Equity firm Sycamore Partners plans to add a fourth sister ship when it acquires boutique cruise line Azamara from Royal Caribbean Group.
Sycamore plans to add the Pacific Princess to the fleet. Princess Cruises announced on Jan. 21 that the ship was sold to an undisclosed buyer.
The Pacific Princess first entered service in 1999 as R3 for Renaissance Cruises. Azamara's current fleet includes three other former Renaissance ships - the Azamara Journey (formerly R6), Azamara Quest (formerly R7) and Azamara Pursuit (formerly R8).
The Pacific Princess will be renovated and renamed before joining the Azamara fleet in Europe in 2022. The ship's refurbishment will be similar to the renovations introduced on Azamara Pursuit, which was designed to feel like a boutique hotel at sea.
The sale of Azamara to Sycamore was announced on Jan. 21 and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021.
"The addition of this ship is an important milestone and reflects Sycamore Partners' commitment to supporting Azamara in its next phase of growth," said Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners.
"We are thrilled to be expanding our fleet with a fourth ship, allowing us to visit even more regions of the world and better serve our guests," Azamara President Carol Cabezas said. "We look forward to launching even more unique and immersive itineraries and feel this is just the beginning of an exciting growth phase for Azamara."
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