I recently enjoyed lunch and a tour on board Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey, docked in New York City before a late afternoon departure to Bermuda. The food was both delicious and beautifully presented and the ship’s facilities impeccable, even as cruise-goers were embarking. Enjoy some photos of the cuisine and the ship!

In addition to the wonderful meal, I sat down with Azamara’s CEO, Larry Pimentel, for a quick chat about what makes the cruise line stand out. While most cruise ships visit a destination for one day, Azamara’s cruises are “destination immersion” experiences, meaning they offer longer times in port, overnights and night programming, allowing guests to get on and off the ship as much as they’d like.

One particular stand-out is the AzaAmazing Evening offered once per cruise (except trans-Atlantic crossings). These nighttime events are bespoke, offer a unique cultural experience and are included in the fare for guests.

And that’s really just the beginning of the Azamara experience. If you consider yourself more of a traveler than a tourist and you’re someone who appreciates more time in a destination, this might be the cruise line for you, especially if you never considered cruising before because of its more transient nature. Azamara Club Cruises sail year-round to seven continents and 76 countries.

— Kim Krol, editor in chief