The partnership with tournament organisers, e|motion group, will bring Azamara Cruises to the Balearic island this summer, reaching tennis fans from around the world

  Azamara Cruises, the small-ship cruise line renowned for Destination Immersion® and Extended Destination Days, has today been announced as the official cruise sponsor for the 2025 Mallorca Championships, taking place from 21st to 28th June at the Mallorca Country Club in Calvià.   The announcement was made during a tournament presentation from the event organisers, e|motion group, at the international tourism fair, ITB Berlin. Following an overview of the player lineup confirmed so far, with the likes of Ben Shelton set to return for the tournament’s fifth edition, Dondra Ritzenthaler, CEO of Azamara Cruises, addressed the event attendees in a special message delivered by Lee Surman, Director of Partnerships & Trading at Azamara Cruises:   “I’m delighted to confirm our partnership with Mallorca Championships, as its exclusive cruise sponsor. At Azamara Cruises, we share e|motion group’s commitment to delivering exceptional experiences in exciting locations around the world, so it’s with great pride that we’re announcing the official sponsorship today. We look forward to bringing Azamara to tennis fans from around the world this summer in Mallorca, and are excited to share more updates on our plans for the tournament with loyal guests and partners in due course”.   With a fleet of four intimate-style ships that visit marquee and hidden gem ports around the world, Azamara Cruises offers a range of itineraries that appeal to active travellers seeking unique, immersive experiences, from dancing in the streets at Rio Carnival to playing golf at the world’s most prestigious courses or seeing the big five on a South African safari. What’s more, through Extended Destination Days (ten or more hours in port), Azamara gives its guests more time ashore to connect with the destination and its culture, without feeling rushed.   Ahead of the tournament this April, travellers can book a 9-night Spain Intensive voyage with Azamara Cruises that features an Extended Destination Day in Mallorca’s historic capital, Palma. With plenty of time in port, travellers have the opportunity to explore the city’s cathedral, museums and restaurants at leisure, while the more adventurous, can embark on an active shore excursion, from discovering the Drach caves, the largest underground lake in the world, to hiking through the UNESCO landscape of Serra de Tramuntana.

Small-ship cruise line Azamara is giving UK travel agents the chance to win a complimentary Europe Spring cruise for two in 2025. As a reward for productive agents during the Wave period, one free cruse will each be awarded in a prize draw for the best Cruise Specialists, Retail, Homeworkers and Tour Operators. This ensures every segment of the trade has an opportunity to win. All Azamara Cruises bookings made by travel agents until 28 February will count as entries into the prize draw. The more bookings an agent makes, the higher their chance of being selected, as each booking increases the number of entries into the draw. Winners will be selected at random on 7 March, and agents are encouraged to backdate bookings made at the start of January. Also, throughout January, agents will also receive an enhanced booking incentive of £20 on bookings made for 2025 sailings. Stuart Pearce, Head of Travel Sales UK at Azamara Cruises, said: "Our travel partners are instrumental in helping us deliver exceptional experiences to our guests, so we wanted to start the new year by expressing our appreciation.” The submission deadline is 3 March 2025 with winners announced by 7 March. The cruise prize includes a 5-10 night Europe sailing in an ocean view stateroom, departing from April through to June 2025. The voyage date will be selected by Azamara Cruises.

 

Key highlights include the brand’s first-ever European winter-season sailings and the return to China

  Azamara Cruises, the small-ship cruise line renowned for Destination Immersion® and Extended Destination Days, announces its highly anticipated winter 2026-2027 lineup. Recognised as the industry leader for most unique itineraries, Azamara presents 66 new cruises and eight extraordinary Grand Voyages spanning 35+ nights, providing immersive travel experiences and deeper exploration across a variety of the world’s most captivating destinations.   “We are thrilled to announce our winter 2026-2027 cruises, which mark an exciting chapter in Azamara’s commitment to bringing our guests to the world,” said Michael Pawlus, Head of Itinerary Planning at Azamara. “For the first time ever, we are pleased to offer cruises to Europe during the wintertime so guests can delight in beloved destinations without peak-season crowds and during cooler weather. Additionally, we are thrilled to return to China with its rich culture and history. These sailings offer an unparallelled opportunity to explore the world in a more meaningful way.”   Pawlus continues, “Our Grand Voyages, with extended itineraries and in-depth exploration, allow travellers to truly connect with each destination while enjoying the signature Azamara experience. Whether it’s an unforgettable evening in a Mediterranean port or a multi-week journey across continents, we’re proud to offer diverse and enriching itineraries that cater to every kind of traveller.”   Sailing across 20 countries and five continents, highlights of the 2026/27 voyages include:  

• Grand Voyages – The Ultimate Journey Across Multiple Continents: Guests can embark on one of Azamara Cruises’ eight Grand Voyages, featuring 35+ nights that span multiple continents. These extended journeys offer unparallelled opportunities for in-depth exploration, both on and off the ship. Guests will enjoy special experiences such as Extended Destination Days, exclusive AzAmazing Evenings and more, immersing themselves in the heart of each destination. The Grand Voyages span a variety of continents and destinations including Canada to Australia, Australia to Japan, Canada to Japan, Buenos Aires to Miami, and more.
• A Winter First – Explore Europe Like Never Before onboard Azamara Onward®:  With winter travel on the rise, as highlighted by Tripadvisor’s Winter Travel Index, Azamara Cruises is meeting the growing demand by offering guests the opportunity to explore Europe during the winter months. One favourite guest experience: Sailing up the Guadalquivir River to Seville, Spain (which can only be experienced by small ships), and docking in the city centre for a double-overnight stay within walking distance of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Wintertime cruises will allow easier admittance to museums, landmarks and local markets – avoiding the summertime crowds and providing guests with more intimate access to iconic landmarks and cultural experiences. Azamara guests will experience Europe in a more meaningful way.
• Azamara Cruises Returns to China — A Journey of Culture, History, and Natural Beauty: Experience the vibrant culture and rich history of China as Azamara returns to this extraordinary destination. From walking on the 2,000-year-old ancient stones of the Great Wall to savouring freshly prepared Dim Sum in Shanghai, guests will immerse themselves in the heart and soul of East Asia. Discover China’s dynamic heritage on an unforgettable voyage. Additionally, Azamara’s small-sized ship offers the ability of sailing into the heart of Shanghai, providing an intimate look at this incredible destination.
• 66 Sailings, Endless Possibilities — Discover the World with Azamara Cruises: With 66 diverse itineraries across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, Azamara offers something for every traveller. From short escapes to extended Grand Voyages, each sailing is designed for deeper exploration with immersive, longer stays in port. Whether travellers are seeking adventure, relaxation, or cultural discovery, Azamara’s voyages provide authentic experiences and meaningful connections in some of the world’s most captivating destinations.

  “We are delighted to announce our winter 2026/2027 voyages," says David Duff, Managing Director at Azamara. Highlights include a more extensive Asia programme with a much-anticipated return to China—a bucket list destination for UK travellers—featuring immersive experiences like exploring the Great Wall. Guests can also embark on an extraordinary 74-night circumnavigation of South America, exploring the region’s remarkable diversity, or discover winter sun escapes closer to home in the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, all whilst enjoying Azamara’s signature hospitality.”   Travellers can experience the grandeur of bucket-list destinations or the charm of hidden-gem ports from Azamara’s intimate, beautiful ships while enjoying exceptional value through Always Azamara amenities – a variety of dining venues and room service; beer, wine and spirits all day and night; signature AzAmazing Evenings; unlimited self-serve laundry; tips and gratuities.   Guests who book their cruise early can take advantage of an Early Booking Bonus of 20% off their cruise fare. Plus, for those who book a Veranda cabin or Suite, they will receive a complimentary Experience More Essentials Package ($300 Onboard Credit + Free Wi-Fi + a Premium Beverage Package for Two).

Small ship line Azamara Cruises has highlighted the successes of its new dedicated UK contact centre, which opened this summer. Opened in June 2024, the company says it is delivering results for agents and guests in the UK & Ireland. Since launch, the team have been providing market-specific support and guidance, with an improvement in key call centre performance metrics. This has led to a 67% increase in booking conversions (trade and consumer), and a 25% reduction in average handling time. It says agents have resolved customer calls more efficiently a reduction in wait times Azamara has also seen a 17% drop in abandonment rates. David Duff, Managing Director at Azamara Cruises UK said: “I’m delighted with the early success of the UK call centre. Through investing in localised support for agents and guests, we are able to offer an enhanced service”. All contact centre staff have spent time onboard and Azamara ship. Stuart Pearce, Head of Trade Sales UK & Ireland at Azamara Cruises added: “The contact centre has become a trusted resource for our trade partners and a valuable asset to our team.”

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Small ship line Azamara Cruises has introduced a revamped global reservation system, RezA. It aims to optimise the booking experience for travel agents. The new system is part of the cruise line’s ongoing mission to improve relationships with its travel agent partners. This is known as the ‘Listening, Learning, and Linking’ initiative. Azamara says RezA will make it easier for agents to manage reservations and streamline the process of selling Azamara cruises. "We remain committed to working closely with our valued travel agents, ensuring they receive the highest level of support and service,” said Stuart Pearce, Head of Trade Sales UK at Azamara Cruises. Our goal is to provide agents with faster access to essential information, ultimately enhancing their ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences." The name RezA was chosen through the "Name It to Win It" contest, where travel agents were invited to suggest names for the upgraded platform. The contest garnered over 500 entries, leading to eight finalists. Ultimately, the name RezAmara, later shortened to RezA, was selected as the winner. Key RezA features include the ability to send payment links to clients, and agent recognition at the booking level. Additional tools can facilitate group bookings, automate payment reminders, and allow for easy duplication of reservations for clients travelling together. Agents can access the new system through Azamara's dedicated travel agent portal, Connect.Azamara.com. The platform also offers a range of additional tools, including marketing content and assets to share with clients. To assist agents, Azamara will also offer webinars and training sessions. 

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Small ship line Azamara Cruises just unveiled its 2026 summer sailings, featuring 77 new itineraries. Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest and Azamara Onward will all spend the summer season in Europe, spanning the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. This includes extended time in Greece, Ireland, the British Isles and more. New itinerary highlights include three solar eclipse cruises taking place in August 2026. Michael Pawlus, Head of Itinerary Planning at Azamara Cruises, said: “The rare opportunity of solar eclipse sailings in 2026 is very exciting and we are thrilled to deliver such a unique offering.” Also, Azamara Cruises will add five maiden ports to the European line-up in 2026 – which are only accessible to smaller ships. It also debuts new pre– and post–land programs. These sailings will continue to offer more late nights and overnights than any other cruise line, it says. “Europe continues to be a leading destination for us globally, so we are delighted to be announcing one of our biggest European deployments to date,” Pawlus added. “With three ships in the region from March to October 2026, we can offer our guests more options than ever before.” The solar eclipse cruises are a 11-night Mediterranean Cruise: Greece, Turkey and Italy, Azamara Onward, a 12-night Ireland Intensive Cruise: Belfast, Dublin and Galaway, Azamara Quest, and a 18-night Iceland and Canada Cruise: Reykjavik, St. John and Quebec City, on Azamara Journey. Maiden port calls in 2026 include Sarande, Albania, Turku, Finland and Menton, France. Customers can take advantage of an Early Booking Bonus, with 20% off on all summer 2026 cruises booked before 31 October 2024. 

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The small-ship cruise line continues to lead Destination Immersion® experiences with five maiden ports announced, as well as new pre- and post- land programs

  Azamara Cruises – the small-ship cruise line and leader in Destination Immersion® experiences – is pleased to unveil its 2026 summer sailings, featuring 77 new itineraries that will take guests to captivating destinations, iconic landmarks and ports of call that delight and inspire. Azamara Journey®, Azamara Quest® and Azamara Onward® will all spend the summer season in Europe, spanning the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, including extended time in Greece, Ireland, the British Isles and more.   Standouts amongst the new itineraries include three solar eclipse cruises taking place in August 2026, offering guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the spectacular natural phenomenon from sea.   “At Azamara Cruises, we’re always striving to deliver new and incredible experiences for our guests,” said Michael Pawlus, Head of Itinerary Planning at Azamara Cruises. “The rare opportunity to include solar eclipse sailings in 2026 is very exciting and we are thrilled to deliver such a unique offering.”   Also, Azamara Cruises will add five maiden ports to the European line-up in 2026 – which are only accessible to smaller ships – and the debut of new pre– and post–land programs. These sailings will continue to offer more late nights and overnights than any other cruise line, ensuring Azamara guests have the time to truly discover the culture and communities of these extraordinary destinations, without feeling rushed.   “Europe continues to be a leading destination for us globally, so we are delighted to be announcing one of our biggest European deployments to date,” continued Pawlus. “With three ships in the region from March to October 2026, we can offer our guests more options than ever before; taking them to ports less travelled and hidden gem destinations and delivering new immersive land experiences for the very first time.”   Solar Eclipse Cruises:

• 2 August 2026 -- 11-night Mediterranean Cruise: Greece, Turkey and Italy, Azamara Onward®
• 7 August 2026 -- 12-night Ireland Intensive Cruise: Belfast, Dublin and Galaway, Azamara Quest®
• 8 August 2026 -- 18-night Iceland and Canada Cruise: Reykjavik, St. John and Quebec City, Azamara Journey®

  Maiden Ports:

• Sarande, Albania
• Fredericia, Denmark
• Turku, Finland
• Menton, France
• Karlskrona, Sweden

  New Pre- and Post- Cruise Land Programs:  

• Icelandic Highlands, Reykjavik, Iceland

• • This 3-night program offers an immersive discovery of Iceland's natural wonders, including its world-famous waterfalls, hot springs, and the county’s remote highlands. Highlights include the stunning Kerid Crater, the iconic Gullfoss Waterfall, and the colorful mountains and glaciers of Kerlingarfjöll Highlands. Travellers will have the opportunity to explore the Central Highlands further with a guided hike along one of Iceland’s most scenic and colourful trails – the Hveradalir Hike. Next, it’s a trip to the relaxing Secret Lagoon of Fludir before heading to Fridheimar, a popular lunch spot for locals and tourists alike, where guests will be met by a family who introduce them to their market greenhouse production and indulge in their famous all you can eat tomato soup. The program concludes with a visit to the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, famed for its place on the Golden Circle, as one of the three most popular natural attractions in Iceland.

• Ancient Wonders of Egypt & Greece - Athens, Greece

• • Throughout this 3-night program, guests will explore the history and ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece. In Cairo, highlights include the lively Khan El Khalili Bazaar, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Great Pyramids of Giza, followed by a dinner cruise along the River Nile, accompanied by local performances. Once in Athens, travellers will have the opportunity to visit Cape Sounion to see the Temple of Poseidon, a must-visit for its historic ruins and scenic views of the Aegean Sea. Additionally, the program includes a city orientation of Athens, an authentic Greek dinner and traditional folkloric dances, at one of the oldest taverns in Plaka, as well as a trip to the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum.

  Azamara guests can take advantage of an Early Booking Bonus, receiving 20% off on all summer 2026 cruises booked before 31 October 2024. To book, please visit azamara.com.   In the summer of 2026, Azamara Pursuit® will embark on an exciting new itinerary that will see Azamara Cruises visit one of the world’s top bucket-list destinations, renowned for its natural beauty and diverse range of wildlife. A further announcement will follow with more details in the coming weeks.

Small-ship cruise line Azamara Cruises is opening a new UK call centre. It will offer in-market support for guests and travel agents based in the UK starting next month. The new call centre will provide localised support to help increase both the productivity and efficiency of inbound calls. David Duff, Managing Director UK at Azamara Cruises said: "Having a team of call handlers that understand the nuances and needs of the UK market will be fundamental in the continued growth for Azamara". The call centre will be live for external callers from 3 June and then operating at full capacity by 1 July. The dedicated UK call centre team includes fifteen customer facing agents, five internal agents, one team leader and one manager. They will handle calls from 8am – 6pm Monday through Friday, with agents in North America assisting in the evening from 6pm – 8pm, and then 10am – 6.30pm on Saturdays. Dondra Ritzenthaler, who joined Azamara Cruises as the new Chief Executive Officer this month said: "The UK 's growth in recent years has been extremely impressive. The demand for a UK call centre is a testament to their hard work.” The new UK call centre is the most recent initiative to support agents, including virtual and face-to-face training sessions, an annual ship visit programme, and the launch of a new loyalty platform that rewards travel partners.  

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Azamara Cruises has hired Peter Ryan as new Business Development Manager, UK & Ireland. He brings more than 25 years' travel industry experience. His previous roles were at Thomas Cook, Classic Travel Worldchoice and most recently, Celebrity Cruises. At Celebrity Cruises, he held the role of Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast, responsible for managing trade partner head office accounts and driving commercial targets. Ryan also played an integral role in ship launches such as Celebrity Beyond and hosting ship visits with trade partners throughout the summer season in Southampton. Prior to Celebrity Cruises, he spent 14 years at Thomas Cook, managing sales and profitability across retail branches. Stuart Pearce, Head of Trade Sales UK, at Azamara said: "His connections within the cruise sector will help us continue to support and build our network of independent, consortia and retail travel agents ". "I have been a fan of the Azamara brand for many years, and so look forward to help drive further growth for the company in the UK market".

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Small-ship cruise line Azamara has notched its most successful sales year on record in the UK. Guest volumes are up over 20% with a revenue increase of over 30% compared to 2022. It follows significant investment from Azamara in the UK market. With an expanded sales team adding Moira Gregson and Adam Morris as Business Development Managers, Azamara says it is reaching more UK travel agents than ever before. Stuart Pearce, Head of Trade Sales UK at Azamara said: "Our travel agent community is pivotal to our success, and we could not be more grateful for their continued support this year.” The trade team has engaged with over 3.500 agents at trade events this year and Azamara conducted a series of ship visits for UK agents to experience the product first hand. David Duff, Azamara UK MD added: "It's been a phenomenal sales year for us. We are already seeing great demand for 2024, with European sailings across all four ships selling well." Azamara’s Wave season offer gives customers up to 20% off per stateroom on select sailings between 1 April and 31 December 2024, when booked by 21 March 2024.  

Azamara has debuted a new referral program, 'Refer-a-Friend'. It provides an easy and lucrative way for Azamara advocates to bring their friends and family onboard to experience cruising the Azamara way. Both referrers and referees get rewards like a $200 digital Visa gift card. Referrers can share their personal referral link with travellers who have not previously sailed with the cruise line in the last five years. This can be shared via email, text message, or through social media platforms. Once the referees have booked an Azamara cruise through the respective link, the advocate will receive a $200 digital Visa gift card. The new guest will receive a $200 digital gift card 90 days before their Azamara cruise date. Guests can make up to two referrals per year.  

Azamara, has launched a 'Work & Wander' package targeting nomadic business professionals. Aiming to lure remote workers looking to combine business with exploration, Azamara is touting speedy, stable high-speed cruise ship Wi-Fi from Starlink. It includes office equipment and dedicated IT support. For leisure, guests can enjoy extended destination days, including late nights and overnights in port. "The 'Work & Wander' package gives professionals the opportunity to take their work with them as they set sail." said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara. "Our guests already consider our ships to be a home away from home, and now our ships can be their floating office too." With the package inclusive of Starlink high-speed cruise ship Wi-Fi and access to monitors, mice, keyboards, and adapters, guests can easilystay connected with colleagues andattend virtual meetings. Azamara cruises boast extended destination days with 10 or more hours in port, allowing guests to balance work and travel experiences.