Azamara has welcomed new ship Azamara Onward to its fleet following a naming ceremony in Monte Carlo.

The ceremony was led by Azamara president Carol Cabezas and the ship’s godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful. 

Prior to the event, Azamara Onward had sailed from Barcelona to Monte Carlo on a five-day pre-inaugural voyage, stopping in Marseille, and Porto Venere, Italy.

Cabezas said: “We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests.

“This is an exciting new chapter for our company, and we are so thankful for our hardworking team both on board and offshore, for making this possible.

“Together, we look forward to bringing Azamara Onward and our love of travel further than ever before, to connect even more guests with the many people and cultures of the world.”

Santos added: “I am so honoured to have been selected as godmother of Azamara’s newest ship, Onward,.

“This is such a symbolic moment not just for Azamara, but for the entire travel industry. Following two years of pause, we look forward to pressing onward with new mindsets, new adventures, and new opportunities to learn how we can be better travellers.”

Onward will now set sail for an 11-night maiden voyage in the Mediterranean, departing from Monte Carlo and concluding with an overnight stay in Ravenna, Italy.

The ship formerly sailed for Princess Cruises as Pacific Princess and was announced as Azamara’s latest addition following its change of ownership to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm.