Azamara Cruises, long recognized for its hallmark Destination Immersion and its unmatched number of late-night and overnight port calls, has unveiled the next chapter in its approach to culturally rich travel. The line is introducing Discover What the Locals Know, a program designed to allow guests not merely to visit a port but to experience it in the manner of those who call it home.
Dondra Ritzenthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Azamara Cruises, explained that the expectations of modern travelers are shifting. Voyagers now seek encounters that reach beyond the surface of sightseeing, favoring genuine connections with the rhythms of local life. She observed that travelers wish to dine where residents gather, participate in regional traditions, and gain a new perspective through ordinary yet meaningful moments. According to Ritzenthaler, the new program reflects this demand, offering opportunities such as strolling along Gythion’s quiet waterfront or exploring the hillside village of Sirince in Turkey, experiences that leave impressions as lasting as they are authentic.
The initiative will first unfold across the company’s 2026–2027 Mediterranean season, a series of voyages spanning autumn through spring. Guests will gain access to small-group excursions led by local hosts, exclusive admission to European film festivals, artisan workshops, and culinary encounters rooted in regional heritage. In addition, certain itineraries provide rare opportunities to explore renowned cities during off-peak hours, ensuring a more unhurried and intimate sense of place.
True to Azamara’s tradition of extended port calls, the program allows travelers ample time to discover seasonal customs and participate in local festivities. Winter markets, for example, become living stages for cultural exchange, where guests may wander among handcrafted goods and join in community celebrations far from the bustle of high summer tourism.
Among the many highlights are evenings in Florence, where visitors may step into historic cinemas during the Festival dei Popoli and experience film as locals do; days in Catania spent honoring Vincenzo Bellini with a citywide musical tribute; and a double overnight in Seville coinciding with the city’s European Film Festival. In Santa Margherita, autumn brings the olive harvest, and guests will have the chance to accompany residents to a family-run mill for tastings of the first pressings. Seasonal spirit defines the Christmas voyage to Florence, Mahon, and Palma, where the Piazza del Duomo transforms into a festive marketplace with crafts, sweets, nativity displays, and choirs.
Through Discover What the Locals Know, Azamara advances a new standard in cruise travel, one that privileges authenticity over spectacle and intimacy over haste. By focusing on the quieter months of the year, the company provides a backdrop in which culture can be experienced at its purest, allowing travelers to engage more fully with the destinations they explore.