Speaking during a media briefing to launch a global brand campaign on Monday (22 June), Chief International Sales Officer David Siewers confirmed the UK and Ireland is currently the line’s “fastest growing market”.
Despite the Iran war, the four-ship boutique cruise line is set to have a record-breaking year, thanks to bookings via travel agents. Around 90% of Azamara bookings are made by travel agents across the world, Siewers said.
Last year, Siewers said Azamara would allocate an extra $1 million to pay agent commissions in 2026. He said: “Because of the performance of the UK and Ireland market we’ve probably overdelivered and are likely to exceed that number.”
Azamara welcomed more than 100 new travel agency partners to its database last year. Siewers confirmed 45 more partnerships had been created in the first six months of 2026.
“Our new agency partnerships across the UK and Ireland are putting us on track to match the strong performance achieved in 2025,” he explained.
“Importantly, these figures reflect new agencies rather than individual travel agents, offering just a glimpse of the many new travel professionals now actively booking with Azamara.
“We are projected to exceed the additional $1 million in commission growth referenced in December 2025, driven by the continued strong performance of the UK and Ireland markets.”
He added: “There has been a number of geopolitical headwinds this year, but we’re still on track to have a record-breaking year. Because Azamara is a global brand, we’re 40% sourced from international markets outside the US and Canada. Around half of those bookings are from the UK and Ireland.
“The UK and Ireland has really stepped up. it is the fastest growing market right now.”
'Wonderful' booking levels
Azamara saw a “higher rate of cancellations” soon after the US-Israel war on Iran began on 28 February, confirmed Siewers.
However, he added: “The UK and EMEA has had to pick up a lot of the slack. We were able to stimulate demand in a normal, natural way. All the international markets are set up for success for the back end of the year.”
He said that bookings are already achieving double-digit growth for 2027.
“We’re looking wonderful for Q2 and Q3. As you would expect, there’s a sailing here or there where there’s an opportunity to get agents onboard. There are definitely pockets of that local European sailing where we might need additional support in October, November and December,” Siewers continued.
Meanwhile, Azamara has launched a brand campaign – titled “The Next Big Thing is Small” – which declares “the future of premium travel is defined not by scale, but by access, authenticity and exploration”.
Consumers will be targeted on social media and print platforms. Azamara Chief Executive Dondra Ritzenthaler said: ““The experiences that stay with us aren’t always the grandest moments – they’re often the unexpected conversations, the hidden discoveries, and the personal connections that happen when we have the time and space to fully immerse ourselves in a destination.
“We’ve always believed that smaller ships create bigger opportunities for those moments, and that belief has never been more relevant than it is today as travellers increasingly seek experiences that feel authentic, personal, and emotionally rewarding.”
