By
Amber Hickman |
Three of Azamara Cruises’ sister ships – Azamara Journey, Onward and Quest – met for the first time in the cruise line’s history in Barcelona, Spain, this week.
To celebrate the occasion, guests onboard the three vessels enjoyed a new AzAmazing evening hosted at the Finca Mas Solers, a 19th-century Renaissance-style mansion. The event celebrated local culture with live Rumba Catalana music, flamenco dancing, human tower performances and local food and drink.
In addition, the cruise line hosted a panel on Azamara Journey led by CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler and fellow executives Nico Corbijn, chief administration officer; Simon Blacoe, vice president of hotel operations; David Duff, managing director for the UK; David Siewers, international chief sales officer; and Kresimir Korona, captain of Azamara Journey.
Dondra Ritzenthaler (second from left) speaks during a panel session with other Azamara executives
“We had a fantastic sisters meet celebration in Barcelona, showcasing what we do best at Azamara Cruises – from immersing ourselves in the Catalonian culture at the AzAmazing Evening, to seeing Barcelona come alive in the evening with an overnight stay and extended destination day in port,” said Duff. “There was a fantastic buzz around, with guests excited to come together to be part of the occasion, and those on Journey, looking forward to seeing Dondra and senior members of the Azamara Cruises at the panel talk which was also a huge success.”
One of key topics raised in the panel was the future of the cruise line and its growth in regions outside of North America.
“Currently 60 per cent of our business comes from North America, and 40 per cent comes from the rest of the world,” said Siewers. “But we’d love to do more in the European market and we’re committed to working with local experts to help us find the right events and partnerships.”
Another key topic was sustainability, with executives discussing fuel, waste and port congestion.
“Port congestion is key and especially in Europe there’s an undercurrent of people not necessarily liking 10 or more ships in ports and travellers overwhelming local towns,” said Corbijn. “The beauty of Azamara is that if it looks like we’re going to a port that is heavily congested, we can rearrange our schedules so we arrive at a more opportune time.”
To improve onboard sustainability, Azamara is also now providing guests with complimentary refillable water bottles and has installed 24 water stations across Azamara Journey. It plans to fit them on the rest of the fleet soon.
Ritzenthaler concluded the panel by emphasising that the future of the cruise line relies on its partnerships and connections with local providers.
“We will be committed 100 per cent to our guests, our crew and to our travel advisors, because when we get it right with those three, we will continue to be successful,” she said. “We want to treat everybody with the same level of love and respect, and that is a commitment that you will get from us every single day, 365 days a year.”