Azamara Cruises Is Spending $80 Million to Refresh All Its Ships

The boutique brand Azamara Cruises will begin a major overhaul of its fleet later this year, spending a total of $80 million to spruce up rooms, suites, and public spaces on four ships over the coming years.

“We are entering into a new era for the fleet,” says Dondra Ritzenthaler, the CEO of Azamara, in an interview with Travel + Leisure.

The company, which ranks among the top midsize-ship ocean cruise lines in the T+L World’s Best Awards survey, aims to spruce up all four of its ships. First up: the Azamara Quest, a 352-cabin vessel that will get a six-week overhaul beginning in October.

The biggest addition will be a brand-new level stacked on top of the ship’s sundeck, adding 12 new suites while preserving the panoramic sundeck for all guests.

“It is unbelievable,” Ritzenthaler says of the addition, which includes two Panorama Suites that will look forward over the bow of the ship, with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. “They’ll actually have a better view than what the captain has,” Ritzenthaler notes, since the bridge of the Quest is three decks lower on the ship.

Also on the new top deck will be 10 Grandview Suites, five on each side, with balconies and stunning bathrooms that will be a metaphorical level up from others on board.

Quest will get a new Chef’s Table restaurant, replacing the existing Drawing Room, that will feature special dinner seatings, wine tastings, and other programs depending on the destination. “What inspired us was the love that our guests have for this room,” says Martha Brabham, Azamara Cruises’ vice president of hotel design, in an interview with T+L. “This room is enveloped in bespoke pieces of millwork, and we’re going to maintain the heritage that we have but expand it with built-in wine displays.”

The new accommodations and Chef’s Table are just some of the many changes coming to Quest and, eventually, Azamara’s three other ships: Azamara Journey, Azamara Pursuit, and Azamara Onward.

Further changes include a new Atlas Bar, which is already aboard Onward and will be added to the other three ships, offering a quiet place for a drink before or after dinner. The Cabaret Lounge, a feature of each Azamara ship, will also see a refresh, with brighter furnishings and updated tech to complement a new slate of programming. Staterooms and suites will similarly be zhuzhed up with fresh textiles and new furnishings. Discoveries Restaurant, the main dining room on the ships, will get spruced up and redecorated during the reset, as will spa treatment rooms and public restrooms.

“What we’re doing is listening to the feedback of our guests,” Ritzenthaler tells T+L. “This will never take the place of the passion that our crew has for our guests and how much our guests love our crew. It just makes our experience even more special.”

The refresh of Azamara Quest is slated to wrap just in time for the ship’s 2027 world cruise, a 188-day voyage that will hit 37 countries and “a blend of iconic cities and lesser-known ports, thanks to the ship’s smaller size, which allows it to access more exclusive locales,” as T+L has previously reported.