Azamara is pleased to announce the launch of its new World Cruise aboard the company’s newest ship, the Azamara Onward. Beginning January 5, 2024, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the voyage offers immersive and intimate experiences of the World’s Wonders. The 155-night journey will visit more than 40 countries on six continents with 22 overnight stays and 27 nights in port, giving travelers ample time to fully explore the rich culture and history of each destination.
“We are thrilled to finally introduce our World Cruise. With the opportunity to visit the Seven Wonders of the World and other iconic locations such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands, and the Black Sea, we are enabling our guests to tick off all the destinations on their bucket list in a single cruise and connect with more countries and cultures than ever before,” says Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara. “Not only are we taking our guests further afield, but we are also encouraging them to travel more deeply with our unique shore experiences and longer port calls, designed to take travelers to the heart of the destination and give them ample time to appreciate its culture.”
Featured destinations and visits:
- Great Wall of China (three-night land tour): Travelers will be fully immersed in Beijing with a visit to the Great Wall of China, a guided tour of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and a rickshaw ride through the hutongs, or narrow alleyways dating back to the 16th century.
- Great Pyramids of Giza (shore excursion): Guests are taken to Egypt's largest city, Cairo. It is here, on the Giza plateau, that the Great Pyramids stand, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. An Egyptologist will guide guests through this mortuary complex, culminating at the mysterious Sphinx. In addition, travelers will explore other sites such as the Museum of Antiquities and take a cruise on the Nile River.
- Chichen Itza (land excursion): Guests will fly over the waters of the Caribbean and the tropical jungle of the Riviera Maya to reach Chichen Itza, where a tour guide will lead guests through the ruins and immerse travelers in the ancient Mayan way of life.
- Petra (shore excursion): Guests will explore the Siq, the narrow, winding gorge leading to the mysterious desert city of Petra in Jordan. Known as the “Rose Red City” for the color of the stone from which it was carved, Petra is home to ancient royal tombs, the Colonnaded Street, and the temple of Qasr al-Bint.
- Taj Mahal (Three-Night Land Tour): Travelers will fly to New Delhi to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise and sunset. Guests will also explore Agra Fort, the main residence of the Mughal emperors until 1638, and the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah, the precursor to the Taj Mahal.
- Christ the Redeemer (Six-Night Land Tour): Travelers will enjoy a comprehensive exploration of Rio de Janeiro, including a visit to Corcovado to see the towering Christ the Redeemer statue, a cable car ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, and a trip to Iguazu Falls to see both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides of one of the world's largest waterfalls.
- Colosseum (land excursion): Guests will travel back in time to the glorious world of gladiators inside the Colosseum. A local guide will lead the small group through the 2,000-year-old amphitheater that once held up to 55,000 spectators.
Other overnight immersive experiences available on the Around the World cruise include a stay on a Great Barrier Reef island, with glass-bottom boat excursions and snorkeling to see unique wildlife up close; a journey through the cobblestone streets of Transylvania, Romania, to learn about the life of Vlad the Impaler, who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula; and an exploration of the centuries-old rock-hewn churches and whimsical "fairy chimneys" of Cappadocia, Turkey, with accommodation in a cave hotel.
Azamara's Round the World voyage includes exclusive services, such as the company's signature AzAmazing Evenings—designed to connect guests with the local culture of their destination—business class air travel, a hotel stay and pre-departure gala, access to exclusive events, a premium beverage package, and much more. Shore excursions and evening shore excursions will be available at an additional cost.
