Azamara Cruises has unveiled its spring, summer and autumn 2028 deployment, presenting one of the most destination-oriented programmes in the company’s history. The schedule places particular emphasis on extended stays ashore, with 87% of the season spent in port and more than 360 late departures and overnight calls accounting for over half of all port days.
The programme also marks a significant expansion of the line’s operations in Asia, while Europe continues to form the core of the deployment. Across the season, the company will introduce 12 maiden ports and continue the refurbishment programme for Azamara Quest and Azamara Onward under the wider Azamara Forward initiative.
Michael Pawlus, Head of Itinerary Planning at Azamara Cruises, indicated that the company had continued refining its itineraries in order to provide guests with more carefully structured destination experiences. He noted that the line’s established country-intensive voyages in regions such as Greece and Italy remained central to the programme, while the addition of expanded Asia itineraries would broaden the geographical range and depth of exploration available in 2028.
For the first time, Azamara Cruises will operate a full season in Asia. The programme aboard Azamara Pursuit will comprise 33 sailings, including nine combination voyages linking destinations across Japan, South Korea and China within extended itineraries. Several departures have been timed to coincide with regional festivals and seasonal celebrations, offering passengers opportunities to experience local traditions and cultural events ashore.
Europe remains a principal theatre of operations, with 85 voyages scheduled across the region, including 10 Grand Voyages and 48 country-intensive itineraries. The itineraries combine established ports with smaller and less-frequented destinations throughout Greece, Italy, Croatia and other Mediterranean regions.
The season will also introduce 12 maiden calls in Europe and Asia. Among them are Caen in France, Sokcho in South Korea, Tokushima and Miyazaki in Japan, and Itea, the gateway to Delphi in Greece. Additional new ports include Porto Empedocle in Sicily, Dún Laoghaire near Dublin, and Liepāja in Latvia.
Several itineraries will feature extended scenic cruising and river transits, allowing ships to navigate waterways such as the Guadalquivir to Seville, the Garonne to Bordeaux, the Seine to Rouen, the Yangtze to Shanghai and the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City. These passages are intended to form part of the destination experience rather than simply a transit between ports.
The 2028 deployment will also include a selection of speciality sailings centred on major international events. Among them are itineraries linked to Grand Prix weekends and a voyage associated with The 156th Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, during which Azamara Journey will call at Liverpool.