North America Azamara Cruises Launches Exclusive Industry Council Offering Top Advisors Early Access and Direct Impact on Future Programs!

Published on March 1, 2026

Image generated with Ai

North America’s cruise sector is witnessing a new initiative aimed at strengthening ties between cruise operators and the travel trade. Azamara Cruises has announced the creation of a Travel Advisor Council, a structured program designed to enhance collaboration with travel professionals across the United States and Canada. The initiative reflects a broader industry trend toward deeper engagement with frontline travel advisors, whose insights play a critical role in shaping guest experiences, marketing strategies, and product development in the luxury cruise segment.\

Image generated with Ai

A Strategic Initiative for North America’s Travel Trade

The newly established council will consist of 10 experienced travel advisors selected by the company’s regional sales leadership across North America. Participants will represent a diverse cross-section of markets, specialties, and customer demographics, ensuring that feedback reflects the varied needs of the cruise industry’s clientele.

The key objectives of the council include:

• Providing strategic business insights
• Offering product and itinerary feedback
• Supporting the development of sales and marketing initiatives
• Enhancing the overall guest experience
• Participating in process testing and refinement

Through structured collaboration sessions, members will work directly with internal teams to help shape future programs, tools, and operational improvements.

Strengthening Advisor Influence on Business Decisions

The formation of the council underscores the growing recognition within the cruise industry that travel advisors are essential partners in driving bookings, building brand loyalty, and understanding evolving traveler expectations. By formalizing this advisory group, Azamara Cruises aims to ensure that advisor perspectives directly influence business planning and execution. Council members will also receive early visibility into upcoming initiatives, allowing them to provide feedback before new programs are rolled out more broadly.

Important program features include:

• Early access to key company initiatives
• Direct communication channels with leadership
• Opportunities to pilot and evaluate new tools
• Regular structured feedback sessions

This approach allows the company to test ideas in real-world conditions while improving efficiency and market relevance.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Participation in the Travel Advisor Council is designed for highly experienced professionals with a demonstrated commitment to the brand and the cruise sector.

To qualify, advisors must:

• Have at least five years of cruise-focused industry experience
• Be graduates of the Azamara World Academy
• Have both sold Azamara products and personally sailed with the brand
• Represent diverse geographic markets and client segments across the U.S. and Canada

The council operates as a 12-month commitment, during which members will actively contribute to discussions, evaluations, and collaborative initiatives. This structure ensures continuity while allowing the company to refresh participation periodically to bring in new perspectives.

Supporting the Azamara Forward Transformation

The Travel Advisor Council aligns with the brand’s broader transformation strategy, including the Azamara Forward program, which focuses on fleetwide enhancements and guest experience improvements. Through advisor collaboration, the company aims to ensure that product investments and operational changes align closely with customer expectations and market demand.

Key areas where advisor input may influence decisions include:

• Onboard experiences and amenities
• Shore excursion development
• Pricing and promotional strategies
• Digital tools and booking processes
• Marketing messaging and campaign effectiveness

By integrating advisor feedback early in the planning process, the company can reduce friction in distribution channels and improve overall customer satisfaction.

The Role of Travel Advisors in Luxury Cruise Sales

In the luxury and premium cruise segment, travel advisors remain a primary distribution channel. Their expertise is particularly important for complex itineraries, longer voyages, and experiential travel products.

Travel advisors contribute by:

• Matching clients with suitable itineraries and ships
• Providing destination knowledge and pre-trip planning
• Managing group and specialty bookings
• Delivering personalized service before and after travel

Recognizing this role, cruise lines across the industry have increasingly invested in training programs, loyalty incentives, and advisory groups to maintain strong relationships with the trade. The requirement that council members be graduates of the Azamara World Academy highlights the company’s focus on education as a foundation for effective partnership.

Enhancing Guest Experience Through Industry Feedback

One of the central goals of the new council is to strengthen the connection between customer expectations and operational delivery.

Because travel advisors interact directly with clients, they often identify emerging trends before they appear in booking data. Their feedback can provide early insight into:

• Changing traveler preferences
• Demand for new destinations or experiences
• Pricing sensitivity and value perceptions
• Service expectations among repeat cruise guests

By incorporating these insights, Azamara aims to refine its offerings and maintain competitiveness in the boutique cruise market.

A North American Focus with Broader Implications

While the initial council focuses on North America, the initiative reflects a global shift toward more collaborative business models in the travel industry. The U.S. and Canada represent significant source markets for the brand, making advisor engagement in these regions particularly important. The program also supports stronger alignment between sales, marketing, and operations, ensuring that messaging and product delivery remain consistent across channels.

Industry Context: Collaboration as a Growth Strategy

The launch of advisory councils and similar initiatives has become more common across the travel sector. As customer expectations evolve and competition intensifies, companies are seeking more direct feedback from distribution partners.

Benefits of advisory programs include:

• Faster adaptation to market trends
• Improved product-market fit
• Stronger advisor loyalty and advocacy
• More effective marketing and sales execution

For travel advisors, participation offers professional recognition, deeper brand knowledge, and the opportunity to influence future offerings.

Overview

The 12-month advisory cycle will allow Azamara Cruises to gather continuous input while evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Insights generated during the first year may shape future iterations, including potential expansion to other regions or specialized advisor segments.

Key expected outcomes include:

• Enhanced advisor engagement and satisfaction
• Improved operational processes
• More targeted marketing and promotional strategies
• Continued refinement of the guest experience

As the cruise industry continues its post-recovery growth phase, initiatives that strengthen collaboration between suppliers and the travel trade are likely to play a critical role in long-term success.

Conclusion

The launch of the Travel Advisor Council represents a strategic move by Azamara Cruises to deepen its partnership with travel professionals across North America. By creating a structured platform for feedback and collaboration, the company is positioning travel advisors as active contributors to business planning, product development, and customer experience.