Azamara Names Former Princess Cruises Ship

Boutique cruise line Azamara has announced the name and delivery of its fourth cruise ship.

The former Pacific Princess cruise ship was sold to Azamara in January 2021, and has now been renamed Azamara Onward. The ship’s official handover to its new cruise line took place on March 15, 2021.

The event coincides with Azamara’s transition into an independent cruise company. It is now officially owned by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, and is the company’s only travel brand. Previously, the line was under the Royal Caribbean Group umbrella along with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.

“Today marks a new beginning for Azamara, as we increase our capacity and begin our journey as an independent cruise company. Our beautiful new ship can access smaller ports and allow us to bring our guests to even more destinations,” said President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas.

“When selecting a unique name, we realized our fourth ship marks the start of a new adventure and we chose a name that celebrates the bright future ahead for the brand, our guests, and the industry as a whole.”

Azamara chose the name Azamara Onward because the word “onward” represents moving forward in space or time. It’s meant to evoke feelings of resilience, positivity, and the possibilities in store for the future.

“Azamara has a bright future and is positioned to continue growing as an independent company,” added Orlando Ashford, Executive Chairman of Azamara. “We can’t wait to welcome back our loyal customers, as well as those new to the brand, with our expanded fleet offering more unique Destination Immersion programming and itineraries.”

Azamara Onward will join Azamara’s existing fleet of three ships: Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey, and Azamara Quest. The newly-purchased vessel, currently docked outside Rome in Civitavecchia, will receive an extensive renovation to reflect the Azamara brand. It’s unclear whether the renovations will change the number of cabins on the ship, but when sailing for Princess the vessel held just 688 passengers at double occupancy — making it clear why Azamara wanted it as it fits in well with the line’s small-ship fleet.

Azamara Onward is scheduled to begin its inaugural season around Europe in 2022.

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