Azamara to refurbish four-ship fleet

Azamara Cruises’ Chief Executive Officer has urged agents to target luxury customers looking for ’more value’ and to switch-sell river and land-based holiday clients.

 

Dondra Ritzenthaler was speaking after the line pledged to make its ’largest investment ever’ to refurbish its four-ship fleet, which will see the addition of new suite categories and a chef’s table dining experience. 

 

Speaking on board Azamara Quest, Ritzenthaler said: “We openly tell all of our travel advisors that we’re good with being the value proposition in that luxury space because there’s a lot of people just like us who want to be on a luxurious product, but don’t want to spend that extra money.”

 

She added the Azamara Forward refurbishment programme would usher in ’a brand-new era’ for the fleet by modernising public spaces and staterooms and adding new suite categories.

 

Ritzenthaler said: “We hear from our loyal guests all the time that they would love to be in a suite, but so many times it’s already sold out.

 

“We think adding a Penthouse Suite deck with 10 Grand View Suites, which is just slightly above the Continent Suites, and two Panorama Suites, which I always say have got a better view than the captain, will rival any suite at sea no matter what category.”

 

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Chief International Sales Officer David Siewers said the business wants to be known as ’the value player’ within the premium and luxury market, adding: “We love being a part of this upper premium [space]. That is what we typically call ourselves, but in a lot of ways, our travel partners also think of us within that luxury category. What we love is the value that comes with it.”

 

In addition to luxury clients, Ritzenthaler also encouraged agents to target multi-generational travellers with older children and switch-sell river and land-based customers.

 

She revealed the line had gone from being based mostly on repeat passengers to new-to-brand customers ’coming in strong’ in recent years to make up 50% of the customer base, with an average age in the mid-50s.

 

“We want very much to let everybody know multi-gen travel is something we very much appreciate and that is the reason we are seeing this 50-50 split of new-to-brand [and repeaters],” she said.

 

“I would recommend all of you agents to go in and look at who your river cruise guests are and who your land-based guests are that spend a little bit more on their holiday.”

 

Looking ahead, Ritzenthaler said she wants to ’grow the brand’, but her current focus is on its current fleet of four ships.

 

To partner with Royal Caribbean Arabia call UAE +971 4 331 4299, KSA 800 897 1419, or email book@rccl.ae. For more information, visit www.azamara.ae