Very quickly when I met with Francesco Galli Zugaro, CEO of Aqua Expeditions which he founded in 2007, you realise that you are speaking with a man with a very clear vision, a passion, a determination to deliver what he promises and also to succeed.
What is that vision?
Pretty straightforward really, being to create intimate, small ship expeditions to distant parts of the world, with a passionate belief that now, more than ever, access is the new measure of luxury.
Aqua has stood for this since the very beginning, focussing on small explorer vessels on the remote Amazon of Peru, the Mekong in Southeast Asia and the coastal waters of Eastern Indonesia.
As CEO, Francesco has personally supervised every Aqua Expeditions vessel and through that he has personally changed boutique cruising, launching Aria Amazon on the Amazon, and then on the other side of the world in a Vietnamese shipyard, Francesco applied his magic to the Aqua Mekong, [pictured].
Aqua’s ships are clearly market leaders in style, but not content with rivers, Francesco launched into ocean cruising in November 2019, buying a former British Navy ship, which was overhauled in Aqua’s distinctive style with Dutch yacht designer Cor D. Rover, with Aqua Blu offering a variety of 7 and 12 night itineraries to some of the world’s most pristine cruise regions, including Komodo National Park, the Spice Islands, and Raja Ampat.
Francesco Galli Zugaro readily admits that 2020 has brought many challenges, but he is not standing still, introducing Aqua Nera on the Amazon very, very soon, with this latest addition to the Aqua Expeditions fleet setting even higher standards in boutique cruise design, luxury and guest experiences.
Join me in my chat with Francesco Galli Zugaro and discover his passion for Aqua Expeditions yourself.
A Report by John Alwyn-Jones
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