Azamara Cruises announced the name and ship handover of its newest vessel, - Azamara Onward. The ship handover, which took place on March 15, coincides with the transition of Azamara into an independent brand and cruise company.
President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas, said today marked a new beginning for Azamara, as they increased their capacity and began their 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.
“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.”
The brand elected the name "Azamara Onward", representing "moving forward" in space or time. The name of the new ship is meant to evoke feelings of positivity, resilience, and the endless possibilities of the future.
On January 19, equity company Sycamore Partners announced that it was buying the Azamara brand, and a week later, the firm revealed it was expanding the fleet, buying Pacific Princess (Azamara Onward) from Princess Cruises.
Azamara Onward will join the existing fleet of the brand: Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey, and Azamara Quest. The newly purchased ship, currently docked in Civitavecchia-Rome Italy, will receive an extensive drydock renovation in order to reflect the Azamara brand.
Azamara Onward is scheduled to set sail for her inaugural season around Europe in 2022.