Azamara Club Cruises’ latest addition to its fleet – Azamara Pursuit – will operate for another 30 years after its multimillion pound refit.
The 777-passenger vessel was bought from P&O Cruises, where it sailed as Adonia, before undergoing a refurbishment in Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard last spring.
Larry Pimentel, the line’s president and chief executive, said: “Most people look at the lifespan of a ship as upwards of 25 years, some people go as far as 30.
“The ship is sharp and fresh. We are very keen, and have done a good job, to maintain it. This could easily be in the market for another 30 years.”
But Pimentel acknowledged issues with maintaining pace with technological advances in the cruise industry could pose problems further down the line.
Richard Twynam, the new managing director for EMEA, said that parts of the ship were fitted with state-of-the-art technology that do not feature on any other ship within Royal Caribbean Cruises corporation.
“The passenger does not see that when they walk on.”
Speaking on the ship’s christening voyage, Pimentel said: “When we are rebuilding a ship like this, we are looking at the best new technology.
“As a result of when this ship was being launched, it now has the best new kit that no other ship has.
“While this was a revitalisation, we treated it as a new build. We looked at it differently.”