Emerald Cruises’ first ocean luxury yacht, Emerald Azzurra, was christened in Venice, Italy over the weekend.
Emerald Azzurra entered service in MAR, and will continue sailing the Adriatic and Mediterranean coastlines for the summer and fall of its inaugural season, before repositioning to Doha, Qatar in DEC 2022 to cruise the Arabian Peninsula between Doha and Dubai.
Emerald Cruises is part of the Scenic Group, and Glen Moroney, its Founder and Chairman, his wife Karen Moroney, Director of Project Design; embarking guests; Emerald Cruises staff who worked on delivering the yacht and local dignitaries celebrated the luxury yacht's official naming pierside in Venice on 29MAY.
During the ceremony, Moroney pointed out that “Scenic Group holds a unique position of owning the complete end to end process where we design, build, and operate our vessels. Special thanks must go to the project team, headed by Ivo Skelin, for their commitment and dedication during the building of Emerald Azzurra.”
The small ship, dubbed a 'luxury yacht' by the cruise line, carries 100 guests in 50 staterooms and suites – of which 88% feature a balcony. Emerald Azzurra offers a "luxurious small ship cruising experience," visiting ports and harbours only accessible to small yachts. The custom-built vessel features a variety of standout public areas including an infinity-style pool, wellness area with an infrared sauna, and a marina platform for easy access to water sports and activities such as electric bikes and stand-up paddleboards.
The ship's Godmother, Sarah Wikevand, joint Managing Director at Reader Offers Ltd (ROL), was unable to attend the ceremony, with acting Godmother Rosie Cairns, joint Managing Director at ROL, standing in.
David Winterton, Global Director of Brand and Marketing at Emerald Cruises said: “The team at Reader Offers Ltd are true advocates for the cruising market and their dedication reflects our own commitment to growing the popularity of luxury yacht cruising. As one of Emerald Cruises’ top performing agents for both river and yacht cruising, ROL has been instrumental in the success of launching Emerald Cruises’ first ocean-going luxury yacht, Emerald Azzurra. We are truly honoured that Sarah has agreed to serve as an Emerald Cruises Godmother.”
Emerald Azzurra will be joined by sister yacht Emerald Sakara in 2023, with itineraries to the Mediterranean on sale now.
