Head to the2014 Winter Olympic host-city Sochi in Russia, explore the Far East or party Carnival-style in Rio de Janeiro, all with Azamara Club Cruises in 2013. The cruise line’s 2013 itineraries are now open for booking and guests can choose from a total of 69 sailings onboard the cruise line’s two boutique-hotel style ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, which include nearly 40 new ports of call.

Among the new ports the ships will be calling at are Beijing (Xingang), Shanghai (Haitong) and Jinhae (South Korea) in the Far East; as well as Amasra (Safranbolu, Turkey). Cassis (France), Propriano (Corsica) and Palamos (Spain) also will be maiden ports in the Mediterranean, as well as Honningsvaag, Gudvangen, Tromso, and Svolvaer (Lofoten) on the Norwegian Coast. Selected Azamara Club Cruises sailings also coincide with cultural celebrations, such as Carnival in Rio de Janeiro as well as the Monaco Grand Prix, the Andalusian Festival – a celebration of the area in Southern Spain, and the British Open Golf Championship.

Guests can also choose one of two President’s Voyages in 2013. President and CEO Larry Pimentel and his wife Sandi will join guests on these special sailings, hosting parties, informal get-togethers, and a complimentary shore event. Guests will enjoy a destination-immersive travel experience as the cruise line’s chief visionary does, as well as receive a special gift. Azamara Club Cruises’ 2013 President’s Voyages are planned for 3 April Art on the Cote d’Azur sailing onboard Azamara Quest, and 1 October Tuscany to Provence sailing onboard Azamara Journey.

“We are delighted to present Azamara Club Cruises’ next collection of sailings in 2013,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “We continue to offer more late-night and overnight stays in ports than any cruise operator to offer guests the chance to savour a destination’s nightlife, often after the other cruise ships have departed. We also encourage guests to add on a shore excursion with their cruise to delve even deeper into a destination’s culture.”

Azamara Journey’s 2013 sailings will include:

• Four Southeast Asia sailings, 14, 15 and 17 nights in length, and two 14-night voyages throughout China, Korea and Japan – featuring overnight stays in Hong Kong; Bangkok (Klong Toey, Thailand), Hanoi and World Heritage Site Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue (Danang, Vietnam), Shanghai (Haitong, China) and Kobe (Japan)

• Summer and autumn seasons in the Mediterranean features sailings in the Adriatic and Greek Isles, Egypt and Holy Land and Black Sea, ranging from seven to 12 nights. Overnight stays will include Alexandria and Safaga (Egypt), Venice (Italy), Mykonos (Greece), and Jerusalem (Ashdod, Israel)

• Six French and Italian Riviera sailings in June and July which feature overnights in Monte Carlo (Monaco), St. Tropez (France) Ibiza (Spain) and Sorrento (Capri) and Florence (Livorno, Italy)

• Returning to the Far East via Dubai (UAE) and Mumbai (India) to end the year with three Southeast Asia sailings, culminating with an overnight call at Phuket (Thailand) on New Year’s Eve

Azamara Quest’s 2013 sailings will include:

• A range of South America and West Indies sailings, ranging from 12 to 18 nights, featuring overnight calls at Ushuaia and Buenos Aires (Argentina), Punta Del Este (Uruguay), Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) for Carnaval, and St. Barts.

• In March the ship will head to the Spanish and French Rivieras for four- to 11-night sailings, featuring overnights in Seville, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona (Spain), Monte Carlo (Monacco), Provence (Marseilles) and Cannes (France) and Lisbon (Portugal)

• In June and July, Azamara Quest will sail Norwegian Coast and Baltic itineraries, ranging from nine to 14 nights. There will be overnights in St. Petersburg (Russia), Hamburg (Germany), Reykjavik (Iceland), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Amsterdam (Netherlands)

• French and Italian Riviera, and Adriatic Sea sailings in August and September range from seven to 11 nights

• A winter season of eight- and 12-night Caribbean sailings includes a New Year’s sailing featuring New Year’s Eve in St. Barts

Guests onboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest enjoy a more inclusive experience, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, speciality coffees, and teas, as well as complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner; complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle bus to city centres in ports, where available.

For further information on 2011-12 Extended Voyages view Azamara Club Cruises’ new brochure available for order online. For more information on Azamara Club Cruises see www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk. Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for upmarket travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. The two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships can't reach, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region.
 

Azamara Club Cruises is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Enjoy Jazz in the Norwegian Fjords, marvel at the blooms at the Chelsea Flower Show or simply sit back and watch the world go by on the Amalfi Coast and all with free flights from Azamara Club Cruises.  Book an ocean view room on a selected 2012 cruise onboard Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest between 3 October and 30 November 2011 and you’ll receive a free return flight to Europe plus an opportunity for a pre or post cruise hotel stay.  This exclusive offer is available on 32 European sailings from 6 May to 27 October 2012. 

Join Azamara Quest (www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk; 0845 456 0523) for 13-night Chelsea Flower Show Cruise from £2,400.00 per person (based on two people sharing an ocean view stateroom) and including FREE return flights from London, Manchester, Glasgow or Dublin to Amsterdam and a one night pre-cruise hotel stay in Netherlands’ vibrant capital Amsterdam. 

The 13 night sailing takes in some of Europe’s finest horticultural events including The Floraide in Netherlands which occurs every 10 years as well as the UK’s leading floral event, The Chelsea Flower show.  Ports of call include Flushing (Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Bruges (Belgium), London (England), Paris (France) and Southampton (England). 

Price includes all meals and room service; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; housekeeping and dining gratuities; bottled water throughout the cruise; house wines with meals; specialty coffees and teas; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is based on 16 May 2012 departure.
 
Other sailings that this exclusive offer is available on include:

• 12-night Jazz in the Fjords fly/cruise onboard Azamara Journey departing Amsterdam on 17 July 2012

• 12-night Amalfi, Sicily & Greek Isles fly/cruise onboard Azamara Quest departing Civitavecchia, Rome on 15 September 2012

• 12-night Best of the Italy & Greek Isles fly/cruise onboard Azamara Journey departing Civitavecchia, Rome on 3 October 2012

Offer is valid for all bookings between 3 October and 30 November 2011. 

To take advantage of this exclusive offer visit www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or call Azamara Club Cruises on 0845 456 0523.  

 Azamara Club Cruises has launched ‘Extended Voyages’ which allows guests to join two, three, four or more consecutive cruises into one experience. By combining select consecutive cruises onboard Azamara Quest or Azamara Journey guests can embark on a holiday of a lifetime, ranging from 11 to 78-nights without repeated ports of call.

In addition, guests booking consecutive cruises will receive £200 per cruise, per stateroom for cruises of eight days or less and £300 savings per cruise, per stateroom for cruises of nine days or more for greater value. Savings double on sailings between 1 October – 31 December 2011, if booking between 1 June – 31 July.

“Azamara Club Cruises is inviting travellers with the desire to travel further and for longer,” said Edie Bornstein, vice president of Sales and Marketing, Azamara Club Cruises. “Guests can choose among 114 possible Azamara Club Cruises Extended Voyages combinations that repeat no more than one port and delve deeper, explore more and discover a region’s hidden gems.”

Guests wanting a longer adventure can book Azamara Journey’s 77-night cruise from Stockholm (Sweden) to Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy). Departing 27 June 2012, the sailing features 25 overnight stays, four being two consecutive nights, where guests can experience the nightlife of Copenhagen (Denmark), Amsterdam (Holland), Paris (France) and Seville (Spain). This Extended Voyage features the Norwegian Fjords itinerary, which highlights the North Seas Jazz Festival, one of the world’s premiere musical festivals.

For those keen on exploring the Far East, Azamara Journey’s Piraeus (Athens, Greece) to Hong Kong (China) cruise departs on 26 October 2012. This 72-night cruise, combines six cruises – Holy Land, Egypt & Suez Canal; Luxor, Petra, Sinai & Eilat; Luxor Petra & Sinai; The Spice Coast & Ceylon; Burma & Andaman Sea Islands; Vietnam & Thailand, Christmas and New Year – for an in depth exploration of the region, plus an opportunity to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong through a Land Discoveries excursion.

Azamara Quest departs Singapore on 29 February 2012, on a 78-night cruise, sailing from Singapore to Piraeus (Athens, Greece). This combines six cruises – Trade Routes to the Orient; Japan & Taiwan; Manila, Sabah, Borneo, Komodo & Bali; Spice Route; Petra, Sinai & Luxor; Holy Land, Egypt & Suez Canal.

During Extended Voyages guests have more time to enjoy Azamara Club Cruises’ service and inclusive amenities, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, speciality coffee, and teas, as well as complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner; complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle bus to city centres in ports, where available.

For further information on 2011-12 Extended Voyages view Azamara Club Cruises’ new brochure available for order online. For more information on Azamara Club Cruises see www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or to book please click here to contact your local ACE agent. Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for upmarket travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. The two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships can't reach, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region.

Azamara Club Cruises is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Azamara Club Cruises has launched a series of engaging videos called “You’ll Love Where We Take You.” The series, presented by Azamara Club Cruises’ manager of deployment and destinations Claudius Docekal, provides travel agents and guests a comprehensive overview of itineraries aboard Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest.

Available at http://AzamaraDestinationImmersion.com/DestinationVideos, each three- to five-minute video offers tips for guests to plan their upcoming holiday. Docekal provides a day-by-day account of the shore excursions and onboard activities available for guests to enjoy and offers personal suggestions of the not-to-be-missed and little-known gems at select ports of call.

“Azamara Club Cruises sails to more than 50 countries and 170 ports in 2011, including many unique destinations that larger ships cannot reach,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “Claudius is one of our most knowledgeable travel experts and provides invaluable advice on what to do and when to do it, to make the most of a day or night in port. With more overnight and late-night stays, Azamara Club Cruises offers guests the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in local cultures and nightlife for a truly unforgettable experience.”

The electronic destination guide is available at http://azamaraclubcruises.com/brochure. Guests and agents simply click on an itinerary header to access the video. They are also available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/AzamaraVoyages, CruisingPower.com or at http://AzamaraDestinationImmersion.com.

The 2012 “You’ll Love Where We Take You” videos are currently in production.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for upmarket travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. The two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships can't reach, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region.

Azamara Club Cruises is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

For more information on Azamara Club Cruises see www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or to book click here to contact your local ACE agent. Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk.

New ports of call and more late night and overnight stays in unique destinations around the world

Azamara Club Cruises has unveiled 54 itineraries ranging from five to 16 nights, between March 2012 and February 2013, onboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

The new itineraries complete the cruise line’s 2012 deployments, which total 64 sailings that visit unique destinations around the world, calling at 181 ports in 57 countries throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America, India and the West Indies.

51 percent of all port calls in 2012 feature late night and overnight stays in port, providing time for guests to enjoy a more immersive experience and take advantage of night tourism in destinations where the nightlife is even more vibrant than during the day.

“Azamara Club Cruises is delighted to present up-market travellers our 2012 line-up of itineraries to unique destinations around the world,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “On board, guests will enjoy Azamara’s trademark extraordinary service, fine dining and boutique wine collection, and more inclusive amenities. We designed our itineraries to coincide with some of the world’s most exciting events, such as Rio’s Carnaval, the Floriade in the Netherlands, the 52nd Annual Moldejazz Festival in Norway, and others, to offer guests the opportunity to attend these cultural celebrations on some of the Azamara voyages. Guests on these voyages will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase prime-seating ticket and transportation packages from Azamara, eliminating the hassle and guesswork for a truly remarkable travel experience.”

South America Celebration
Azamara Quest sails to South American destinations beginning with a 13-night Brazil itinerary that departs Barbados on 5 December 2012 and concludes with an overnight at Rio De Janeiro. The Christmas in South America itinerary, departing 18 December, offers guests daily port calls as well as an overnight in Punta Del Esta, Uruguay.

Guests on the 27 December New Years in Rio, nine-night voyage are in for a real treat, when after a call at Rio De Janeiro on New Year’s eve, Azamara Quest positions itself off of Copacabana Beach to offer guests an unforgettable view of the midnight fireworks over the seas.

The 5 January 2013, Argentina & Uruguay itinerary combines Brazilian destinations with an overnight at Punta Del Este and two nights in Buenos Aires. On the 31 January 2013, 12-night Carnaval itinerary, guests can enjoy overnights in both Buenos Aires and Punta Del Esta before arriving in time for two nights in Rio De Janeiro for the city’s annual Carnaval festival. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase Land Discoveries packages for the festival. Azamara Quest then sails an 18-night Colonial Brazil and West Indies itinerary, beginning with an overnight in Rio De Janeiro on 12 February, 2013 to Miami.

East Asia Discoveries
Azamara Journey follows ancient spice trade routes around the Indian subcontinent to East Asia, starting with a 13-night Spice Coast & Ceylon itinerary from Bombay (Mumbai) to Madras (Chennai), India, departing 29 November, 2012. Guests can overnight in Goa (Mormugao), Cochin and Madras, and during maiden calls to the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, and Colombo and Galle, Sri Lanka. The ship then continues on 12 December 2012 for an 11-night Burma & Andaman Sea Isles voyage, featuring a two-night stay and maiden call at Yangon (Rangoon), Burma and ends with an overnight in Singapore. On 23 December 2012, Azamara Journey embarks on a14-night Southeast Asia itinerary to Hong Kong, offering two-night calls at Bangkok (Klong Toey), Thailand and Ho-Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and an overnight at Hanoi in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay.

Mediterranean Odysseys
Azamara Club Cruises offers 27 voyages throughout the Mediterranean, Black and Red seas. Departing 8 May 2012 Azamara Quest returns to the Mediterranean from Suez (Sokhna), Egypt, via the Holy Lands and Egypt to Athens (Piraeus), Greece. The only short cruise offered by Azamara, a five-night, roundtrip sailing from Nice, France, departs on 24 May 2012 and offers an overnight at and midnight departure from St. Tropez, France, and two late-night departures from Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Portofino, Italy. Guests sailing for this voyage will have the option to purchase tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Azamara Quest then heads to the Eastern Mediterranean, offering eight voyages to the Greek Isles, Adriatic Coast, and Italy. These seven – to 12 – night sailings feature overnights and late night departures in a variety of ports, such as Kotor, Montenegro; Venice, Amalfi, and Capri, Italy; Athens and Mykonos, Greece; and Istanbul, Turkey.

On the Black Sea & Transylvania itinerary, departing 22 July 2012, Azamara Quest offers guests an opportunity to visit Dracula’s castle on a Land Discovery option during the call at Constanta, Romania. Azamara Journey also offers an 11-night Best of Italy & Greece voyage, departing 4 October.

From August to October 2012, both Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest will sail 10 itineraries ranging from seven – to – 11 nights in the Spanish, French and Italian Rivieras, with departures from Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, Monaco, and Rome. On the 16 October 2012 sailing, Azamara Quest will make maiden calls at Al Khums and Tripoli in Libya.

Northern Europe Explorations
Azamara Journey makes the most maiden calls for the cruise line in the North and Baltic seas in 2012. On the seven-night round-trip Belgium and South England voyage from Paris (Rouen), departing 29 April 2012, the ship will make maiden calls at and midnight departures from Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Dover, England and Portland, Dorset in the U.K.; and conclude with an overnight in port.

The 11-night Mother’s Day sailing, departing 6 May 2012, includes a maiden call at the Isles of Scilly in the U.K., a midnight departure from the medieval walled city of St. Malo, France, and overnights in Antwerp, Belgium and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The 12-night Chelsea Flower Show voyage, departing 17 May 2012 which begins with an overnight in Amsterdam; features first-time calls at Flushing (Vlissingen), the Netherlands, and Southampton, England; and stays for two nights in Antwerp, Paris, and London (Greenwich), offering guests the opportunity to attend the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The 29 May 2012, 12-night British Isles in Bloom itinerary overnights in Dublin, Ireland, and Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland, and includes maiden calls at Isle of Skye (Portree) and Invergordon, Scotland. On a later 28 July 2012 Castles, Distilleries & Pubs sailing from Edinburgh (Leith), guests enjoy two-night stays at and post-midnight departures from Dublin, Ireland, and Paris (Rouen).

A 10-night itinerary from Amsterdam on 10 June offers guests overnights in Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden; a maiden call at and late departure from Danish-island Ronne, Bornholm; and an overnight at and late departure from St. Petersburg, Russia, for guests to join in the city’s annual White Nights Festival. The nine-night Scandinavia Russia, departing 27 June 2012, features a maiden call at Visby, Sweden and concludes with two nights in Copenhagen.

Jazz fans who also love to travel can choose two very special consecutive sailings aboard Azamara Journey in summer 2012. The 6 July 2012 Skagen & Hague Jazz sailing begins with an overnight in Copenhagen and concludes with an overnight in Amsterdam, and features a maiden call at Skagen, Denmark, and two-night stays in London (Greenwich) and Rotterdam, the Netherlands (also a maiden port), where guests can attend the North Seas Jazz Festival. On the last day of the festival, Azamara Journey sails at 2 a.m. to offer guests ample time to enjoy post-festival celebrations. The 17 July 2012 in the Fjords sailing takes guests to Norwegian fjord lands, with a maiden call at Andalsnes, Norway, and overnights in Stavanger, Norway, and Edinburgh. The itinerary offers guests two days in Molde, Norway, where they have the option for a scenic day excursion through the Fjords on where they can experience a ride on the famous Trollstigen road.

Island Colors of the West Indies
From Barbados, Azamara Journey offers an eight-night West Indies itinerary to Miami, departing on 10 March 2012, and makes a maiden call at Soufriere, St. Lucia. The ship then sails a 10-night Virgins and Bermuda itinerary on 30 March 2012 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to port for the first time in Boston, featuring overnight stays at both Hamilton and St. George Island in Bermuda, and St. John, U.S.V.I., and Virgin Gorda, B.V.I., where larger ships rarely go.

From Boston, Azamara Journey is Europe bound on 18 April 2012, via an overnight and maiden call in New York City for an eleven-night Trans-Atlantic itinerary to Paris (Rouen).

On 7 November 2012, Azamara Quest returns to the Western Hemisphere from Seville, Spain, to Miami, with overnights in Maderia (Funchal), Portugal, and Hamilton. The ship then sails a seven-night Eastern Caribbean voyage from Miami to Barbados, departing 28 November, with calls at Virgin Gorda; St. Barts; Castries, St. Lucia; and Mayreau in the Granadines.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for upmarket travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. The two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships can't reach, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region.

Azamara Club Cruises is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

For more information on Azamara Club Cruises see www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or to book click here to contact your local ACE agent. Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk.

New series includes more overnight stays, late-night stays and first-time ports

Azamara Club Cruises is offering its most comprehensive selection of itineraries for 2011-12, with sailings in 54 countries and calls at 174 ports.

Announcing the company’s sailing programme today, Azamara Club Cruises President & CEO Larry Pimentel, explained, “Azamara Club Cruises is built around four key pillars: extraordinary service, cuisine and wines of the world, wellness and vitality, and destination immersion. But what distinguishes our brand most is our ability to deliver the destination, and our new itineraries were precisely built around that commitment.”

The 694-guest Azamara Journey looks forward to a truly global season that sees the ship begin with a transatlantic voyage from Miami in April 2011 and finish 12 months later in the Caribbean, via the Mediterranean and South America.
 

Each successive sailing will allow cruisers wanting a lengthier holiday to combine two or more, seven-night itineraries back-to-back, with very few, if any, repeat ports depending on the segments chosen.

Azamara Journey

Season highlights for Azamara Journey include a four-night Monaco Grand Prix sailing from Nice on May 26, 2011, including a visit to Monte Carlo on the day of the famed race, as well as stops in popular Portofino (Italy) and St. Tropez (France). Prices start from £643 per person.

In the summer the ship’s sailings focus initially on wine-themed Mediterranean cruises with a unique 10-night sailing from Dublin (29 August, 2011) highlighted by visits to Holyhead (Wales) and Cork (Ireland), where guests can visit the famed Guggenheim Museum; Gijon and Vigo (Spain), featuring the magnificent town of Santiago de Compostella, and overnight stays in Bordeaux (France), and Lisbon (Portugal) during the grape harvest season. Prices start from £1,818 per person.

Also new is a season in South America, beginning with two consecutive 14-night voyages – one each from San Juan and from Manaus (Brazil), with visits to the Grenadines (Barbados), and exotic locations along Brazil’s Amazon River. Prices start from £2,106 per person from San Juan on 25 October sailing.

From 4 December, 2011 until 9 March, 2012, Azamara Journey will offer a series of itineraries ranging from eight to 16 nights, with the latter highlighted by three consecutive days in the Antarctic Sound, a visit just off Cape Horn, and a stop in the Falkland Islands.

Many of Azamara Journey’s South America voyages were designed around popular local events, such as two nights at chic Punta del Este (Uruguay) during the Christmas holiday; viewing New Year’s Eve fireworks off the shores of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) as well as two full days in Rio during its famous ‘Carnaval’ in February.

The exotic West Indies again welcomes guests on Azamara Journey in March 2012, with a series of three seven-night sailings that round out the ship’s new deployment. Among the destinations are Mayreau (Grenadines); St. Lucia (Marigot), St. Martin (Virgin Gorda) British Virgin Islands; and an overnight stay in Gustavia (St. Barts). Prices start from £946 per person.

These voyages can be combined into back-to-back 14-night segments allowing guests to explore a new set of hideaway ports each week.

Azamara Quest

A first-ever call at Krakatoa is the undoubted highlight of unusual ports and sights visited by Azamara Quest for 2011-12.

Guests will have the chance to get close to the world’s most famous – and active – volcano during a 12-night Christmas and New Year voyage from Singapore calling in Thailand and Vietnam. Weather permitted, a landing will be attempted!

Also new is a 10-night Red Sea itinerary from the line’s first-time departure port of Suez (Sokhna, Egypt), on 17 November 2011, featuring overnight stays in both Sharm el Sheikh and Safaga (Egypt), along with Aqaba (Jordan), and Eilat (Israel). Excursions will include the opportunity to take in historic treasures, including Luxor and St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt, Masada in Israel, and the fabled Petra and the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. Prices start from £1,424 per person.

For the first time the ship will feature a selection of India itineraries, calling at Mumbai during both April and November. Also making its debut is the Omani capital of Muscat.

For more information visit the Azamara Club Cruises web site at www.azamaraclubcruises.com or visit your local ACE accredited travel agent.
 

Reinvigorated Azamara Club Cruises brand offers exceptional options for the upmarket Asian cruiser

SINGAPORE, 22 December, 2009 – Upmarket cruise line Azamara Club Cruises is marking its presence in Asia again with the return of its ship Azamara Quest to Singapore today to kick-start her second consecutive Asian season. The ship arrived at the Singapore Cruise Centre early this morning following a 24-night voyage from Athens. She will be homeported in both Singapore and Hong Kong offering new itineraries and destinations through to April 2010.

Upmarket cruising experience on Azamara Quest

Azamara Club Cruises combines a more intimate onboard experience while allowing access to the less-traveled ports of call experienced travelers want to visit. Azamara Club Cruises combines destination immersion, exceptional service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, and wellness and vigor programs.

Azamara Quest, a 694-guest ship, offers concierge-style amenities, including fresh-cut flowers, fresh fruit, Elemis toiletries, use of Frette cotton robes, plasma TVs and plush European bedding. Also featured are world class spa treatments with the finest therapists and aestheticians. Aromastone therapy and body sculpting are just some of the many ways to be pampered onboard. For meals, guests will have a choice of one of two specialty restaurants: Mediterranean-influenced Aqualina and a stylish steak and seafood restaurant Prime C, the main dining room, or the casual dining venue. Most of all, with one staff member for every two guests, Azamara's personal service is unparalleled.

An opportunity to truly discover Asian destinations

While delving deep into the history and culture of remote destinations larger ships cannot reach, guests sailing with Azamara Club Cruises will also enjoy a more exclusive experience. These special trips into the ports of call are designed to let guests become part of the fabric of life in each destination, instead of merely being an observer. The brand has recently been redesigned to include a newly refined focus - its new tagline “You’ll love where we take you” best describes the destination focus of Azamara Club Cruises, which allows guests to truly experience a community and its culture.

Azamara Quest will embark on a series of six 14- and 18-night Southeast and Northeast Asian voyages this Asian season. Guests will be allowed to further immerse themselves in Asia’s mixture of history and modernity with at least one in-port overnight stay per voyage in destinations such as Hue (Danang), Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi (Halong Bay), Beijing (Tianjin), Hong Kong and Singapore.

Details of the sailings are as follows:
• A special 18-night Christmas and New Year's voyage from Singapore to Hong Kong from December 22, 2009, to January 9, 2010, with overnights in Ho Chi Minh City, Hue (Danang), Hanoi (Halong Bay), Hong Kong and Singapore, and visits to Bangkok (Klong Toey) and Canton (Guangzhou).
• Two 14-night Southeast Asia sailings from Singapore to Hong Kong on January 23 and February 20, 2010, featuring overnights in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as a visit to Hue.
• Two 14-night Southeast Asia sailings from Hong Kong to Singapore on January 9 and February 6, 2010, featuring overnights in Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Singapore and visits to Hue (Danang), Sihanoukville and Bangkok (Klong Toey).
• One 14-night Northeast Asia sailing from Hong Kong to Shanghai on March 6, 2010, featuring overnights in Beijing (Tianjin), Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as visits to Taipei (Keelung), Nagasaki, Seoul (Incheon) and Dalian.

Newly refined brand unveils multiple new attributes for upmarket travellers

December 8, 2009 – Azamara Cruises – the two-ship brand launched in 2007 with the 694-guest Azamara Journey and sister ship Azamara Quest – today became “Azamara Club Cruises.”

The newly refined brand features more inclusive options for guests such as gratuities, house wines with lunch and dinner, and coffee and bottled water throughout the day. Azamara Club Cruises also focuses on slowing the cruise experience down with more overnight stays and late night departures from ports of call to increase guest immersion in a destination. The developments will be implemented from April 2010.

Since taking the helm of Azamara Cruises in July of this year, Larry Pimentel has spent several weeks talking with travel agents, past guests and media to determine how to make his great-to-exceptional goal a reality.

“This isn’t a strategy of going ‘from good to great’,” said Azamara Club Cruises President & CEO Larry Pimentel. “This is about taking an already great product and making it exceptional.”

“Today’s cruisers have incredible new vacation options – like Celebrity Cruise’s stunning Solstice Class, and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas,” said Pimentel. “Azamara Club Cruises will distinguish itself by delivering the destination like no other line.”

Azamara Club Cruises will visit 140 ports in 50 countries in 2010, with itineraries featuring more overnight stays to allow guests to immerse themselves in communities and cultures. Among the overnight locations are Istanbul (Turkey), Sorrento (Italy), a full three days and two nights in St Petersburg (Russia) and multiple overnight stays in Southeast Asia including Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We’re going to slow down the tempo, and allow our guests to not just see the destination, but to live it,” said Pimentel. “Consider destinations like St. Tropez or St. Petersburg, Russia. If you’ve experienced them only by day, you haven’t really experienced them. With Azamara Club Cruises, through more overnight stays and late-night stays, you can.”

The destination focus of Azamara Club Cruises inspired the brand’s new tagline – “You’ll love where we take you” – and will extend to its shore excursions.

Azamara Club Cruises has created distinctive two-day packages tailored to the overnight destinations to make it easy for guests to immerse themselves in each location, whether it’s Dubrovnik, Croatia; Odessa, Ukraine; Livorno (Florence), Italy, Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany, or London, in addition to Sorrento and St. Petersburg.

The new brand will also will offer experiences such as a two-night package from Bangkok to Laos; an overnight tour from Hiroshima to Osaka via bullet train; a three-night experience from Mumbai including a visit to the Taj Mahal; overnight tours in Israel between Ashdod and Cairo, and a Grand Egypt tour featuring the best of both Luxor and Cairo.

Among Azamara Club Cruise’s speciality tours include a Ferrari driving tour in Civitavecchia, Italy; a walk down memory lane in Liverpool with the “In the steps of The Beatles” tour; a private demonstration of chocolate flavours in Dubrovnik; a “Theatre A La Carte” evening in London; Croatian liqueur tasting in Zadar; an Imperial Russian Court evening at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg; an evening gondola serenade in Venice; and high tea at the Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai.

Praised for its dining experience since its founding, Azamara Club Cruises will continue to place a heavy emphasis on fine cuisine, and will expand its focus on wine to include vintages from boutique wineries around the world. Guests will have the opportunity to taste high quality wines unavailable at home, because the selected vineyards produce a strictly limited quantity each year, distributed primarily locally. The featured wines will be offered complimentary at lunches and dinners on every sailing.

Wellbeing will be a core component of the Azamara Club Cruises experience, too, with onboard and land-based experiences designed to help guests feel and look healthier and more youthful. Azamara Club Cruise’s aim in wellbeing is to help guests balance their physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual needs through massages, facials and other spa treatments, as well as acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, and enrichment programmes.

The newly refined brand also is intensely focused on offering exceptional service.

“Extraordinary service is paramount with Azamara Club Cruises,” said Pimentel. “We know every travel and hospitality organisation proclaims it’s committed to great service, so what will make Azamara Club Cruises stand out? Firstly, our butlers will be trained to be true English butlers, offering a fine balance of anticipatory, pampering, yet non-intrusive service to guests in every suite.” Guests in staterooms will be served by the line’s host of experienced stateroom attendants.

Azamara Club Cruises also will transition to a primarily all-inclusive experience, with the following included in the cruise fare beginning with the first voyages in April 2010 on Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest: a specific brand of bottled water offered at no charge throughout the voyage, whether in public venues or in staterooms; specialty coffees and teas; housekeeping and dining gratuities; shuttlebus service to/from port communities, where available; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; all meals and room service; house wine at lunches and dinners; and self-service laundry. Specialty dining in Azamara Club Cruise’s intimate Prime C steakhouse and the Mediterranean-influenced Aqualina will be complimentary for suite guests for the duration of their cruise.

Cruisers who can’t get enough of Azamara Club Cruises will be invited to join the line’s new loyalty programme, “Le Club Voyage,” with specific features and benefits yet to be announced.

Larry Pimentel has also enlisted a small new Miami-based team focused 100 percent on Azamara Club Cruises, including VP of Sales & Marketing Edie Bornstein, AVP of Hotel Operations Bert Van Middendorp, Director of Marketing Signe Bjorndal, Director of National Accounts Michelle Nevin, and an eight-member field sales team dedicated solely to Azamara Club Cruises.

Together, Pimentel and team shaped the new Azamara Club Cruises, whose most distinguishing new attributes will be in effect by April 2010.

For more information, see www.azamaraclubcruises.com.

44 ports of call in 23 different countries for destination-led cruise brand.

The 2010-2011 season from Azamara Cruises is now on sale offering the chance to visit a sanctuary for endangered scarlet macaws in Puntarenas, Costa Rica; go snorkelling with sea lions in La Paz, Mexico; or go behind the scenes at the Tsingdao Brewery in Qingdao, China.

The 694-guest Azamara Quest returns to the Far East for the third consecutive year in 2010, and sister ship Azamara Journey offers a series of both favourite and new winter Caribbean itineraries. This includes the first time a ship in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line family has sailed in the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) when Azamara Journey calls in ports such as Mazatlan, Guaymas and La Paz in Mexico.

In Asia, Azamara Cruises’ ship Azamara Quest will visit 21 ports of call in ten different countries including India, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Japan. Plus, Azamara Quest will also offer a 24-night repositioning cruise from Athens to Singapore departing on 27 November 2010. All the Southeast Asia cruises include at least four overnight stays in a port of call. Guests can enjoy such extended stays in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Hanoi (Halong Bay), and Ho Chi Minh City.

Highlights of the Azamara Journey 2010-2011 Caribbean cruises include:

· 23 ports of call across 13 different countries from Miami and San Diego with the winter Caribbean season starting earlier than in previous years

· 12-night round trip cruises from Miami featuring ports of call such as St John and St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, Marigot in Saint Martin, Basseterre in St Kitts, Pointe A Pitre in Guadeloupe, Gustavia in St Barts, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, Castries in St Lucia and Roseau in Dominica. Itineraries available in November 2010, and between February and April 2011.

· Two 16-night Panama Canal cruises sailing from Miami to San Diego in December 2010 and January 2011 including central America ports of call such as Cartagena in Columbia, Puntarenas in Costa Rica, San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua and Huatulco, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico

· In January 2010 two 11-night brand new Sea of Cortex cruises from San Diego featuring five ports of call new for Azamara Cruises, and the entire Royal Caribbean Cruise Line family. Ports of call include Mazatlan for the Sierra Madre mountains; Topolobampo known for its close proximity to Copper Canyon; Loreto – the first Spanish settlement in the California peninsular; Guaymas which had its first ever cruise ship visit in 2008 and is newly accessible to cruising; and La Paz close to Los Islotes which is renowned for its large sea lion population

Prices for the Azamara Cruises winter Caribbean 2010-2011 season start from £1,685 pp for a 12-night Caribbean cruise onboard Azamara Journey.

In Asia, cruises available onboard Azamara Quest in the 2010-2011 winter season include:

· 24-night repositioning cruise from Athens to Singapore on 27 November 2010 including overnight stays in Dubai and Mumbai and a transit through the Suez Canal

· Chinese New Year 14-night cruise departing Singapore for Hong Kong on 22 January 2011 with overnight stays in all ports of call bar one including Bangkok, Hanoi (Halong Bay) and Ho Chi Minh City

· Two 12-night Northeast Asia sailings between Hong Kong and Shanghai in March 2011 each offering different itineraries allowing for guests to enjoy a 24-night back-to-back sailing. The northbound option features Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Kyoto (Osaka) in Japan, Xiamen in China and Busan in South Korea; and the southbound cruise includes an overnight stay in Beijing (Tianjin), Seoul (Incheon) and two new ports of call for Azamara Cruises – Qingdao in China and Jeju Island in South Korea

Prices for the Asia 2010-11 season start from £2,531 pp for an 14-night Southeast Asia fly/cruise onboard Azamara Quest.

Azamara Cruises also offers cruise tour options in Asia allowing guests to expand their experience of the region with a fully-escorted land tour. Six different seven-night tours are available with pre-cruise packages starting Beijing and ending in Hong Kong, or post-cruise tours starting in Hong Kong and ending in Beijing. Tours include visits to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall at Mutianyue.

Azamara Cruises unlocks the hidden corners of the world for those who desire to immerse themselves in the rich details of every voyage. The deluxe ships – Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest – offer an intimate experience, while allowing access to exotic destinations experienced travelers long to reach. For the 694 guests on each Azamara Cruises ship, every moment at sea embodies the pinnacle of luxury, and each footstep on shore accentuates the difference between visiting a place and getting a true sense of place. This year, Azamara Cruises presents the best of enchanting Europe, elite Asia, and the most captivating Caribbean and the Panama Canal. The line also offers unique cruisetours in Asia and Europe.