Azamara to Add Two Major Product Features for Guests

When Azamara Club Cruises (www.cruisingpower.com) debuted a few years ago, it termed its product as "up-market" but increasingly customers are seeing included features for the brand that, in the past, have been typically considered perks of a luxury product.

In the latest evolutionary step, Azamara today introduced two major product enhancements - one focused on further developing the night-time destination experience, another targeted at broadening the number of complimentary onboard libations.

Starting with Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey’s next European season, which begins March 27 and May 15, 2013 for the two ships, respectively, the line will add a new “AzAmazing Evening,” a complimentary immersive destination shore event – one such event per voyage.

Those types of private shore events have long been included in luxury line World Cruise itineraries, for example, although not always at night. Based on a process that began earlier this year in discussions with tour operators and local tourism entities, the line will offer more than 52 such exclusive night-time events during 2013.

For 2013, all of the upper premium line’s cruise itineraries will feature late-night departures and overnight port stays, some as long as two or three days. The concept slows the ships down to allow guests to experience a city’s night life.

During the new events, all interested guests will be transported via private motorcoaches to a special destination experience. Guests sailing a Baltic voyage, for example, might 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 and later enjoying a private equestrian ballet at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.

The process to create the various events began in April, when an internal team led by Emilio Freeman, Azamara's destination and land discovery architect, as well as Peter Cox and Carol Goodman, looked for extreme creativity and lots of fun in planning programs that are, in Freeman's words, entirely an "EDE" (exclusive destination event).

The AzAmazing events are designed to provide an authentic local experience and, most importantly, all at night, according to Pimentel and Edie Bornstein, the line's senior vice president. "We are one of the few brands globally that does night touring," Pimentel says.

Officials say they will offer the exclusive events near the beginning of each voyage as that creates a halo effect for other touring opportunities. The line will continue to offer its normal line-up of daytime and evening shore trips. The exclusive event is in addition to those choices.