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“As we continue to evolve our destination immersive offerings, we also want to ensure our onboard experience is modernized to meet guests’ every need. We can’t wait for our ships to come out of dry dock as these major upgrades are going to have an instant impact on our guests’ experience.”
The “organic essence” of Azamara Club Cruises’ ports of call will inform “complete makeovers” of its fleet’s two ships when they go into dry dock early next year.
In announcing the enhancements, the cruise line signaled that its mid-sized vessels – known for classic European-style elegance – will meld traditional designs with the contemporary as it upgrades shipboard public spaces, dining venues, spas and every stateroom and suite, while implementing new technologies already employed in other Royal Caribbean-owned fleets.
Details of the improvements are to be released later this summer, although Azamara Club Cruises has already disclosed that new open-air Pan-Asian restaurants serving a blend of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean fare will be included in the revamps. The Sanctum spa on each ship is also in line for a makeover.
The two-ship brand was founded in 2007 with the Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. Both ships were built in 2000 and carry 686 passengers. They are the smallest ships sailed under RCL’s aegis.
The sister vessels owe their distinction to the ability to visit ports that cannot accommodate larger ships, while providing guests with Destination Immersion – the opportunity for a more intimate interaction with the people and places on their itineraries during late-night and overnight stops.
Destinations include the Mediterranean, Northern and Western Europe, Asia, the West Indies, Australia and New Zealand, the Panama Canal and other ports in Central and North America.
“We started our enhancements in our dry dock in 2012-2013, but the major remodeling is happening now,” said Signe Bjorndal, Azamara Club Cruises’ director of global marketing. “Our ships are beautiful, but a fresh and more contemporary look and feel will be an amazing improvement. While our key positioning is ‘land’ (Destination Immersion), the onboard experience has to be equally as satisfactory to our guests.”
The dry dock revamp of both ships is aimed at bringing “the organic essence of Destination Immersion on board,” Azamara Club Cruises explained in a release, inspired “by the lands, rivers, and beaches of the places we visit.”
Noting that its intimate approach to port experiences has enabled the line “to boast an unprecedented number of repeat guest bookings as well as strong back-to-back voyage reservations,” Azamara Club Cruises President and CEO Larry Pimentel added:
“As we continue to evolve our destination immersive offerings, we also want to ensure our onboard experience is modernized to meet guests’ every need. We can’t wait for our ships to come out of dry dock as these major upgrades are going to have an instant impact on our guests’ experience.”
“Each corner of the ships will have a new look and feel, setting a brighter, more contemporary ambiance, while the new venues will bring guests fresh experiences. We’re also investing in new onboard innovations and have paid close attention to the smallest of details. We really are redefining our onboard experience in every way.”
Azamara Journey will enter dry dock in January 2016 in the Bahamas, with Azamara Quest following in April 2016 in Singapore.