Azamara to make AED393 million investment in fleet upgrade

Azamara Cruises is set to carry out an £80 million (AED393.3 million) refurbishment of its four-ship fleet over the next few years, adding new suite categories and a chef’s table experience, among other changes. Azamara Quest will be the first to undergo a month-long refurbishment on 31 October ahead of its 2027 world cruise, with its first sailing post-dry dock scheduled for 18 December.

Azamara Onward will be the second ship in the fleet to receive an upgrade ahead of its 2028 world cruise.

Speaking on a webcast by sister publication Travel Weekly, Chief International Sales Officer David Siewers called it “a transformational investment” that was “the smart thing to do” to adapt to the evolving travel industry.

He said: “We are making a transformational investment in our ships to bring fresh spaces, a new restaurant and bar experiences, and even on Azamara Quest exclusively, a brand new penthouse deck. All of these incredible changes, we are calling Azamara Forward, bringing us forward into a new era for our fleet.”

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Twelve new suites and two new categories will only be introduced on Quest. The Grandview and Panorama Suites will be the new “pinnacle” of the fleet and where Siewers said will be “where we start to deliver on the opportunity” for families with older children or two couples sharing.

Siewers added: “We all see how the travel industry has evolved with how multi-generational [travel] works, how people travel differently. I think creating different accommodation types to satisfy that is only the smart thing to do when you have an opportunity and investment like this.”

The average fare for a 10-night 2027 sailing for a Grandview suite starts from $12,000pp and from $20,000 for a Panorama Suite.