“Part of our portfolio is to continue to have new things to keep people coming back,” Mike Pawlus, head of itinerary planning at Azamara Cruises, told Cruise Industry News. “We have more than 300 ports we call at each year, and we are seeing a lot of people that once they sail with us, they book again and again.

“We are also seeing more people book cruises back-to-back, so we are offering combinable cruises, up to four in a row that will not repeat any ports.

“As far as what may be different for 2027, we are refining our itineraries, offering more of what is working well, and taking out the things that aren’t working.

“It is a continuous effort to create the perfect cruise.”

“More than 50 percent of our port calls are either late-night departures or we stay overnight,” Pawlus continued. “Especially in the Mediterranean, the ports are close together, so even if we stay late in Monte Carlo, we can still be in Ajaccio in Corsica or in Marseille at eight the next morning.”

Also known for its country intensive cruises and destination immersions, Azamara is adding a New Zealand sailing roundtrip from Auckland to its country portfolio, which also includes Italy, Greece, Spain, Norway, Iceland and more.

Among new cruises are longer sailings in the Mediterranean that feature calls at Alexandria, giving guests the opportunity to see the pyramids.

Azamara is also returning to Alaska this summer after a seven-year hiatus. The Azamara Pursuit will alternate her Alaska program with Pacific sailings and stay in the region during the rest of year, taking advantage of the many festivals in Japan, for example, Pawlus explained. That ship will do a triangle of cruises between Alaska, Asia, Australia and back to Alaska.

Azamara also features special-event cruises and will have two ships in Nice for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2028. Guests will travel by coach to the race.

Other events include Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the fireworks in Sydney on New Year’s Eve.

Shoreside, Azamara features special events for its guests, called AzAmazing evenings.

Thirty-five new AzAmazing Evenings have been added for 2026, including a candlelit concert in Gibraltar’s St. Michael’s Cave, Swahili rhythms under the stars at Mombasa’s Fort Jesus and mythic Kagura performances in Hiroshima.

For 2029 and beyond, Pawlus said he has laid out the sailings, starting with the turnaround ports, before working out the ports of call.

“It comes down to what is going to sell,” he said. “I am putting myself in our customers’ shoes, both when they book as well as what they actually experience.”

Excerpted from the Spring 2026 Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine.