AZAMARA SHIPS GETTING MAJOR UPGRADE

One of our favorite cruise lines -- Azamara -- is giving their two ships a major upgrade.

Here's the announcement:

"Azamara Club Cruises announced that its two ships – Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest – will undergo 'major upgrades' while in dry dock in early 2016, reinvigorating the onboard guest experience. The mid-size ships that accommodate up to 686 guests will be outfitted with new venues, public spaces and technologies to bring fresh services and amenities to guests. From bow to stern, there is no area on the line's ships that will be untouched. The upgrades include all staterooms and suites, dining, spa and entertainment.

The Azamara Journey will enter dry dock in January 2016 in the Bahamas, and the Azamara Quest in April 2016 in Singapore.

You can read about our trip on the Azamara Quest here.

TAKE A VIRTUAL CRUISE ON AZAMARA

They call it virtual reality for a reason -- it's the next best thing to being there. If you want to virtually experience a cruise on Azamara, go over to Azamara 3DI. Azamara is the first cruise line to introduce Destination Immersion 3D -- and no, you don't have to wear special glasses.

Among the experiences: Touring the onboard amenities, zip lining through a Costa Rican rainforest, taking a moonlit carriage ride in Cartagena, or sailing through the Panama Canal. Azamara partnered with digital marketing agency VERB Interactive and Total Cinema 360 to produce the Azamara 3DI virtual reality video experiential series. The new virtual reality experiences featured can be shared on social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+).

Of course, you can also read about our cruise on the Azamara Quest here. And as good as it looks on 3D, being there in person is so much better. -- Gerry

AZAMARA REPORTS RECORD BOOKINGS

Azamara Club Cruises is on a roll. They just celebrated their three year anniversary in April by reporting a record-breaking booking month. They noted a 146 percent increase in bookings from the same time last year and has received "outstanding feedback" on its newest program, Azamazing Evenings. Well done! -- Gerry

AZAMARA GUESTS ENJOY 'AZAMAZING EVENINGS'

One of the hallmarks of an Azamara cruise is their mantra of "Destination Immersion" -- getting guests engaged in the local culture. This year they have taken that to a new level with a program called "AzAmazing Evenings," described as "complimentary onshore events that offer an up-close experience of local traditions — dance, music, theater and cuisine —in gorgeous private settings and landmarks." The first of these was held in March in Gibraltar, where the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band performed in St. Michael's Cave, complete with fireworks. That would qualify as "AzAmazing" in our book. Here's a list of planned Azamara "Azamazing Events". -- Gerry

AZAMARA 'JOURNEY' UPGRADES COMPLETE

Azamara Journey (Credit: Azamara)

For passengers who seek a more intimate cruise experience, including more ports of call, longer stays and a variety of shore excursions, Azamara Club Cruises is just your ticket. They operate two, 694-passenger "boutique" ships -- Quest and Journey. This week, Journey emerged from an eight-day drydock in Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard, completing a refurbishment of both vessels.

Journey got a refresh of its public spaces and staterooms plus a new blue exterior hull, that included: New carpets, upholstery, and a new color palette in public spaces; new mattresses and upgraded veranda furniture for suites and staterooms; and a resurfaced pool, and new sun loungers and pool towels.