Richard Twynam has been named as the first UK managing director of Azamara Club Cruises. He joins the company from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Holidays, where he headed cruise business, Travel weekly said in a news bulletin.

He will lead a new 10-strong team dedicated to the two-ship destination-focused cruise company.
In another move, former RCL Cruises commercial planning and analysis chief David Duff becomes commercial director for Azamara in the UK.

Azamara president and chief executive Larry Pimentel said: “The UK and Ireland market continues to be one of the largest and most important for Azamara Club Cruises and is going from strength to strength.We are excited to welcome Richard Twynam to lead this evolution as we continue to grow and invest in our business in the UK. Now is a really exciting time for the business as the expansion continues.”

Azamara is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) group, which is setting up a new organisation in UK whereby its three main brands - Azamara, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity - will have their own organisations in the country. In the past, they all operated under the RCL Cruises organisation.

Thirteen of the 40 vessels in the RCCL group fleet are managed and operated from the UK as they have been entered in the UK tonnage tax system.