Azamara Onward ready in May with new dining and entertainment options

Azamara has announced that its fourth ship, Azamara Onward, will be ready for her maiden voyage with the line in May, departing from Monte Carlo.

The maiden voyage to Venice will mark Azamara Onward’s debut with the luxury cruise line, after she was purchased from Princess Cruises in 2021.

Azamara Onward has been thoroughly refurbished to bring her on-par with the existing three ships in the Azamara fleet (Pursuit, Journey and Quest).

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“This is an exciting time for Azamara, and we are thrilled to be welcoming guests on our new ship in just a couple weeks,” said Carol Cabezas, President, Azamara.

“Destination immersion has always been our main priority, and we are delighted to be bringing inspiration from the Mediterranean and beyond to all our onboard offerings and experiences for guests to connect with the culture of each port, even while we are at sea,” she added.

In addition to upgraded public spaces and staterooms, Azamara Onward will also introduce a number of fresh additions to its onboard venues and luxury retail spaces, as well as new entertainment options for guests.

The ship’s signature restaurant, Aqualina, will offer a new Chef’s Table serving authentic dishes inspired by the destinations visited during the voyage, while the Atlas Bar will serve new craft cocktails exclusive to the ship.

Starboard Cruise Service has been brought in to run the ship’s retail spaces and will offer new holiday clothing and travel accessories from Spain, Italy, Greece, France, and Portugal.

The ship will also offer 24-hour room service, and new shows and music events will be introduced, hosted by Signature Singers & Dancers.

A Destination Celebration program that brings the culture of the destination onboard, and AzAmazing Evenings, which provides a different local experience, will also be available.

Azamara Onward formerly sailed as Pacific Princess for Princess Cruises, but was sold as part of Carnival Corporation’s wide-ranging fleet consolidation program implemented during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

She was one of 18 vessels sold from the Carnival Corporation fleet, but avoided the scrap yard due to Azamara’s interest in expanding its own fleet.

Azamara Onward is a sister ship to the existing ships operated by Azamara, as all four were launched for Renaissance Cruises in late 1990 before it went bankrupt in 2001.

Eight R-class sister ships were in operation at the time, Azamara’s introduction of Onward means that the ships are now evenly split between Azamara and Oceania Cruises, which operates the other four (Insignia, Regatta, Sirena, and Nautica).