Azamara Christens Fourth Ship in Monte Carlo Ceremony

Azamara, a now-independent upmarket cruise line, officially added Azamara Onward to its now four-ship fleet, following a festive naming ceremony in Monte Carlo.

The christening ceremony was led by Azamara President Carol Cabezas, and the ship’s Godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful.

“We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests,” Cabezas said. “This is an exciting new chapter for our company, and we are so thankful for our hardworking team both onboard and offshore, for making this possible. Together, we look forward to bringing Azamara Onward and our love of travel further than ever before, to connect even more guests with the many people and cultures of the world.”

Formerly owned by Royal Caribbean Group, Azamara was acquired about in March 2021 by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The day the deal closed, the company added a fourth ship, the former Pacific Princess, to the fleet. That ship – a sister to Azamara’s three vessels – was renovated and now is Azamara Onward.

Before the ceremony, Azamara Onward sailed from Barcelona to Monte Carlo on a five-day pre-inaugural voyage, stopping in Marseille, France, and Porto Venere, Italy.

In Porto Venere, guests experienced an elevated version of Azamara’s signature AzAmazing Event and were greeted by a cultural celebration with live Italian opera entertainment, local cuisine and a stroll along main street.

Guests then explored the Cinque Terre through three shore excursions, “Wine Tasting in Cinque Terre,” “Hike through Cinque Terre” and “Best of Cinque Terre.” The voyage concluded in Monte Carlo with a White Night Party.