Azamara Club Cruises expects its new open bar policy and free night events will draw in record numbers of Australian clients. SPEAKING to CW from Miami this morning, Edie Bornstein, the line’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, was confident that the expanded range of amenities on the soon-tobe-...
Azamara Club Cruises expects
its new open bar policy and free
night events will draw in record
numbers of Australian clients.
SPEAKING to CW from Miami this morning,
Edie Bornstein, the line’s senior vice president
of sales and marketing, was confident that the
expanded range of amenities on the soon-tobe-
refurbished Azamara Journey and Azamara
Quest would boost Australia’s position as its
“number three” key market.
“We love the Aussies and they love us,
especially our Asian itineraries, and we know
they like a beer, so we see our Australian
numbers growing,” she said.
The company announced last week that it
would soon roll out complimentary
“AzAmazing Evening” shore events, as well as
complimentary standard spirits, wines and
beers throughout the ships’ bars, commencing
with the 2013 Europe season.
According to Bornstein, the introduction of
AzAmazing Evenings was aimed to highlight
that Azamara is the only ocean cruise line to
feature late-night and overnight stays in port
on 100% of voyages.
“Brand awareness is our biggest challenge,”
she said.
“But we listen to our guests and they asked
for an authentic experience, immersed in a
destination.”
Bornstein said travel agents should tell
clients which “totally customised” AzAmazing
Evening would be featured on sailings in their
preferred destination.
“Australian agents can look at
cruisingpower.com, our one-stop-shop, to see
the AzAmazing Evening listings per voyage,”
she said.
Azamara’s newly released 2014 program
comprises 72 new cruises, ranging from four to
17 nights, visiting 240 ports throughout
Europe, Asia, Central and South America, the
Caribbean and the US west coast and includes
a record 45 maiden port calls.
Pricing will increase “slightly” next year,
Bornstein said.
“But we know we are absolutely the best
value proposition in the upmarket to luxury
travel space, not just in cruising.”
As for Azamara Club Cruises ever coming to
Australia, Bornstein replied: “It’s safe to say it
won’t happen before 2015, unless we get the
extra tonnage.
“Of course, we would like to grow our brand,
so I always say this is ‘subject to change’.”
