Andrea Zelinski
Andrea DeMarco, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, sat behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Aramco race car on the track of the Concours Club in Miami.
Then, she hit the gas.
"I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it," she told me, "but I punched it. It was just a very invigorating, a very unique experience."
DeMarco found herself in that race car as part of Regent's partnership with Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. She and executives are hoping the partnership will help the line strategically broaden its reach to affluent F1 fans who haven't cruised before.
The partnership will make way for exclusive shore excursions with the racing company, including VIP driving experiences and tours of the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone, England. The partnership also will introduce Spotlight Voyages that feature events with racecar drivers or people who work in the pit, offering opportunities to learn about what goes on behind the scenes during a race.
The Regent's logo, meanwhile, will be splashed across the Aston Martin race car, drivers' race suits and official apparel worn by team personnel at races.
The global reach of this partnership is important, she said. F1 races across the globe are sometimes in key port cities, like Monaco; others are far inland and can be part of a pre-cruise land package, she said.
"It's like having Super Bowls all over the world," she said. "It's not just North America."
Steve Odell, Regent's new chief sales officer, has attended two races, one in Singapore and the other in Monaco. A race can be the biggest event for the year for those destinations, and hotels have been known to quadruple their rates during F1 events, he said.
"It brings in a very, very wealthy crowd to participate in these races," he said. "Your visibility really can benefit from being part of it, particularly with such a prestigious partner in Aston Martin."
Regent is also making a game of this announcement: It will offer three advisors a chance to win a one-day Aston Martin Aramco VIP race experience in Miami on May 3, 4 or 5 and a $700 travel stipend to cover them and their guests. The VIP experience includes a tour of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team garage; a meeting with the team's driver ambassadors; and gourmet food and wines throughout the day. For a chance to win the drawing, advisors must submit a newly deposited 2024 booking between by March 15.
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