The former Pacific Princess, which Carnival Corporation said last week was sold to an undisclosed buyer, is heading to the Azamara fleet. Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm that recently announced it will purchase Azamara from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said today that as soon as the sale closes, that fourth ship will join the fleet.
Following a complete renovation, the yet-unnamed ship will begin an inaugural season in Europe in 2022. Comparable in size to the brand's existing fleet—Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest—the fourth ship will expand Azamara's overall capacity by 33 percent. All these ships are former R-class ships, originally built for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises, which ceased operations in 2001. Pacific Princess is the former R Three.
With the soon-to-be acquired ship added to Azamara's fleet, both Azamara and competitor Oceania Cruises will operate all eight former R-ships (or four each).
“The addition of this ship is an important milestone and reflects Sycamore Partners’ commitment to supporting Azamara in its next phase of growth,” said Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners. He added that expanding the fleet will allow Azamara to continue to serve loyal customers, as well as those new to the brand under its "Destination Immersion" programming and itineraries.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our fleet with a fourth ship, allowing us to visit even more regions of the world and better serve our guests,” said Carol Cabezas, president of Azamara. “We look forward to launching even more unique and immersive itineraries and feel this is just the beginning of an exciting growth phase for Azamara.”
Prior to its relaunch for Azamara, the fourth ship will undergo an extensive, bow-to-stern refurbishment to match its sister ships. Those updates will be similar to the renovations introduced most recently on Azamara Pursuit, bringing guests the experience of a boutique hotel at sea. Some new touches will also be added.
Information about deployment and itineraries for the newest Azamara ship will be released at a later date.
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