19 January 2021
Royal Caribbean Group has confirmed the sale of the Azamara luxury cruise line for $201 million.
The cruise line said the all cash private-equity deal with Sycamore Partners would allow it to focus on core operations after almost a year out of the water following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Royal Caribbean chief financial officer, Jason Liberty, said the deal was not driven by financial necessity and that the larger line had considered selling the brand before the health crisis.
The company will seek to expand its core Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea brands after the sale, according to Royal Caribbean, which also operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises under a joint venture.
Microsoft will join GM, Honda and institutional investors in a combined new equity investment of more than $2 billion in Cruise, bringing the post-money valuation of Cruise to $30 billion, the tech giant said in a statement.To u
Homeporting in Southampton for the summer of 2022, the ship will be welcomed to a brand-new terminal following a recently announced partnership with ABP Southampton.