The boutique line’s chief executive, who took up her post in May, is pinning her hopes on high bookings over the next few months to help pave the way for a two-ship order, with an option for a third.
Speaking to TTG onboard Azamara Journey during her first loyalty cruise for Azamara’s top-tier guests since joining the company last April, Ritzenthaler stressed it was a question of “when, not if” Azamara added to its four-ship fleet – but added this was tied to the line’s sales.
“Being successful in Wave and having travel agents support us will positively impact it,” she said. “We have to have a very strong Wave.”
If this happens, Ritzenthaler is hopeful the Azamara board – which is due to meet in April or May next year – will give her the go-ahead to place a new ship order.
These would be larger than the line’s existing vessels, which hold around 700 guests, but would remain under 1,000-passenger capacity.
“I don’t want the ships to be more than 900 or so guests," she said. "I really love the fact we own small ship destination immersion – we can go to the places the big guys can’t, and I don’t want to lose that."
Ritzenthaler also revealed she was open to acquisitions owing to the time it takes to build new ships.
She hailed the “phenomenal” performance of the UK and Ireland, which accounts for around 25% of Azamara’s business and is the line’s second-largest market after the US, which is around 60%. She attributed this in part to the opening of Azamara’s trade call centre in June.
“It has really reinvigorated people’s passion for Azamara because the travel advisors can see we’re committed to them,” she said. “When others put theirs [call centres] offshore to save money, and we do the polar opposite to show the commitment, agents show us the commitment back.”
Azamara also earlier this year took on former Celebrity Cruises regional sales manager south east Peter Ryan as its UK and Ireland business development manager, and welcomed agents onboard the newest addition to its fleet – Azamara Onward – in June.
Ritzenthaler said Azamara’s overall business was buoyant, exceeding its growth plan to be 60% sold for 2025 by the end of this year.
A number of product changes are also planned with reimagined entertainment, dining alterations and taking destination immersion to the next level with more local culinary and entertainment experiences.
A notable new, and unprecedented, deployment as part of Azamara’s 2026/27 schedules will also be announced on 20 December.
