A year from now you may wish you had started today! *

During the remainder of May, receive a complimentary double-category upgrade from a Club Interior to a Club Veranda Stateroom on select 2014 voyages operating through July 2014.

I’m sure most readers are familiar with our Destination Immersion^® itinerary promise – longer stays, more overnights, and night touring. Plus we will continue to offer a complimentary AzAmazing Evenings^SM event on most 2014 voyages.**

In 2014 you can choose among 72 new voyages, ranging from four to 17 nights and visiting 240 fascinating destinations in 66 countries throughout Europe, the Far East, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Western U.S. Coast. Our new 2014 program will enable you to experience the nightlife of compelling destinations around the world that larger ships cannot reach, and includes a record-45 maiden port calls, such as the UNESCO World Geopark Langkawi, Malaysia; Maura in the Sultanate of Brunei; and the charming island-village Vila do Abraao, a favorite Brazilian getaway.

Further, the time is "right now" if you’re planning your vacation during the first six months of 2014!

We’re celebrating our third anniversary with an opportunity for you to receive a double-category upgrade from an inside stateroom to a Club Veranda stateroom. Plus US and Canadian guests receive a $1,000 ChoiceAir® credit per couple. You must make your booking no later than May 31, 2013 on selected voyages on both vessels sailing through July 2014. Currently, there are 16 eligible voyages on the Azamara Journey^® and 19 eligible voyages on the Azamara Quest^®. (Inventory for this promotion is capacity controlled.) More information about Azamara’s Anniversary offer and applicable sailings can be found here.

In previous articles, I’ve mentioned the itinerary expertise of our gifted planner, Claudius Docekal. You’ve probably "met" him if you’ve viewed our individual itinerary videos on our website’s YouTube link on the Azamara Voyages website. He appears with Edie Bornstein, our Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, as they discuss our special itinerary features.

I’m pleased to share with you some of Claudius’s highlights of our 2014 itineraries in his own words. Below are the voyages that our part of our Anniversary promotion:

Azamara Quest Highlights

A series of only six US West Coast, Central America and Panama Canal cruises!

• One voyage each, from Costa Rica to Los Angeles, January 15, 2014 and Los Angeles to Costa Rica, February 18, 2014 – visiting Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador among others such as Cabo San Lucas. Note that the Jan 15 voyage is designated as a "President’s Voyage."
• One round trip Los Angeles voyage, January 29, 2014, including seldom visited ports in the Sea of Cortez such as Guaymas, La Paz, Loreto and Topolobampo with the optional opportunity to visit the famous Copper Canyon via a stunningly beautiful train ride. Also included, popular Cabo San Lucas with a late night stay.
• One round trip Los Angeles voyage, February 10, 2014, exploring the wine regions of California near Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco (3 days/2 nights) and the option to visit magnificent Muir Woods.
• March 16, 2014, one round trip Miami Deep Caribbean voyage visiting islands far & away from the large cruise ship ports. such as St. John’s USVI, Nevis, Virgin Gorda, St. Bart’s, Dominica and Les Saintes.

The above variety of sailing durations and voyage sequence make all of them ideal for back-to-back sailings for those wishing to explore new shores and escape the northern hemisphere winter! Due to the limited number of these voyages, we expect them to be very popular and early reservations are suggested.

Transoceanic Voyage

• Unique South Beach (Miami) to South of France (Nice) Transatlantic crossing, March 27, 2014. (No AzAmazing Evenings offered.)

The Mediterranean – Highlights

• April 11, 2014 – A Mediterranean Easter Holiday featuring new & unique ports such as Taranto, Italy for access to the medieval City of Matera; Siracusa & Trapani Sicily; Malta and two days each in Civitavecchia for Rome on Palm Sunday with an opportunity to attend mass in the Vatican and Livorno, for Florence on Easter Sunday.

Siracusa

• June 2, 2014 – Unique Rome to Istanbul 10-night voyage including some of the most interesting cultural highlights in the Mediterranean from Pompeii to Noto, a chance to hike the grand Samaria Gorge on Crete, Greece; Santorini & Patmos; Greece; Ephesus and Bergama in Turkey and a overnight in Istanbul.
• July 5, 2014 – Cruising Croatia’s Inside Passage – Rather than sailing on the outside of Croatia’s beautiful archipelago, the vessel will sail through the heart of this stunningly beautiful region from Zadar to Split on these two voyages. Both will combine the classic beauty of Venice with an overnight stay plus Southern Europe’s most spectacular Fjord at Kotor, Montenegro and lovely Dubrovnik and Hvar, Croatia.

Kotor

Azamara Journey Highlights

• January 6, 21 & February 3, 2014: Thailand and Vietnam – We have added the lovely island of Ko Samui, Thailand to an already very popular itinerary that includes overnights in Ho Chi Minh City & Halong Bay plus Danang, Vietnam; 3 days & 2 nights in Bangkok, Thailand; commence and conclude your voyage in Singapore & Hong Kong pending on the direction chosen.

Danang

• February 17, 2014: Among the many highlights on this voyage are a visit to the port of Tokyo for an overnight and the chance to visit the world’s largest and busiest Fish market in Tokyo. Additional ports in Japan include the seldom visited southern islands of Ishigaki with its tropical climate and beaches, Okinawa; Osaka for an overnight and a day cruising the famous Inland Sea. Rounding off this exciting voyage are calls in Xiamen and Shanghai China and Taiwan.
• March 3, 2014: Commence with an overnight in Shanghai, China; cruise to South Korea; visit two ports in Taiwan including a stop at Hualien for an opportunity to visits the beautiful Taroko Gorge. In Japan, spend a day leisurely cruising the famous Inland Sea and stop for a overnight in Hiroshima followed by calls in Takamatsu, Kobe and Kagoshima, Japan with the voyage concluding in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong (Photo taken by Captain Johannes)

• March 17, 2014: Explore seldom visited ports in Southeast Asia while sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore on this 17-night voyage; overnight in Manila, Philippines; visit a Orangutan Sanctuary on the island of Borneo, Malaysia; followed by four exciting stop in Indonesia; Palopo for the opportunity to visit spectacular Torajaland; search for the famous Dragons on the island of Komodo; spend an overnight on fabled Bali and on Java you have the opportunity to visit three different UNESCO World Heritage sites – Borobudur, Parambanan and Sangiran.

Komodo Island

• May 2, 2014: A 10-night journey from classic Athens to the Holy Lands of Israel for three days, plus such other significant historic sites as Rhodes and Patmos; Greece; Ephesus, Turkey and Paphos, Cyprus
• June 3, 2014: An 11-night voyage commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the WWII D-day landings with a visit to Cherbourg and the Landing Beaches on the actual anniversary day of landing June 6, 2014. Additional ports on this one-of-a-kind voyage are Guernsey, Channel Islands; two days in Honfleur France for Paris, Giverny, Bayeux and Deauville; Boulogne-sur-Mer, France for access to the Opal Coast, Dunkirk, Bruges and Ypres; Dover, England; an overnight in Amsterdam, Netherlands as well as in Hamburg, Germany…a historic voyage to remember. Plus this voyage is designated as a "President’s Voyage."
• June 14, 2014: A 14-night voyage sailing only to the famous North Cape, Norway to experience the Midnight Sun.
• July 17, 2014: Three unique voyages to the Baltic, all of them with three full days in St. Petersburg, Russia and select the duration of your choice from seven, ten and twelve nights during the best time of the year when the days are long and the towns of Northern Europe bustle with life and energy.
• July 27, 2014: A 12-night voyage that explores the northern fringes of Europe with three days in Iceland, famous Geiranger Fjord, Norway; The fairy tale islands of Shetland, Scotland and the Faroe Islands in Denmark and charming Kristiansand, Norway.

A year from now you may wish you had started today to plan now for your 2014 vacation!

Bill Leiber
Chief Blogging Officer***
Azamara Club Cruises

(* Karen Lamb, author)
(** Program in development)
(*** CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

Experience, Convenience, Priority Departure, Peace-of-Mind, Flexibility, Night Touring

Azamara specializes in Destination Immersion… meaning longer stays, more overnights and night touring in ports of call. No other cruise line spends as much time in port, which offers the opportunity to be more creative and unusual in development of our shore excursions, or "Land Discoveries^®," as we call them.

Have you explored the many Land Discoveries available on our voyages? Visit our website to download a brochure of Land Discoveries coupled with the voyage dates in which you are interested. Remember, booking online at least four days prior departure offers a 25% savings on most programs.

Guided by local experts, these small-group onshore excursions are a great way to experience local life and culture in every port, and meet local people, too. There’s something for everyone: adventurous hikes and bike rides, shopping and dining, historic sites and neighborhoods, vineyard tours, and even a complimentary Destination Immersion event – an AzAmazing Evening^SM custom designed for guests on virtually every voyage. We want to take you far beyond the ordinary!

Why book your Land Discoveries with Azamara? Here are a few benefits to consider:

1. Experience
With over 50 years of global tour experience, we know each port’s highlights and ensure you the widest variety and selection possible.

2. Convenience
Our dedicated, one-stop team can answer any questions and take care of all your planning needs, including any itinerary changes or tour cancellations. If there are unforeseen changes in itinerary or port arrival time we take care of the details so you can enjoy your vacation. Best of all, if your group tour is delayed, the ship will wait for you!

3. Priority Departure
Guests on our tours always depart the ship first to ensure they make the most of their time ashore. All tours leave from the shipboard lounge or pier side with shipboard staff on hand to ensure all guests make it to their tour.

4. Peace-of- Mind
Our tours are operated and led with local, reputable and insured tour operators. Your tour guide will be on the pier waiting for you, and an escort from the ship often accompanies the tour. There are no hidden fees, and in the event that a tour is cancelled during the cruise, guests receive a refund to their onboard account. There is no waiting or chasing down an independent company for refunds. Our Health Team rigorously inspects all restaurants to be visited on the tour, checking the quality and safeness of drinking water and even the temperature of the food.

5. Flexibility
We understand your plans may change and we’re happy to accommodate your changes. If a cancellation is made prior to tour departure, you won’t incur a cancellation fee. However, tours involving flights, special events, private arrangements, overland or hotel stays can result in a cost to us and may be subject to a cancellation fee.

6. Night Touring
“Night touring” is part of our tagline, so you know it’s something that makes Azamara voyages truly unique experiences. Because we stay in ports longer, and often overnight, we can offer land discoveries that happen in the evenings, which can sometimes be the best time to truly experience everything a destination has to offer.

If you are one of those who prefer to go your own way, our onboard Concierge Service is ready to customize a shore experience for you. They do a great job. This option is ideal if you perhaps meet others with whom you would like to join on a custom-tour.

You’ll enjoy clear advantages when booking your Land Discoveries through Azamara. We’ve got in-depth knowledge of every port’s highlights and are often able to offer special excursions that you won’t find anywhere else.

Bill Leiber
___________________
Chief Blogging Officer*
Azamara Club Cruises
(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)