Azamara Onward has been officially christened, bringing the Azamara fleet to four luxurious vessels, each offering superior amenities and services for discerning travelers. The celebratory event naming the vessel and welcoming it to the fleet was held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Wednesday, May 3, 2022.
Azamara Welcomes New Ship
The R-class Azamara Onward has officially joined the luxury line’s fleet with its christening ceremony. The ceremony was led by Azamara president, Carol Cabezas, and Azamara Onward godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and women’s lifestyle travel brand Wanderful.
The festivities included traditional toasts and speeches, solemn blessings for the safety of all who sail on the ship, and the classic bottle breaking to close out the christening and to bring good fortune to Azamara Onward in its future voyages.
“We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests,” said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara. “This is an exciting new chapter for our company, and we are so thankful for our hardworking team both onboard and offshore, for making this possible.”
The ship’s godmother, Beth Santos, broke the champagne bottle to christen the ship, a traditional moment for all new vessels.
“I am so honored to have been selected as godmother of Azamara’s newest ship, Onward,” said Santos. “This is such a symbolic moment not just for Azamara, but for the entire travel industry. Following two years of pause, we look forward to pressing onward with new mindsets, new adventures, and new opportunities to learn how we can be better travelers.”
“Together, we look forward to bringing Azamara Onward and our love of travel further than ever before, to connect even more guests with the many people and cultures of the world,” Cabezas said.
Azamara Onward Now Sailing
Though the new ship has already completed a 5-night pre-christening cruise from Barcelona to Monte Carlo, its official inaugural sailing is an 11-night one-way voyage from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Ravenna, Italy. Along the way, the vessel will call on amazing ports including Livorno, Rome, and Sorrento in Italy, as well as stops in Montenegro and Croatia.
Through mid-November, Azamara Onward will sail a variety of itineraries around the Mediterranean, embarking from glamorous ports such as Athens, Istanbul, Barcelona, and Venice. It is customary for many cruise lines to do such “tours” of many ports during a new ship’s inaugural season.
On November 20, the ship will depart Lisbon on an 11-night repositioning sailing to Miami. During December and January, Azamara Onward will offer Southern and Eastern Caribbean sailings, homeported from PortMiami.
Azamara has recently opened its new global headquarters in Miami, making the homeport for its new ship a convenient and logical choice.
A New Chapter
Joining the Azamara fleet is a new chapter in a long and luxurious history for Azamara Onward. The ship originally entered service with Renaissance Cruises as R Three in 1999. In 2002, R Three was chartered to Princess Cruises as Pacific Princess, and was purchased and officially renamed for that line in 2004.
In 2021, the ship was posted for sale as Carnival Corporation modernized and revitalized its various fleets as part of pandemic-related restructuring, and was purchased by Azamara.
The 30,077-gross ton ship served both Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia in different seasons, often visiting more remote ports and exotic locations inaccessible to larger vessels. The ship’s capacity is just 688 guests at double occupancy, but as many as 826 passengers when fully booked.
Today, Azamara Onward has been renovated to reflect its new cruise line’s style, joining Azamara Quest, Azamara Journey, and Azamara Pursuit. Features include spacious suites, five-star butler service, specialty restaurants, wellness spas, fitness centers, and more. Along the way, more than 350 international crew members provide outstanding service to exceed passengers’ expectations.
