The latest arrival, and the oldest hull
Both at once. Delivered on 28 July 1999 as R Three, she was the first of the
eight hulls in the series to leave the yard, and the last to join this line. In
between she sailed twenty years at Princess as the Pacific Princess. She was
acquired in 2021 by the house's present owner.
Six hundred and seventy-two guests at double occupancy, up to eight hundred
and four, three hundred and seventy-three crew, three hundred and fifty-two
staterooms. She flies the flag of Bermuda.
The most duplicates in the fleet
One hundred and sixty-one departure dates appear on this page: twenty-seven
in 2026, sixty-three in 2027 and seventy-one in 2028. Sixteen of those
lines appear twice, which brings it back to one hundred and forty-five
distinct dates. That is the largest gap of the four ships, and we flag it
rather than let the raw figure give a false impression of abundance.
One hull of eight, and the other seven are elsewhere
The four ships in this fleet come from a single series: eight identical
hulls ordered from Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire by an American
operator, Renaissance Cruises, which went bankrupt in 2001. The eight hulls
were scattered, resold, renamed, and every one of them is still sailing.
Four are here. The other four are at Oceania: the Insignia,
the Nautica, the Sirena and the Regatta, which left that fleet on 17 August
2026. The entire series therefore appears in our catalogue, split between two
lines that resemble each other very little.
What follows from it is simple: thirty thousand two hundred and seventy-seven
gross tons, one hundred and eighty-one metres, eleven decks, around seven
hundred guests. A ship this size enters ports closed to large hulls and stays
alongside overnight without crowding anyone. That is exactly what this line
does with them.
The number of wheelchair-accessible staterooms is published for
no ship in this fleet. We check it at booking rather than quote a figure.
Staying overnight, which almost nobody does
This is the line's real argument and it appeared nowhere on our pages. Most
ships sail around six in the evening: you go ashore in the morning, return in
late afternoon, and the city you have just visited empties itself for you at
the moment it starts to live.
Here, overnight stays alongside and late departures are the rule rather than
the exception. That changes what a call can hold: dinner in a restaurant rather
than at the buffet, a concert, an evening market, a city without the cruise
coaches. It is also why these ships have stayed small.
What is included, and what is not
This formula resembles no other in our catalogue, so it is better read than
guessed at.
Included: gratuities, a selection of spirits, wines and
beers in every bar and restaurant, soft drinks, teas and speciality coffees,
meals in the dining rooms, and one cultural evening ashore on most
voyages.
Not included: Wi-Fi, shore excursions, spa treatments,
premium spirits, fine wines and Champagne. Some restaurants carry a
supplement.
A guest arriving from Regent, where excursions are in the fare, will notice
the difference; a guest arriving from Cunard, where gratuities are posted daily
to the onboard account, will notice the opposite. There is no general rule in
this sector, only particular formulas.
Meanwhile, in the fleet
The Azamara Journey carries the largest
inventory, the Azamara Pursuit the most crowded
history, and the Azamara Quest completes
the fleet.
Booking from Quebec
The carrier is American and the contract is governed by the general federal
maritime law of the United States. An action goes before the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida, in Miami. The deadlines
are those of American maritime law: six months' written notice and one year to
sue, for personal injury.
One point we owe you in honesty: we were not able to verify whether
the current ticket contract carries an arbitration clause or a class-action
waiver. Several American competitors impose both; we neither assert
nor deny it here. Ask for the ticket before paying and read it, or have your
advisor read it with you.
A word on ownership, because the documentation in circulation is out of
date: this line belonged to the Royal Caribbean group until 2021. It has since
belonged to an investment fund and operates independently. Several pages we
consulted still describe the former arrangement.
Nothing establishes a Quebec licence for the carrier. Your protection comes
from here: Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from the Office de la protection
du consommateur, your payments pass through a trust account, and your departure
is covered by the compensation fund for travel agency customers.