 | |
| Industry | Tourism |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Royal Caribbean Group |
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Cruises |
| Parent | Sycamore Partners |
| Website | www |
Azamara is a cruise line based in Miami, Florida, that operates four cruise ships on worldwide itineraries. [1]
Azamara Cruises was founded in 2007 after two R-class ships from Pullmantur Cruises that would have gone to Celebrity Cruises were transferred to the new company. The first ships of the company were the Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey. They make cruises to exotic locations, competing with Oceania Cruises.
In 2009 Azamara underwent a rebranding, being renamed to Azamara Club Cruises. Between 2012 and 2013 the Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey were renovated and in 2018 the company acquired the Adonia from P&O Cruises, renaming it to Azamara Pursuit. [2]
The company was founded by Royal Caribbean who wanted to diversify its operations. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was sold to a private investment group. [3]
The ships were extensively renovated from 2012 to 2013 and 2018, respectively.
Azamara currently operates four ships. They belong to the eight R-class ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises between 1997 and 2001. The Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey both entered service in 2000 under the original names R Six and R Seven. In March 2018, Adonia was also taken over from P&O Cruises and renamed Azamara Pursuit.
Each of the ships can carry a maximum of 686 passengers. All ships sail under the flag of Malta. Azamara offers cruises with the ships worldwide.
In January 2021, Royal Caribbean announced that it would sell Azamara to Sycamore Partners in the first quarter of 2021. [4] The sale was completed in March 2021. [5] The acquisition of another ship, the Pacific Princess, a sister ship to the other ships in the fleet, was also announced. It was handed over in March 2021 and was officially renamed Azamara Onward on May 2, 2022. [6] [7]
The Azamara ships were built in 1999–2001 for Renaissance Cruises as a part of their R class.
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for Azamara | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azamara Journey | 2000 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2007 | 30,277 tons |  Malta | Previously R Six, Blue Star and Blue Dream. |  |
| Azamara Quest | 2000 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2007 | 30,277 tons | Malta | Previously R Seven, Delphin Renaissance and Blue Moon. |  |
| Azamara Pursuit | 2001 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2018 | 30,277 tons | Malta | Previously R Eight, Minerva II, Royal Princess and Adonia. |  |
| Azamara Onward [8] | 1999 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2022 | 30,277 tons | Malta | Previously R Three, Pacific Princess. Was renamed Azamara Onward on May 2, 2022. |  |
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MS Azamara Onward, formerly R Three and Pacific Princess, is a cruise ship owned and operated by Azamara Cruises since 2022. She was built in 1999 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France for Renaissance Cruises. In 2002, following the failure of Renaissance Cruises, the ship was sold to Princess Cruises and renamed Pacific Princess. On 21 January 2021, Carnival announced the ship had been sold to an unnamed buyer, later revealed to be Azamara Cruises.
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Azamara Pursuit is a cruise ship operating for Azamara Club Cruises. The ship was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at their shipyard in St. Nazaire, France in 2001.
Azamara Quest is an R-class cruise ship that entered service for Azamara Cruises on 24 October 2007. She was built in 2000 for Renaissance Cruises as R Seven. Following the collapse of Renaissance Cruises in 2001 she was laid up for two years, until chartered to the Germany-based Delphin Seereisen as Delphin Renaissance.
Azamara Journey is an R-class cruise ship owned and operated by Azamara Club Cruises. Gross register tonnage is 30,277, with a capacity of 694 passengers, plus 390 crew members. She was built in 2000 for Renaissance Cruises as R Six. After the bankruptcy of Renaissance Cruises, she sailed for Pullmantur Cruises who renamed her Blue Star in 2003 and Blue Dream in 2005.
Silversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
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Sycamore Partners is a private equity firm based in New York specializing in retail and consumer investments. The firm has approximately $10 billion in aggregate committed capital.
Adonia is an ancient Greek festival.
