbean line that was among the first to pioneer overnight stays and cultural immersion, is bringing its newest ship to Australia.
The Azamara Pursuit will visit Australia during the 2021 season, and will stay for two nights over the New Year holidays in 2022.
She will then return three weeks later for overnight calls on January 20. She will also visit ports in Napier, Wellington, Tauranga and Gisborne when she sails to New Zealand.
The 702-guest vessel is a sister ship to Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest , which have had successful seasons in Australasia.
Azamara Pursuit was added to Azamara Club Cruises’ fleet in August 2018 and is currently on her maiden season in Europe and South America.
Azamara is also refreshing its brand, using the slogan “Explore further” – a nod to its point of difference of spending longer in ports so passengers can stay out late or even overnight.
In 2020, The Pursuit, Journey and Quest will offer 470 late nights or overnights – two thirds of the destinations they visit cannot be seen from larger vessels.
In an age of over-tourism, that’s a big plus.
The line’s famous Azamara Evenings – exclusive events just for passengers described by the line’s president Larry Pimentel as “unGoogleable” – have also given the line a strong position in the Australian market.
“This season is our fourth in this market. We love coming here. We love all of our Australian guests and all three of the ships visit this area,” said Carol Cabezas, Azamara’s chief operating officer, who flew into Sydney to announce the Azamara Pursuit’s arrival.
Ms Cabezas said the line would increase country intensives like visits to Japan, that include a large number of port visits. And there would be more land and iconic experiences: The Orient Express in Europe, a safari in South Africa.
“We want to to take our guests to all the newer, off the beaten path destinations,” she said.
Azamara Cruises will be opening its Winter 2021 season for bookings on November 7th. See https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/en-au
