Royal Caribbean Inks Shanghai Rolex Masters Sponsorship
Royal Caribbean International has solidified its commitment to the Chinese market by renewing its partnership with the Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis tournament.
The cruise line will continue as the Official Cruise Line Partner for the 2026 and 2027 editions of the event, marking a strategic extension of its high-profile sports marketing initiative in the region.
The renewed multi-year deal sees Royal Caribbean retaining its title sponsorship of the “Royal Caribbean Masters Practice Court” at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and maintaining its exclusive branded skybox, offering guests premium viewing and interactive experiences.
This collaboration aims to fuse the world of elite sports with the brand’s signature “Live. Love. Cruise.” vacation lifestyle.
Benjamin Bouldin, Vice President and Managing Director, Greater China at Royal Caribbean International, stated that the partnership aligns with the brand’s mission to create deep connections with consumers’ passions.
“As an international brand also rooted in Shanghai, we are honored to renew our partnership with this iconic tennis event,” Bouldin said. “We believe exceptional experiences are not just about ‘arriving,’ but about resonating deeply with what people love”.
Michael Luévano, Tournament Director of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, welcomed the continued alliance, noting Royal Caribbean’s success in integrating its vacation concept into the event last year and creating memorable fan interactions.
Azamara: Investing in Existing Fleet and More Markets
With a new refurbishment program underway, Azamara is focusing on hardware upgrades and operational agility to drive profitability, according to Chief Executive Officer Dondra Ritzenthaler.
The company last expanded its fleet in 2022, with the introduction of the Azamara Onward, which was acquired from Princess Cruises a year earlier.
According to Ritzenthaler, the company currently sees investment in its own fleet as the biggest opportunity for growth.
In 2026, Azamara announced the “Forward” refurbishment program, an $80-million project that will see the brand’s four ships undergoing major refits.
Ritzenthaler said that in addition to updates to existing areas of the vessels, the program includes major structural additions.
“We’re literally putting a deck on top of the ship that’s going to have 12 more suites,” she explained.
The first ship to undergo the project is the Azamara Quest, which will debut the new features ahead of its upcoming world cruise in early 2027. The Azamara Onward follows suit later next year.
Beyond hardware upgrades, the company is also planning to expand its global sourcing footprint, paying more attention to new markets around the world, Ritzenthaler said.
Azamara currently sources most of its guests in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, she explained.
Executing these growth strategies is made easier by the lack of corporate bureaucracy inherent in a smaller organization, Ritzenthaler noted.
“You can make changes; you can turn on the dime. And I think when you’re able to do that, then the economics of what you do become much easier to achieve,” she explained.
Ritzenthaler said that Azamara is currently performing extremely well financially from an EBITDA standpoint.
This so-called operational nimbleness is said to be transferred to the brand’s deployment strategy, allowing Azamara to secure premium berthing in highly regulated destinations.
“We simply can go in right into the city center. We literally go up the Seville River where the larger ships have to stay out and tender people in,” Ritzenthaler said.
As some ports push back against large tourist influxes, smaller vessels provide a vital economic lifeline for local communities without overwhelming local infrastructure, Ritzenthaler continued.
The ability to rapidly adjust deployments is also an important defense against external disruptions, including fluctuating fuel prices and regional conflicts.
“We look at this every single day,” Ritzenthaler said, noting that Azamara is in a better position to weather geopolitical issues due to being small and profitable.
She said that when itinerary changes occur, the company relies heavily on its travel advisor network to communicate with passengers, ensuring safety remains a non-competitive priority across the industry.
Speaking of demographics, Ritzenthaler said that the company caters to shifting audiences but tends to naturally attract a specific passenger demographic.
While maturing cruisers looking to step up from premium lines form a significant part of the company’s public, the core Azamara guest is defined by having ample time and resources.
“The average cruise length for us is 12 nights, but many of our customers do back-to-backs or take intensive cruises or even a world voyage,” she said.
“These customers are different customers who really want to get immersed,” noting that the company’s passengers ultimately “love cruising.”
This mindset fosters a strong onboard community, Ritzenthaler added, leading to repeat bookings among affinity groups.
However, despite having an affluent passenger base, the company sees a consistent demand for a clear upfront value.
“No matter how wealthy somebody is, people still love value for money,” she noted, pointing to the line’s inclusive pricing model.
Ritzenthaler said that while external challenges may arise, the company is in a good position to handle situations positively.
“In life, it’s only 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how you handle it, and we’re going to handle it in a positive, nimble, flexible and resilient way.”
Hantavirus-Hit Hondius Passengers Repatriated to Home Countries
Twenty British nationals evacuated from the Hondius are beginning 45 days of self-isolation in the UK after their chartered flight from Tenerife landed at Manchester Airport on May 10, according to the BBC.
The evacuees are isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside for 72 hours before being asked to self-isolate for a further 42 days at home.
Seventeen American passengers from the vessel returned to the United States on May 11, landing in Nebraska, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The American passengers were transported to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the country’s only federally funded quarantine center.
Two of the American passengers traveled in specialized biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution.
One passenger had mild symptoms and the other was the passenger who had tested mildly positive for the Andes virus, the department said.
International passengers from 23 nationalities were repatriated to their home countries following the vessel’s arrival at Granadilla port in Tenerife on May 10 at 06:24 local time, according to Oceanwide Expeditions.
Spanish nationals were given priority during the evacuation process, the Spanish health ministry said.
Passengers were ferried to shore in small launch boats and underwent medical screening before boarding evacuation flights arranged by their respective countries. Luggage stayed on the ship and will be dealt with separately.
The disembarkation was coordinated by local authorities, the WHO and international governments, with the sequence timed to the arrival of repatriation flights.
No quarantine of non-Spanish nationals took place in Spain, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The Hondius docked in the Canary Islands on May 10 after Spain granted permission for the vessel to sail from Cape Verde.
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