Azamara Club Cruises has announced plans to extend its land programme with more exclusive and curated activities ashore, more overnight stays and late evenings in port, and more themed voyages built around major sports and entertainment events.
The cruise line’s renewed focus on its land programme was announced by Azamara president and CEO, Larry Pimentel, at a recent press event in New York City.
“We have found that authentic, localised travel which is exclusive is one of the very hot buttons that turn people on about going to a destination,” Pimentel said. “The more we can connect people to people and to culture in a deeper, more ingrained way, the more the clients want to be with us.”
The land programmes will be built around the notion of doing things ‘like a local’ and many are expected to enable passengers to stay on shore overnight. In addition, Azamara Club Cruises will offer more cruises to big events, including the British Open, the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.
The extended land programme has been rolled out with the mantra: “Stay longer. Experience more.” and will include an emphasis on food, shopping, biking, golf, walking and other pursuits. The cruise line is to offer more than 1,000 curated experiences “that can’t be Googled” in the words of Pimentel.
“You can’t find them,” he said. “We’re creating them. And that’s the difference.”