The newest ship from Azamara, Azamara Onward, has made her inaugural call to the world’s biggest and busiest cruise port, PortMiami, and celebrated the occasion with a traditional plaque ceremony. The vessel will now sail a short series of cruises from Miami before repositioning to Europe in the spring.
Azamara Onward Arrives in Miami
The latest ship from Azamara, the R-class Azamara Onward, has finally visited Miami for the young cruise line. New visits are always momentous for any ship, and an appropriate plaque ceremony was held for the vessel.
“Thank you to the Honorable Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Members of the Board of County Commissioners, Miami Dade Beacon Council, and the PortMiami team for joining us to celebrate the very first time Azamara Onward is docking in our hometown,” said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara.
Various dignitaries, including local government officials and port authorities, were on hand as commemorative plaques were exchanged inside the terminal, with Azamara Onward docked in the background.
Such a ceremony cements a relationship between a cruise ship, its parent line, and each port it visits.
After the ceremony, attendees were welcomed to Azamara Onward’s exclusive new Atlas Bar, where guests toasted the special event with destination-inspired artisanal cocktails and light bites that showcased the diversity and quality of the ship’s dining.
Sailing Azamara Onward
The 30,277-gross-ton Azamara Onward offers intimate getaways for as many as 688 guests when booked at double occupancy, or up to 826 passengers if every berth onboard is filled. Along the way, 373 international crew members provide superior service with attention to detail that puts Azamara at the top of travelers’ lists for premium experiences.
With smaller ships – all four vessels in the Azamara fleet are sisters – the cruise line can offer more “boutique” itineraries, visiting ports of call that are inaccessible to larger ships.
For example, Azamara Onward will now offer several Caribbean itineraries, visiting highly desirable destinations such as St. Maarten, St. Johns, St. Kitts, Panama, Costa Rica, Aruba, Curacao, Nevis, Barbados, and much more.
In Europe for summer and fall 2023, Azamara Onward will similarly offer more unusual itineraries from a variety of departure points, including Venice, Athens, Rome, Barcelona, and Istanbul.
Azamara’s tagline, “Change the Way You Sea” highlights the cruise line’s dedication to creating immersive experiences with longer stays, more overnights, and night touring options for deeper and more meaningful travel experiences in every destination.
In November 2023, the ship will return to Florida to homeport briefly from Fort Lauderdale before heading around the world to Tahiti, Australia, Hong Kong, and more.
In 2025, a world cruise is planned for Azamara Onward. The 155-night itinerary will visit 37 different countries and incorporate 15 overnight stays in various ports.
About Azamara
Azamara was founded in 2007 by Royal Caribbean Group, but was sold in March 2021 to a private investment group as part of corporate reorganization in the wake of the global pandemic and cruise industry shutdown.
Now, the cruise line has rebranded itself and is focusing on “Destination Immersion” experiences with its fleet of four smaller, more intimate ships.
“As a newly independent company, we have seen tremendous growth in Miami and beyond as we’ve doubled our international shoreside team, and we look forward to what’s to come for Azamara,” said Cabezas.
As the cruise line is headquartered in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, it shares a special bond with the 305, making this ceremony even more memorable, and hopefully just one of many good moments the cruise line will share with the world’s busiest passenger cruise port.
