Azamara’s Late Breaking Cruise News……..
Azamara goes for all-inclusive:
Azamara Cruises is raising its prices by up to 12% to pay for a major rebrand that will make the cruiseline mainly all-inclusive and renamed Azamara Club Cruises.
From April 2010, prices will include gratuities, wine at lunch and dinner, unlimited bottled water, and speciality coffees and teas.
Azamara president and chief executive Larry Pimental said the decision to add “Club” into the name followed talks with passengers, most of whom are members of golf, health or country clubs. “Membership and a sense of belonging is important to them. The word Club implies exclusiveness and intimacy.”
Pimental, who was previously chief executive at SeaDream Yacht Club and joined Azamara in July, said the shift to becoming mainly all-inclusive follows several months talking to passengers and agents. “This is not about positioning ourselves against other cruiselines; it’s about our passengers.
“The upmarket guest does not want to keep paying for extras such as coffees and shuttle buses into town. They want it included in the price,” he said. “Trying to collect tips in the international arena is not well-received.”
Pimental said the changes have been built around the importance of the destinations. For 2010, the line’s itineraries will be “slowed down”, with more two and three-night stays in selected ports to allow passengers time to immerse themselves in communities and cultures.
Overnight ports will include Istanbul, Sorrento, St Petersburg – where the ship will stay two nights – Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. To emphasis the destination experience, the cruiseline has the new tag line, “You’ll love where we take you”.
The cruiseline is also retraining its butlers to give an English-style service, although, from April, only suite passengers will have a butler. Suite passengers will have unlimited free access to the speciality restaurant Prime C, and Aqualina, for Mediterranean cuisine; they were previously charged $5 per person per meal. However, non-suite passengers will be charged $15 per person to dine in either restaurant, up from $5.
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Nice post. The new ship offers the best performance and comfort in cruising. It also offering spacious cabins and social areas. Thank you for the nice compliment.