Azamara is getting a new ship: The vessel that took Americans to Cuba

Azamara Club Cruises’ new ship will be familiar to local cruisers: The Miami-based line is refurbishing Adonia, the vessel that took Americans to Cuba again after a 50-year hiatus.

The ship was originally a sister ship to Azamara’s two current vessels, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, before most recently being part of P&O Cruises UK’s fleet, then moving to Carnival Corporation’s now-defunct Fathom line, and back to P&O.

Adonia, which had capacity for 704 passengers, will get a major transformation — the largest in the cruise line’s history — to become the third ship in Azamara’s fleet, and will be re-branded as the Azamara Pursuit. The Pursuit’s renovation will be similar to the 2016 updates to its sister ships Journey and Quest. Those included refreshed cabins, a new Pool Grill & Bar and new open-air venues.

“Our family is growing,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara, which is part of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, in a promotional video for the new ship. “The Azamara Pursuit will take us to ports we’ve never visited, and return us to a few we haven’t seen in quite some time.”

The ship represents a 50 percent expansion to the line’s portfolio. It is set to debut in March 2018.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Azamara is getting a new ship: The vessel that took Americans to Cuba."