Scenic Group’s Emerald Cruises brand has confirmed a delayed launch for its first of two superyachts, Emerald Azzurra.
Emerald Azzurra‘s maiden sailing was expected to commence on 28 January 2022 – an eight-day Best of the Red Sea itinerary – however, Emerald Cruises has since postponed the superyacht’s first cruise by six weeks.
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In a statement to LATTE, Emerald Cruises said: “Due to the continually changing travel landscape and to ensure our guests receive the very best experience when travelling with us, we have made the difficult decision to adjust the inaugural sailings of our new luxury yacht, Emerald Azzurra.
“Originally planned for January 2022, Emerald Azzurra’s inaugural sailing will now take place in March 2022.”
Specifically, Emerald Azzurra‘s new start date has been flagged for 11 March 2022, pushing back the Red Sea inaugural cruise to this date. A new 12-day Ancient Wonders of the Red Sea and Mythical Greece voyage has been introduced, sailing from Aqaba, Jordan to Athens, Greece on 18 March 2022. The new vessel will then pick up its scheduled program from 29 March 2022 out of Athens. The change results in the cancellation of five planned sailings, mostly in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“All guests have been contacted regarding their bookings and alternative cruises offered. The safety and security of all guests and crew continues to be our number one priority and we can’t wait to welcome guests onboard our newest yacht in the Spring,” Emerald Cruises added.
As LATTE previously revealed first, the 100-passenger superyacht completed her sea trials with flying colours in November last year. Emerald Azzurra‘s sister-ship, Emerald Sakara, is slated to launch in late February 2023 in Seychelles.