ITTN’s Shane Cullen boarded the beautiful Azamara Journey, which docked along the Liffey on Friday morning. Onboard, Shane reconnected with the sales duo, Stuart Pearce (Azamara – Head of Trade Sales UK & Ireland) and Peter Ryan (Azamara – Business Development Manager UK & Ireland).
The Fantastic Four
Boarding the Azamara Journey, it is like family. I have interviewed this duo before, last time in the beautiful setting of Cobh and their friendliness, along with all the staff onboard, is palpable. Stuart explains “We’re a really small company at Azamara. We are four sister ships, so they are very identical in their look and style.”
You get that impression onboard. That each and every passenger is important to them, and will be looked after to the highest of standards.
Journey, Quest, Pursuit & Onward
Azamara consists of four ships, Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit and Azamara Onward, which are like luxurious, boutique hotels at sea. Each can carry up to 700 guests with the benefit of reaching smaller ports that larger cruise ships cannot reach. In addition to offering a more personalised experience, each of the Azamra ships has recently undergone a $17.5 million refurbishment. 93% of their state rooms offer ocean views, and 68% have a private veranda. Onboard, guests enjoy top-tier dining, world-class entertainment and relaxing spa experiences in the new Sanctum Spa.
The ships are elegant, luxurious and serene. The sales team and every member of staff make each person onboard feel valued and welcome. It feels like returning to a favourite haunt. The food is outstanding, the service impeccable, and the warm atmosphere onboard is the cherry on top.
Dining Onboard Azamara Journeys
Fresh ingredients, careful preparation and a variety of menu choices. Azamara offers a choice of six distinctive dining options, including room service. Main dining is at the Discoveries Restaurant with the likes of filet mignon with black truffle sauce. There are two speciality dining restaurants, Aqualina and Prime C. For casual dining and snacks, there is the Mosaic Cafe, The Patio and Swirl & Top, which is a casual poolside grill by day and an al fresco dining venue in the evening. In addition, the Window Cafe offers light bites inspired by the region visited, such as Indian, Spanish & Italian ingredients.
Breakfast in bed – have it delivered to your room and enjoy the view from your veranda with room service (also available for lunch and dinner).
Speciality Dining in Aqualina
Lunch onboard was in Aqualina, one of the speciality dining restaurants onboard. Aqualina serves some of Italy’s most authentic dishes. Pastas made from scratch, traditional recipes, and scrumptious vegetarian dishes that make sure there’s something for everyone. There is also Azamara’s famous desserts: Sorrento lemon liqueur mousse, hazelnut chocolate soufflé and more. Mouth watering already?
The alternative speciality restaurant is Prime C with a choice of steak, herb-coated rack of lamb, duck confit or Chilean sea bass. Browse the restaurant menus here – https://www.azamara.com/our-ships/onboard-dining#link-maindining
Azamazing Azamara
Peter & Stuart sailed from Liverpool to Dublin overnight and experienced the Azamazing Evening. On an Azamara voyage that extends to 9 nights or more, all of the guests are taken off the ship and immersed in a destination event. In Liverpool, the guests were treated to a private event in the Grade I listed building in Liverpool – Saint George’s Hall. Azamara guests were then treated to a private performance by an organist inside the stunning Neoclassical setting.
Following this, guests enjoyed an outstanding Beatles tribute band, an apt evening of music given the Liverpudlian setting. Stuart shared that in Ireland, previous Azamara Evenings included River Dance renditions at the iconic Gaiety Theatre. For shorter itineraries (less than 9 nights), the Azamara events are onboard the stunning ships rather than onshore.
Azamara at Night
Nightly Entertainment onboard Azamara Journey includes performances such as Six Strings with singers and dancers performing the most renowned classic rock artists such as Aerosmith, The Beatles, Pat Benatar, The Rolling Stones, Queen and more or Club Crooner offers the classics from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, to current songbirds such as Natalie Cole and Michael Bublé inside a swanky nightclub as the great songs of magnificent artists come alive on stage.
There are also signature dinners and entertainment events, such as White Night, held al fresco (subject to suitable weather) with delicious food, engaging entertainment and a theme of white.
There is music for every taste – from a cocktail pianist, theatre performances and Late Night in the Living Room with a DJ and the occasional karaoke night.
Trade Partnership with Azamara
Over 90% of bookings are from the travel trade. Stuart explains that the travel trade relationship is about supporting one another and how invaluable it is to them. There isn’t a direct sales department; their efforts go to helping the trade secure bookings.
Beyond the 5-star standard onboard, Stuart & Peter share that they boast a more inclusive offering, with drinks and gratuities included. The impressive Azamara Evenings are included. Even Moaic Cafe & endless coffees are part of the package. Self-serve laundry is complimentary (ideal for the longer sailings or for guests who have added a pre-cruise stay).
The four Azamara ships are supported by a four-person sales team. The fantastic four consist of Peter and Stuart, along with Nikki and Moira – all of whom are there to help and support agencies.
To start booking, travel agencies can sign up for their own account via Connect.Azamara.com – a one-stop shop for everything Azamara. This provides access to their reservation system, searchable client packages, access to marketing tools including images and video content about the ships, and details on events like Azamazing Evenings.
Finally, this also offers World Academy, a one-hour training module to allow agents to upskill on all things Azamara – the brand, product and destinations visited.
To keep abreast of Azamara updates and the latest offers, follow their social media channels – Azamara Travel Agents UK & Ireland and stay tuned to ITTN for the Azamara Coffee Break episode coming soon.
For More on Azamara
For more on Azamara including Azamara Onward when she docked in the idyllic seaside town of Cobh, check out:
