Cruise travel is about to get personal. Our new Cruise Global, Customize Local shore excursions are unique excursions designed just for you. Now, Azamara guests can customize our already popular Azamara Shore Excursions tours and create bespoke, one-of-a-kind travel experiences just for you and your companions.
These five incredible Cruise Global, Customize Local shore excursions we’ve created around the world will inspire a new sense of wanderlust and will take your travel bucket list to the next level. You simply have to try them.
Sacred Temple Blessings
Bangkok’s temples are known for their opulence. Terraces, gleaming gold spires, and marvelous Buddha statues adorn them, and these sacred sites provide a tranquil retreat from the frenetic energy of the city.
On your Private Journey to Bangkok’s temples, you’ll have a local guide to help illuminate the cultural and religious traditions of Buddhism. You’ll receive blessings during a moving and memorable ritual inside a temple so gorgeous it will take your breath away. See if you can achieve śūnyatā — or emptiness — if only to have room for a delicious local meal afterward.
The Floating Church
Kotor, Montenegro, is one of Europe’s most intriguing medieval cities. Its harbor, terraced hillsides and monastic enclaves attracted Europeans from along the Adriatic coast during the Middle Ages. Goldsmithing and architecture flourished here, resulting in the beautiful Romanesque churches found in today’s Old Town. Many of these historic treasures suffered damage in a 1979 earthquake. However, Our Lady of the Rocks church remains intact, floating on a tiny man-made island in the Bay of Kotor.
On your custom tour, you and your companions will sail on a private boat to this captivating site. A personal chef can join you to prepare a delicious lunch. You’ll be wowed by the church’s incredible collection of Baroque paintings, icons, silver tablets and intricate tapestries. You won’t be rushed, either. Explore at your own pace, free of crowds, and truly absorb the rich history and atmosphere. Special moments like this only happen in the most special places.
Europe’s Vineyards
Do you love wine? We do, too. Oenophiles will raise a glass to this news: we’ve fostered relationships with vintners throughout Europe so you can experience Cruise Global, Customize Local shore excursions to the continent’s most exceptional vineyards.
What could be more romantic than holding hands and clinking glasses in Bordeaux? After your visit, you’ll think back to the fragrant vineyards of Margaux every time you open a great bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Once you’ve done France, you can’t pass up Greece. We know an enologist (that’s a wine scientist and yes, it’s a real job!) in Santorini who can rhapsodize on the characteristics of the local Assyrtiko grape.
Your Private Journey doesn’t begin and end at the vineyard. We’ll tailor the tour to your interests, so you can experience the most charming villages, the best restaurants, and the most beautiful views along the way. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
Oman by Camel
Haven’t you always wondered what it’s like to ride a camel? Well, we can show you! Actually, a local, private guide will show you. Just outside the Omani city of Muscat, we know Bedouin and tribal locals who know the ever-changing desert dunes like the backs of their hands.
In this magical landscape, each ride is different from the last. While a horse canters or trots and adventurous travelers may know an elephant lumbers, a camel lopes through the desert. Big feet, spindly legs and that signature hump are perfect for shifting sands. It is unlike anything else.
The journey becomes even more spectacular when paired with private meals, luxury desert camping and other personal touches that make the experience entirely your own.
Constantine Palace
Russia is vast, both in geography and history. It is home to renowned literature, art, and architecture, as well as a heavy dose of secrecy. Soaking up its culture in one journey is nearly impossible, but uncovering some of those long-held secrets is feasible for those with the right connections.
During your Private Journey in St. Petersburg to Constantine Palace, you’ll be afforded access to certain rooms opened only for a select few. This iconic site has a lengthy and fascinating history. Though construction began in 1720, the palace remained unfinished for decades. The palace was renovated, destroyed by fire, and renovated again. It was passed among nobility until the 1917 revolution.
In 2001, Vladimir Putin ordered the dilapidated palace to be restored and converted into a presidential residence. In recent years, Constantine Palace has hosted heads of state for various celebrations and summits.
During this unique tour designed just for you, you’ll enjoy exclusive access to the palace’s gorgeous interiors and grand terraces.