Itinerary highlights include calls to destinations in South Africa, French Polynesia and Hawaii
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Azamara Club Cruises is to make maiden voyages to destinations in South Africa, French Polynesia and Hawaii in 2020.
Azamara’s three ships will offer a total of 92 individual cruises, which will include 41 maiden calls, 303 late night stays and 170 overnights. Around 40 of these cruises will be country-intensive voyages, where guests will be able to explore ports within one country and stay late or overnight in most cities.
“Our guests spoke and we listened, the addition of our third ship, Azamara Pursuit, has allowed us to expand our footprint across all seven continents, bringing guests to new destinations, new experiences, and new opportunities,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “In 2020, Azamara will offer a total of 473 late night and overnight stays, a 12% increase from 2019, which will allow us to provide our guests with the opportunity to experience night touring at some of the most compelling destinations.”
Sailing in South Africa and the African Continent for the first time, Azamara will offer itineraries that coincide with pre-and post-cruise packages from Micato Safaris. Highlights include five-night 'Kruger to Cape: A Wildlife & Culinary Safari' that combines a cruise with a trip to a game reserve and a visit to the Western Cape. Alternatively, guests can opt for a five-night 'Wild Wonders of the World - Victoria Falls & Botswana Safari', which takes guests from Zimbabwe to Botswana and includes a visit to Victoria Falls and a dawn game drive through Botswana’s Chobe Game Reserve. Each voyage will offer a variety of immersive land programmes that take travellers to the heart of Zulu culture and South Africa’s most famous wine region.
The 2020 itineraries will also feature an 18-night maiden voyage to French Polynesia and Hawaii, visiting the islands of Maui, Oahu and Hilo. Some of the land experiences include Cruise Global, Eco Local ecotourism and research project, where guests can join a marine biologist to help wild, free-ranging dolphins.
During the new Hawaii itineraries, guests will have the chance to embark on an underwater exploration of Maui onboard a passenger submarine. The expedition will pass the Brig Carthaginian, a sunken ship built in the 1920s that now acts as an artificial reef off the coast of Maui’s Puamana Beach Park.
Azamara has also scheduled several speciality voyages which include country-intensive sailings in Ireland, Scotland, Denmark and South Africa. Another highlight will be on 8 October when the three sister ships meet for the first time in Koper, Slovenia. To celebrate, the cruise line will host an AzAmazing evening in in the port for guests on all three ships, before the vessels sail together to Venice, Italy.