Italy’s Porto Santo Stefano hosted the Azamara Onward for its inaugural visit on October 11, 2024.

The coastal village, located in Italy’s Tuscany region, has a population of just over 8,500 residents and has a growing schedule of luxury cruise line calls slated for 2025 and beyond.

Local officials were on hand for the maiden call, which included a plaque ceremony as the ship stayed at anchorage and tendered passengers ashore from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.

Among shore excursions offered were a Historical Grosseto and Wine Tasting at Val Delle Rose.

In addition was a visit to the medieval town of Capalbio before a tasting of local wines. Another tour took guests on a visit to the local fisherman’s cooperative ending with a fresh fish lunch.

The Onward, which is on a sold-out 11-night Italy-intensive cruise that started in Monaco on October 7 and ends in Civitavecchia on October 18, then sailed for Caligari.

Next up for Porto Santo Stefano, the SeaDream II visits the Italian port on Oct. 13 while the Onward is scheduled to return next summer on July 14.