NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
ONward and upward
Azamara reiterated its commitment to the UK at the naming of new ship Azamara Onward. Clare Vooght reports from Monte Carlo
Smashing: Azamara
A
zamara plans to further increase engagement with UK agents in the coming months
following a strong performance coming out of the pandemic. Speaking on board the line’s new
ship Azamara Onward ahead of its christening, president Carol Cabezas confirmed the team in its “secondary headquarters” in Surrey had been expanded, with further growth plans in the pipeline. “We’ve got the biggest showing
of travel partners that we’ve ever had on this cruise,” she said during a pre-inaugural sailing from Barcelona to Monte Carlo. “I cannot thank the UK enough.
Godmother Beth Santos, flanked by Carol Cabezas and the ship’s captain
Our 2022 bookings
are running over 50% up on 2019, which shows the wonderful loyalty guests in the UK have
It’s the market that has stood out the most during this return, really over the past few months. Once the regulations started easing in the UK, we saw this turnaround in bookings.” Speaking on a Travel Weekly
webcast ahead of the sailing, she said: “I’ve always looked at the UK as a wonderful balance within our portfolio. Right now, our 2022
bookings are running over 50% up on the same period pre-Covid in 2019, which demonstrates the wonderful loyalty guests in the UK have. With our travel partners who have stayed there with us, we’re trying to be as supportive and helpful as we can.” Cabezas said around half of
Azamara’s passengers had already sailed with the line, which will have all four of its ships back in operation by the end of May. And she said there was
particularly strong demand for both near-term bookings and Onward’s
Onward is christened
155-night round-the-world cruise. The global sailing is a first for the line and departs in January 2024. “It has exceeded every expectation
that we had,” she said. “Our team was very concerned initially that we were going too long, because most world cruises are around the 120-day mark, but we felt very strongly.” She added: “I think the story
of what you can do with this one journey was extremely appealing. It came at just the right time when people are looking to go big or go home when it comes to travelling.”
Godmother hails ship’s ‘symbolic’ christening
The godmother of Onward said the “symbolism” of the ship’s launch was not lost on her after a dire two years for the travel industry. The ship was officially named by Beth
Santos, entrepreneur and founder of women’s travel community and lifestyle brand Wanderful. She told guests in Monte Carlo: “It’s not lost
on me how symbolic today is. Not just because it’s a christening, but because it’s a christening after the two hardest years that the travel industry, and especially the cruise industry, has ever seen.” The 684-passenger Onward is almost
identical to sister vessels Journey, Quest and Pursuit but with the addition of new
10 12 MAY 2022
experimental bar concept Atlas, which has replaced the ship’s library. There are five restaurants and a total of 278
cabins and 64 suites. The latter are expected to receive “soft improvements” in the coming months, according to Azamara president Carol Cabezas, to offer a more yacht-like experience. Onward set sail on its 11-night maiden
voyage in the Mediterranean, from Monte Carlo to Ravenna, Italy, after the ceremony. Cabezas said: “Thank you for being part of
such a special moment. We have all been tested these past couple of years, and I’m exceedingly pleased to see where we are today.”
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
