When “Azamara Cruises” was re-branded in December 2009 to “Azamara Club Cruises” and then in April 2010 when our cruise tariff became “more inclusive” one of our top priorities was to relaunch our website so that ‘up-market’ travelers could better understand the promise of our new tagline – “You’ll love where we take you.”
For me, when I visited our relaunched website www.AzamaraClubCruises.com this past weekend, I was struck with how well the new site brought to life our distinctive destination-immersive experience. I was fascinated with our new homepage and its interactive “Azamara Globe” which put the world of destination immersion at my fingertips. I found that I could spin the globe and select various regions or ports for concise information about the exciting destinations where either the Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest will be sailing in the months ahead. Maybe in the next iteration I’ll be able to see it in 3-D!
Our President and CEO, Larry Pimentel, frequently reminds me that one of our challenges is to improve our ability to articulate our unique features and benefits. Without any doubt, our new website is an effective tool to build your understanding of the Azamara experience by allowing you to be “involved” in the process as you gather more information about Azamara Club Cruises’ world. (For me, involvement and understanding are interlinked.)
Here are some highlights about our website that will allow you to do just that:
- It’s mobile-optimized, so you can explore the world virtually with Azamara from your Smartphone or iPad.
- It features a straight-forward navigation menu at the top of the homepage with four menu headers: 1) Destinations, 2) Plan Your Voyage, 3) Life Onboard and 4) Community. A site map pops up and displays all the website’s pages for quick and easy movement from any page to any other AzamaraClubCruises.com page.
- Along the bottom of the homepage are sliding panels that highlight the latest Azamara news, current special offers and promotions, and other useful information to help you make an informed choice for a destination-immersive travel experience. Currently, the website quick-access panel is featuring Azamara’s new Extended Voyages offer, which provides savings for travelers booking two or more consecutive voyages for a custom grand adventure at sea
- How’s this for ‘intuitive’? It’s easy to search for an Azamara voyage from whichever website page you might be on, with choices in destinations, departure ports, and month of travel and length of voyages. You can “helicopter” over!
- The new website is seamlessly integrated with the Azamara booking system so you can instantly and securely make your reservation online.
- The website’s ’Community’ heading is integrated with the various social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, flickr) along with site for our past and future guests. Also, you can link to the Azamara blog (that you’re now visiting) to share your “Azamazing” adventures with other members; share pictures and videos; and learn a new recipe from the blog. In addition, visitors can research or relive the onboard experience from home with virtual tours, videos, interactive deck plans and the “You’ll Love Where We Take You” destination-immersion videos featuring Azamara’s own destination expert Claudius Docekal.
A new website is never final – it is a work in progress and more exciting changes and updates are planned as we move forward. Coming later this year there will be a World Events Calendar; an easy-to-search Land Discoveries and Azamara Cruisetours engine; more in interactivity and social capabilities added to the “Azamara Globe”; and enhanced integration of the Azamara blog (azamaradestinationimmersion.com) and social media components.
We realize how important a friendly and accurate website is to your entire Azamara experience so please let me know your thoughts, suggestions and ideas. Enjoy your time as you visualize yourself sailing somewhere on the “Azamara Globe.”
Bill Leiber
Chief Blogging Officer*
Azamara Club Cruises
(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)
