Cruise News: Azamara Club Cruises Adds AzAmazing Experiences

As an up-market boutique cruise line, Azamara Club Cruises already offers destination-immersive voyages for travelers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them and pretty soon they will be adding amenities previously limited to passengers on luxury cruise lines. When it comes to adding compelling enhancements to the experience, Azamara Club Cruises has clearly listened to their passengers and, as a result, every voyage will soon include the new “AzAmazing Evening,” a complimentary destination event ashore.

In addition, hot on the heels of their recent announcement of a Fleetwide Renovation project, the cruise line will be introducing a selection of complimentary standard spirits, wines and international beers throughout the ship during the bars’ opening hours. Both offerings will begin with Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey’s next Europe season, March 27 and May 15 2013, respectively.

“Azamara Club Cruises’ guests have an unquenchable desire to immerse themselves in the history, culture and night life of the destinations we visit, which is why we offer them longer stays, more overnights and night touring,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “This new concept is an evolution of Azamara’s core differentiator that resonates with our guests, who love their time onboard, but have made it clear that the cruise experience extends to their time ashore. With these new amenities added to Azamara Club Cruises, guests are offered an unmatched vacation experience at a tremendous value.”

One-hundred percent of Azamara’s 2013 itineraries feature late-night departures and overnight port stays, some as long as two or three days. This concept of slowing the ships down to offer guests the opportunity to experience a city’s night life, is an almost unique concept in the cruise industry that will now be further showcased through AzAmazing Evening, destination affairs to remember.

During the events all interested guests will be transported via private motorcoaches to an unforgettable evening. Guests sailing a Baltic voyage, for example, could enjoy a private ballet performance in St. Petersburg, Russia, while walking the red carpet and sipping champagne. Or those on a Mediterranean voyage may find themselves sampling Jerez, Spain’s, famous sherry wine at Gonzalez Byass and later enjoying a private equestrian ballet at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.

The new AzAmazing Evening events will replace the current 50 percent savings off Land Discovery shore excursions program and provide guests with an even great value that further emphasizes the night touring concept and highlights a region’s culture and distinct personality with a customized event exclusively for Azamara guests. The complimentary evening ashore varies from voyage to voyage, offering guests sailing consecutive voyages a wide variety of experiences. Guests sailing and pre-booking Land Discoveries, before March 2, 2013 for Azamara Quest or April 17, 2013 for Azamara Journey can still save 50 percent on most Land Discoveries when booking online at least four days prior to their sailing date.

Also beginning with the 2013 Europe season is the expansion of Azamara’s complimentary beverage offerings. In addition to their existing selection of complimentary wines, served at lunch and dinner, guests will enjoy a wider complimentary selection that includes a selection of standard spirits, wines, and international beers throughout the day at any of the ships’ bars and lounges.

Guests aboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest already enjoy numerous inclusive amenities, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees, teas, and complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner, complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle transportation to city centers in ports, where available. And now, guests will also enjoy the new AzAmazing Evening event on every voyage, and selected standard spirits, wines and beers throughout the voyage from bars and lounges.

Azamara’s two intimate, 694-guest ships, with a combination of 347 suites and staterooms, offer a European-boutique hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, all while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships cannot reach. Azamara Club Cruises sails European destinations, including the Baltic and Scandinavia, British Isles, Western Europe, French and Italian Rivieras, Greek Isles, Croatia, Holy Land and Black Sea, as well as Asia, South America, lesser-traveled islands of the West Indies, and in 2014 the West Coast of the United States. Travelers also can choose even more immersive experiences with Azamara cruisetours in four of the world’s most exciting destinations, including Asia, Buenos Aires, India, and Turkey. For more information, visit Azamara Club Cruises.

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