Small-ship cruise line Azamara has hosted its biggest ever UK agent ship visit as part of its plan to boost bookings from its second largest market.
Some 52 agents from across the UK spent a day touring Azamara Journey when the ship, one of four in the Azamara fleet, was docked in Liverpool.
They were also treated to a four-course meal in Aqualina, the ship’s specialty restaurant.
Azamara, which describes itself as a ‘premium luxury’ line, is committed to undertaking 13 ship visits in 2025 with a total of 350 agents currently signed up to take part.
Remaining ship visits this year include, Dundee (25 July), Leith, Edinburgh (16 August), Cobh (4 September) and Portsmouth (6 September), all aboard Azamara Journey.
Managing Director UK & EMEA David Duff said: “Agent engagement plays a major part in our UK strategy, and we are delighted to have achieved nearly 1800 agent engagements in the last few months.
“From hosting agents at travel industry conferences and staging seminars at sea, to our Sister’s Meet event in Barcelona earlier this year, we remain committed to giving our trade partners the tools and knowledge they need to sell Azamara with confidence.”
Some 90% of the cruise line’s UK customers book with a travel agent, said new Chief Sales Officer International David Siewers, who joined from Celebrity Cruises in May.
“We want to work with the trade, we don’t see our investment in agents as an expense, it pays off in spades,” he said.
The cruise line offers ‘strong’ agent rates so they can experience a cruise for themselves, and David said it is trying to ‘carve out space’ to host more fam trips. “It’s difficult because demand (from customers) has been incredible, with barely a cabin available,” he added.
The cruise line noted a 20% increase in first-time cruisers in the first half of this year, which CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler said was down to travel agents recommending Azamara.
The cruise line that coined the phrase ‘destination immersion’ has also noticed a growth in the number of guests coming from river cruise lines, including AmaWaterways, Viking and Riviera.
“They still want an immersive experience, but they are looking for something different,” said David.
One of Azamara’s USPs is that 51% of its cruises feature late-night or overnight visits, with some spending two nights in port. A unique feature is its AzAmazing Evening excursions, which are included in the cruise fare.
You can read about the evening excursions in Travel Gossip Senior Reporter Kelly Ranson’s review of Azamara Journey here.
