Azamara Launches 10-Member Travel Advisor Council in North America

Azamara Cruises has launched the Azamara Cruises Travel Advisor Council, a new advisory program designed to deepen collaboration with travel advisors and use their feedback to shape decisions across sales, marketing and the guest experience.

Michelle Lardizabal, Azamara’s chief sales officer for North America, said the council is intended to create a more formal channel for advisors to influence the cruise line’s direction. “This council represents our commitment to listening, learning and growing alongside our travel advisor community,” Lardizabal said. She added, “By formalizing this advisory group, we’re ensuring that advisor voices directly influence our business with the expertise of our valued partners.”

How Azamara plans to use the council

Azamara said the council will bring a select group of high-performing advisors into structured discussions with the company’s leadership team over a 12-month term. The cruise line framed the program as a way to strengthen alignment between the trade and the brand, including how initiatives are developed to support advisors and enhance the guest experience.

During the program, council members are expected to contribute strategic insights, provide product feedback and share frontline perspectives from the advisor community. Azamara also said members will help test new ideas, refine processes and act as champions for the brand within the travel trade.

What participation looks like in practice

Azamara said council members will take part in planned collaboration sessions and maintain ongoing communication with the leadership team during the term. The cruise line also said members will receive early access to key initiatives, with the goal of gathering feedback before wider rollout.

In addition to leadership touchpoints, Azamara said advisors will work alongside sales managers to test and refine new ideas, tools and customer outreach programs. The company positioned the council as part of a broader effort to improve the advisor experience while supporting guest satisfaction through better-aligned travel solutions.

Focus areas for advisor input

• Product and program feedback intended to help Azamara shape future tools and initiatives, including what advisors need to sell and service the product more effectively.
• Input on promotions and approaches that influence the booking experience, with advisor perspectives used to evaluate what resonates in the market before broader execution.
• Advisor observations on industry trends and evolving traveler expectations, drawing on what they are seeing and hearing directly from clients.
• Operational feedback aimed at improving how advisors work with Azamara, including process refinements intended to support both advisor success and guest outcomes.

Council size, geography, and eligibility requirements

Azamara said the Travel Advisor Council will include 10 members representing markets across the United States and Canada, with advisors spanning different specialties and customer segments. The cruise line described the group as “high-performing” and “forward-thinking,” and said the council is designed to elevate advisor input as a consistent part of its commercial and guest-facing planning.

The company attached experience and training requirements to participation, indicating the council is aimed at established cruise sellers with direct familiarity with the Azamara product. Azamara said members must have at least five years of cruise-focused industry experience, be graduates of the Academy of Wellness Ambassadors program, and have both sailed with the line and sold Azamara.

How the council fits Azamara’s broader trade strategy

Azamara positioned the council as a step toward closer coordination with travel advisors, with the intent of improving how the cruise line responds to shifting traveler needs and expectations. The company said it will use council input to help shape future programs, tools and initiatives intended to support advisors and strengthen the guest experience.

In describing the initiative, Azamara also emphasized long-term relationships with advisors who share the company’s focus on immersive and culturally enriching cruise experiences. The cruise line characterized the 12-month program as a way to ensure advisor perspectives are reflected in decision-making and to position participants as brand ambassadors within the trade.

Fleet context

Azamara currently operates a fleet of four ships, including Azamara Onward.

The Travel Advisor Council is set up to run over a one-year term, with members expected to contribute feedback through structured sessions and ongoing dialogue as Azamara develops and refines advisor-facing and guest-facing initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Azamara Cruises Travel Advisor Council?

The Azamara Cruises Travel Advisor Council is a formal advisory group of travel advisors in North America created to provide feedback that informs Azamara’s decisions across sales, marketing and the guest experience.

How many travel advisors are on the council, and what markets do they represent?

Azamara said the council includes 10 advisors selected from markets across the United States and Canada.

How long is the Azamara Travel Advisor Council term?

Azamara said the council is structured as a 12-month commitment for participating advisors.

Who is eligible to join the Travel Advisor Council?

Azamara said members must have at least five years of cruise-focused industry experience, be graduates of the Academy of Wellness Ambassadors program, and have both sailed with Azamara and sold the brand.

What are the responsibilities of the council?

Azamara said council members will provide strategic insights and product feedback, participate in structured collaboration sessions and ongoing communication with leadership, receive early access to key initiatives, and help test and refine new ideas, tools and processes intended to support advisors and enhance the guest experience.