From tango halls to souks, cathedrals to palaces, and pyramids to the Great Wall, Azamara Club Cruises today announced 13 land-tour itineraries. Each itinerary can be combined with an Azamara Club Cruises cruise, for a cruisetour package that offers a more authentic cultural experience for the up-market traveller. Ranging from two- to six-night escorted land adventures, guests can enjoy even more immersive experiences in eight of the world’s most exciting destinations, including Rome, Athens, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Istanbul, Jordan and Israel, India, and China.

All cruisetour packages embody Azamara Club Cruises’ philosophy of visiting unique destinations; immersing in the destinations; delivering extraordinary service by every member of the staff and crew; savouring the regions’ cuisine and fine wine; and focusing on wellness and vigour, onboard and on land. All land-tour itineraries are escorted by a Tour Director or a local host, and feature accommodations in five-star hotels located in metropolitan centres. In addition to the included immersive experiences, guests will enjoy plenty of time for personal exploration and shopping, with full breakfast in the hotels, additional selected meals, all transportation and ground transfers included in the land-tour itinerary.

“The introduction of these new offerings will enable up-market travellers to enjoy an even more immersive adventure with Azamara Club Cruises,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “Guests have more opportunities to experience the cultures of exotic destinations by extending their voyage with a land-tour itinerary for an enthralling holiday. Throughout, every staff and crew member will deliver Azamara Club Cruises’ extraordinary signature service to our guests.”

In summer 2011, guests of Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest can choose a two-night Athens or three-night Rome cruisetour package. In addition to the must-see sites in Athens, guests on this cruisetour will learn the traditional Greek dance of Syartaki and learn to make their own set of Greek Komboloi beads, believed for centuries to possess stress-relieving properties. The Rome cruisetour includes a visit to the Pope’s summer residence and Oastia Antica at the mouth of the Tiber River to see some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins and mosaics, as well as enjoy authentic Italian food and wine tastings and escorted tours of the Vatican City’s museums and historic buildings.
     
In the 2011-12 Austral summer, Azamara Journey guests can choose a three-night Buenos Aires & Iguazu Falls land-tour holiday extension to experience all the culture, flavours, and colours of this vibrant South American city. The cruisetour also takes guests for an overnight trip to the breathtaking Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.
   
Guests of Azamara Quest also have a range of cruisetour package choices for a more in-depth experience in the Near East. A two-night Istanbul cruisetour visits all the iconic sites of this ancient city, including a reading of guests’ fortune from Turkish coffee drippings, while they enjoy a panoramic view of the bustling city from atop Pierre Loti. A four-night Jordan and Israel itinerary delves into the cradle of Western civilisation, and a three-night Cairo itinerary features a visit to the wondrous pyramids of Giza on camelback and the labyrinthine Khan El Khalili Bazaar.

In the Far East, guests can rediscover the inland metropolises of India, including Delhi, Agra for the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur on an amazing five-night itinerary. Additionally, a five- or six-night cruisetour itinerary unveils the cultural heritage of China in Beijing, Xian and Hong Kong.

Travellers can choose from 13 individual pre- and post-voyage land-tour itineraries to extend their Azamara Club Cruises holiday in some of the world’s most exotic destinations. Azamara Club Cruises cruisetour itineraries are available for purchase à la carte, and travellers have the flexibility to opt for the land-tour extension at any point after they make their cruise booking for an enriching cruisetour holiday.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for upmarket travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. Azamara’s two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, with a combination of 353 suites and staterooms, offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, and wellness and vigour programs, all while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships can’t reach. Azamara Club Cruises sails in Europe, Asia, the Panama Canal, Transatlantic, and the less-travelled islands of the Caribbean, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region.