By
Alex Smith |
Visitors to the Port of Barcelona in Spain on 25 May 2025 were greeted by an impressive sight; three of Azamara Cruises’ sister ships meeting for the first time. Azamara Journey, Onward and Quest stopped off in the Catalonian city for an overnight visit during their respective voyages through the Mediterranean. To celebrate the occasion, guests, crew, visitors and Azamara Cruises’s senior leadership team were invited to attend a new AzAmazing evening hosted at Finca Mas Solers, a 19th-century Renaissance-style mansion.
For Dondra Ritzenthaler, CEO of Azamara Cruises, it was a night to remember, with highlights including live performances of Spanish guitar, Rumba Catalana music and traditional Catalonian human tower performances.
Ritzenthaler has now been CEO of the cruise line for over a year, and while her journey has not long begun, it has left a powerful impact so far.
“My time at Azamara Cruises has been action-packed on all levels, and it gives me no end of satisfaction to see the success we are making across our business, from continually looking at ways to add value to our guests’ experiences to investing in our people and their skills,” she says. “I’m privileged to work with an exceptional team who work tirelessly to ensure our guests have extraordinary experiences onboard our ships. Their dedication never fails to inspire me.”
One of the hallmarks of an Azamara cruise is a focus on immersive destination experiences that enable guests to explore a mixture of well-known and off-the-beaten-track locations. According to Ritzenthaler, the cruise line develops these offerings to give guests the types of experiences they are seeking.
“Post-pandemic, we’ve witnessed guests craving deeper connections not just with the places they travel to but also with themselves and each other,” she explains. “As a result, we have designed experiences where our guests can truly unpack, both emotionally and physically.
Today’s travellers don’t want to just visit Rome; they want to cook with an Italian nonna and hear her stories. That’s what we are striving to deliver.”
Azamara Cruises has launched ‘Own the Night’ voyages, which allows guests to spend more time in some of the most famous ports around the world. They spend two consecutive nights in port, where they can enjoy smaller crowds, curated night tours and a new ‘Stories Under the Stars’ programme, during which they are invited to gather on the pool deck for an evening of regional myths, folklore and storytelling.
Orient Express Sailing Yachts
From left, Azamara’s hotel director Tatiana Morello, Captain Gianmarino Sanguineti, CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler and Emily Love, Azamara Onward cruise director, address guests during the celebration at Finca Mas Solers
“Picture yourself sipping local wine by lantern light in a secret Croatian garden, watching flamenco dancers under the stars in Spain or hearing ancient legends by moonlight on the deck of Azamara’s intimate ships,” says Ritzenthaler.
By the end of the 2025-2026 season, Azamara Cruises will have delivered destination immersion experiences in six continents, 92 countries and 318 ports. In 2026, the brand will launch three new solar eclipse cruises, where guests will have the opportunity to witness the summer eclipse from European waters.
In addition, the cruise line is also introducing 14 new two-night city stays that will provide guests with more time to explore a variety of destinations, including Bangkok, Thailand; Bridgetown, Barbados; Malaga, Spain; Mumbai, India; and New York City, USA.
“We are all about extended days in destinations, allowing guests to have an authentic experience at a relaxed pace, with lots of opportunities to immerse themselves in the culture of where they are visiting,” says Ritzenthaler.
Beyond 2026, Azamara will continue to prioritise the development of its offerings as well as its partnerships with travel trade partners.
“Working closely with travel agents is at the very heart of our strategy, and currently around 86 per cent of our business is booked via the trade,” explains Ritzenthaler. “They understand their clients’ dreams and help us turn them into unforgettable memories, and that partnership is at the heart of everything we do at Azamara.
“I genuinely believe we have terrific momentum right now, and I feel incredibly optimistic about what the future holds.”
Discover more insights like this in the Autumn/Winter 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Don’t miss out – subscribe for FREE and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.