Marking another ‘first’ for Azamara Club Cruises, the destination-immersion cruise line inaugurates its new industry-differentiating inclusive program AzAmazing Evenings, authentic, exclusive and bespoke night touring events that are inclusive for all guests aboard every Azamara voyage.
The latest AzAmazing Evenings event took place at Sete, France, during the cruise line’s President’s Voyage, where President and CEO Larry Pimentel and wife Sandi are currently hosting a very special itinerary along the Cote D’Azur.
Throughout the President’s Voyage, which concludes at Monte Carlo on April 10, Larry is sharing his thoughts and insights through his new Twitter handle @LarryPimentel, as guests of Azamara Quest join in unforgettable and authentic cultural experiences while calling at some of the region’s most intriguing destinations. Travelers also can join the President’s Voyage virtually with #AzAmazing.
While at Sete on Thursday evening, guests were treated to the regionally historic sport of ‘jouste,’ or water jousting, an AzAmazing Evenings event created just for Azamara Quest guests. A lively band heralded the impending contest as they led guests through the streets of Sete to the Grand Canal, where two vibrantly decorated boats awaited to carry two long-rivaling teams of men – those married in Red and bachelors in Blue – into one face-off after another. Azamara Quest’s own Captain Carl Smith led the Red jousting team to guests’ delight, but lamentably, was vanquished by the village’s seven-time champion jouster. The festivities continued with local wine and delectable fare, concluding with an exhilarating fireworks exhibition as Azamara Quest departed Sete in the late evening.
Prior to Sete, the very first AzAmazing Evenings event was launched on March 30 at Gibraltar, U.K., where the historic St. Michael’s Cave was opened exclusively to guests of Azamara that night. Guests were welcomed to St. Michael’s Cave by members of the Re-enactment Society “History Alive,” clad in traditional Scottish Regiment dress uniform, and ushered into a unique night-time cocktail reception with local canapés in Cathedral Cave, a large cave within St. Michael’s Cave named for its pipe organ-like stalactite formations in the expansive space. The main feature of the evening was a private concert in the cave by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band and Corps of Drums in Cathedral Cave, accompanied by Gibraltar’s famed-vocalist Andrea Simpson.
These two special affairs are the very first AzAmazing Evenings. These once-in-a-lifetime experiences spotlight a destination’s true culture – sights, sounds and tastes that are mostly only found among the nightlife, and are individually created by Azamara in ports of calls on the cruise line’s mostly non-repeating itineraries. The AzAmazing Evenings events cannot be purchased off-the-shelf from any other supplier, and further establishes Azamara Club Cruises as the most distinctive destination immersion cruise brand, made possible through the cruise line’s philosophy of longer stays and more overnights in port on every voyage to provide guests the opportunity for night touring.
Along with the new AzAmazing Evenings events, Azamara Quest’s guest also are enjoying more inclusive onboard amenities including boutique wines, international beers and select standard spirits in the ships’ bars, lounges and restaurants when open. Azamara Journey will launch its AzAmazing Evenings events aboard every voyage and more inclusive amenities on its first 2013 Europe voyage, departing May 15.
