Onboard Review: Azamara—It's A Family Affair

SHIPAzamara—It’s a Family AffairBy Regina BarabanWe’re a few days into Azamara Cruises’ CEO Loyalty Panama Canal Voyage when CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler and the executive team wake up at dawn to serve breakfast to the crew. More than just words, this exemplifies Ritzenthaler’s dedication to those who work on board Azamara’s four ships. “Our culture is all about relationships,” she tells Recommend. “Every single passenger I talk to says that the magic of our brand is in the crew.I’m always going to pass along as much love to them as we can.” The average Azamara crew time served is nine years,an impressive number in the world ofcruise contracts. Indeed, there’s a palpable vibe of “happy crew, happy guest” on board Azamara Journey during our 10-night cruise from Miami to Panama City, with stops along the way in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Cartagena, Colombia. The ship itself (one of four originally built for now-defunct Renaissance Cruises) first set sail in 2007 and was most recently refreshed in September 2024. It reflects an old-world ambiance sans shiny bells and whistles, with unpretentious public spaces that amply accommodate up to 702 passengers. “People say it feels like a home away from home,” notes Ritzenthaler. There are 352 staterooms. I stayed in one of the 201 Veranda staterooms—compact yet comfortable, with a small but adequate bathroom. For brighter and more spacious accommodations, advise clients to upgrade to one of the 46 suites. Onboard HighlightsI enjoyed a high level of culinary excellence on board Azamara Journey. This was to be expected in the two specialty restaurants. What I found surprising was how good the food was at the breakfast, lunch and dinner Windows Cafe buffets, with a wide array of choices. Different dinner themes each night included seafood, French, Italian, Greek, Asian and more. Vegetarian clients will be happy with the impressive variety of delicious choices at every meal, including tasty vegan dishes. And coffee lovers like me will enjoy not only the served lattes and cappuccinos on board, but also the freedom to make their own specialty coffees at the Windows Cafe espresso machines. The most spectacular buffet during my sailing was at Azamara’s beloved White Night Party, a signature highlight on every cruise. While the dress code is the same smart casual as every evening, passengers are encouraged to wear white, creating an elegant look for the poolside event (weather permitting). White decor and tables set with white linen define the atmosphere, with live entertainment and dancing adding to the fun. In another onboard highlight, we were introduced to the top-notch entertainment team on our first night. It was great to see all the singers and dancers perform an opening night show with snippets of what we could expect during the journey ahead.WHITE NIGHTDestination ImmersionAzamara is known for destination immersion, visiting less-frequented ports of call thanks to the ships’ relatively small size, and with late-night and overnight stays. Our day on the difficult-to-get-to tiny Dutch island of Bonaire, for example, began at 8 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m. I opted for a morning snorkel excursion aboard an electric catamaran, recently built by a local young entrepreneur to offer a comfortable, quiet and eco-conscious experience. It was a lovely way to enjoy the crystal-clear waters in Bonaire Marine Park, return to the ship for lunch and then have a leisurely stroll on the pretty streets of the capital city of Kralendijk just steps away from the ship. Another memorable destination day was in Cartagena, where our excursion group helped to cook a yummy local meal with the chefs at SkyKitchen, a beautifully restored space in the city’s old town with all the modern conveniences. We had time to walk off the meal and do a little shopping before returning to the ship. That evening, we headed back to the walled city and a gorgeous vintage theater for another signature event on every cruise: the Azamazing evening. Here, we experienced the dazzling performances of Carnaval de Barranquilla, Colombia’s most significant folkloric event.Recommend Standard Image Template-1740513185-1740513187Travel Advisor AppreciationIf you don’t already know Dondra Ritzenthaler, she’s eager to remedy that. After taking the line’s helm in May 2024, the travel and cruise industry veteran solicited input from more than 1,200 travel advisors. She made 50+ trips throughout the U.S. to “Listen, Learn and Link Together” with advisors and spoke to many more on individual phone calls. “I love working with travel advisors,” enthuses Ritzenthaler. “They’re family.” With a whopping 86 percent of Azamara’s business coming from travel advisors, she intends to continue “a renewed and authentic commitment.” Among her initiatives was the relaunch of Azamara World Academy last fall, an online education and training program for advisors to get to know the brand and access special offers. “We’re making a bigger financial investment for bonus commissions and other incentives,” Ritzenthaler adds. “We truly value our travel advisors and will always be committed in real ways. My focus is to listen. What do you love? What do we need to do? I’m going to do the things that travel advisors want.” A number of changes have already been made: all shower curtains on every ship were replaced; Elemis toiletries were added to every stateroom; and menus are now being changed more often.On The Horizon“We can go where the big guys cannot,”says Ritzenthaler, talking about future Azamara sailings. These run the gamut from shorter 7-day itineraries in the Med to a 14-night Japan intensive, and from a 157-night World Cruise visiting 38 countries to Alaska cruises with extended stays and curated land programs. Partnerships with such organizations as PerryGolf for golf cruises and Micato Safaris for all pre- and post-land programming in Africa add immersive experiences. Destination immersion, Ritzenthaler adds, is not just about late nights and overnights in port. On the horizon for Azamara sailings are additional pre- and post-land options. These are “more than a place to lay your head before or after a cruise,” she notes. “We’ve come to the conclusion that we want to offer more comprehensive land programs. We intend to remain the top value proposition in the market and the global leader in small ship destination immersion.” Contact InformationAzamara Cruises: azamara.com

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