Azamara CEO Discusses Brand’s Growth, Passionate Passengers and Partnership with Destinations and Stakeholders

of Azamara Club Cruises, recently spoke with the FCCA about the brand’s addition to the fleet (and itineraries) through the new Azamara Pursuit, along with revealing insight into Azamara’s passionate passengers (and how to appeal to them) and mutual success with its destination partners. A transcript of the conversation follows:

Congratulations on Azamara Pursuit! What does the new addition mean for your brand and Azamara’s always diverse and immersive journeys?

Thank you, the expansion of our fleet is very exciting for everyone here at Azamara, it’s something we’ve been working towards for some time now. The addition of the Azamara Pursuit will allow us to visit all seven continents of the world. It will take us to ports we’ve never

visited and return us to a few we haven’t seen in quite some time. This new ship will allow guests to discover these remarkable places as only Azamara can deliver them—authentic… intimate… in ways that reflect the local spirit and embrace the local way of life.

When announcing Azamara Pursuit’s grand modernization project would take place in Southampton, you mentioned that the UK market that has shown “unprecedented support” for Pursuit and growing demand for the brand overall. Why do you think the market has been so receptive?

The first consideration is that the product and service level appeals to a UK audience. Secondly, the majority of our project was completed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with ship outfitter

MJM—an award-winning company with over 30 years’ experience in the marine and land-based refurbishment and fit out sectors. The work was completed at Harland and Wolff, where ships were constructed for the White Star line, including the Titanic.

“DESTINATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS CAN DEVELOP A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH AZAMARA LARGELY BY HELPING US UNIQUELY CURATE DESTINATIONS FOR TRAVELERS, RATHER THAN TOURISTS.”

Is this growth particular to the UK market or indicative of a broader overall flourishing luxury market?

There is significant growth in the luxury market and particularly solid growth in Azamara Club Cruises on a global basis.

What kind of passengers are drawn to Azamara journeys, and what are they looking to see and do?

They are empty nesters with explorer mindsets. They’re a cultured group that is motivated by enriching their life experience. Don’t let their age fool you; they’re driven by exploring new destinations, meeting new people, and feeling youthful. They have the means to indulge in the finer side of traveling and the time to fully immerse in new cultures.

How does Azamara work with destination stakeholders to deliver on these passengers’ wants and needs?

There is a lot of research and data that is reviewed when we build itineraries and destination projects. We have a very dedicated team shoreside and onboard that focuses on providing the best experiences to our guests. Our team manages personal relationships with destination experts, and even has the opportunity to experience some tours before they are available to guests. We also listen to our guests directly, like South Africa, for example, we had various requests for a third ship in order to cover this region of the world, and we’ve made that happen with the Azamara Pursuit.

Is this the same across the globe, or do different markets have different demands? For example, while meeting with some prominent Caribbean stakeholders at last year’s FCCA PAMAC Conference, did your discussions with them vary from your talks in the UK?

My comments at FCCA would have been similar had I made the presentation in the UK. The data points referencing Affluent Wealthy Guests are similar in most regions of the world.

Considering that many are reading this at Seatrade Med and the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show, it seems appropriate to mention that during the Pursuit announcement, you also praised the opportunity to give back to the UK because of its warm welcome to the Azamara brand. How can other destinations and stakeholders develop this kind of relationship with Azamara?

We have a special relationship with the UK because over 20 percent of our guests originate from the region. Furthermore, UK guests love the fact that we explore the world by traveling to over 100 countries in a two-year period. Revenue has been growing by double digits for nearly a decade. Destinations and stakeholders can develop a unique relationship with Azamara largely by helping us uniquely curate destinations for travelers, rather than tourists. �