Journey’s white send off

YESTERDAY’S departure of Azamara Journey on her final Australian cruise for the season was marked with a white party at the Park Hyatt in Sydney.

Azamara Club Cruises’ managing director Adam Armstrong, and Azamara Journey’s Captain Johannes Tysse hosted more than 70 travel agents, media and staff at the event.

Tysse shared with attendees some memories from his many years as Captain of the ship, including cruising with Roger “James Bond” Moore, personally arranging a delivery of fresh crabs from his uncle to the ship in Norway and the time he stopped the ship at a cheese shop near Flam in Norway to purchase some famous Norwegian Gold Cheese.

The vessel is sailing on an 18-night Sydney to Singapore itinerary, with Aussies and Kiwis making up a third of guests on the voyage.

During her inaugural season, Journey carried almost 2,600 guests from the USA, UK, Canada, Germany and Australia, injecting an estimated $2.85m into the local economy in pax spend.

“It’s been wonderful introducing Azamara Journey to Australia for the first time. She has been incredibly well received and completely booked out,” Armstrong said.

“She’s clearly impressed Australians - half of her staterooms for next year’s season are already booked.”

Armstrong is pictured with Justine Sealey from Ramsgate Travel (left) and Meg Hill from Cruise Express.