British captain Jonathan Edwards will be at the helm of Emerald Cruises’ new superyacht Emerald Azzurra when she launches in January.
He joins Emerald after nearly 20 years with Holland America Cruise Line.
The company has also appointed industry veteran Petros Zarpanely to head up the service side of the ship as Hotel Director.
David Winterton, Emerald’s global director of brand and marketing, said: “Captain Jonathan combines a true love of his craft with a wealth of global navigation experience, while Petros’ background of managing luxury hotel staff, both on land and onboard cruise ships, means our guests will see the best of the best when it comes to service, foods and experiences. We couldn’t ask for a better start for our new journey.”
Raised in a naval family, Captain Edwards has always had close ties with the sea, sailing Laser boats in competition races as a child.
In 1998, Jonathan enrolled at Warsash Maritime College as a Maritime Cadet and five years later joined Holland America where he has recently been sailing onboard Scenic’s Discovery Yacht Scenic Eclipse in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.
When he’s not at the helm of a cruise ship, Jonathan can be found in the peaceful countryside of Gloucestershire where he resides in a small village with his wife and two young children.