Ambassador Cruise Line
 | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality and transportation |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Purfleet, England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Christian Verhounig (CEO) |
| Products | Cruises |
| Parent | Njord Partners |
| Website | www.ambassadorcruiseline.com |
Ambassador Cruise Line is a British cruise line headquartered in Purfleet, England.[1] The company launched and announced the purchase of its flagship Ambience in May 2021 and commenced sales to the public in the following month.
Ambassador Cruise Line tailors towards premium-value no fly cruises which target the adult market, including over 50s, with sailings for families during summer months. Ambassador Cruise Line operates from eight ports in the United Kingdom: London Tilbury, Newcastle, Dundee, Edinburgh Leith, Bristol Royal Portbury, Falmouth, Liverpool and Belfast with London Tilbury and Newcastle being the home ports of Ambience and Ambition respectively.
The cruise liner offers cruises to destinations such as the British Isles, the Baltics, Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, as well as Cuba and the Caribbean.
History
[edit]Ambassador Cruise Line was established in 2021 by Christian Verhounig, who was the former CEO of Cruise & Maritime Voyages which went into administration in 2020.[2]
In 2023, Ambassador cruise line announced that their ships will have internet connections from Starlink[3] and that Ambience would sail the grand round-the-world cruise in 2024.[4] Ambassador sponsored the 2025 World Indoor Bowls Championship in January 2025.[5]
Launch of Ambience and Ambition
[edit]Ambience set sail for the first time on 20 April 2022, with a short cruise to Hamburg, Germany, followed by a cruise to Norway. Ambition launched on the 10 May 2023 after being named by British sailor Shirley Robertson OBE and then set sail for the first time on the 12 May 2023 from Port of Tyne to Dundee, Robertson's birthplace, before heading down to France and Spain.[6] [7]
Ambassador Group and Renaissance
[edit]On 9 January 2025, Ambassador Cruise Line and Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC) announced that they would merge, forming the Ambassador Group, with completion by the end of that month. CFC's Renaissance will join Ambassador's ships but will continue to serve the French market under the CFC brand.[8][9] To meet the same emission standards (IMO Tier III) as the Ambassador ships, Renaissance will receive engine upgrades in January 2025 which will then allow her to go into sea areas in which stricter controls are required.[8]
Ships
[edit]Current fleet (Ambassador Group)
[edit]| Ship | Built | In service for Ambassador | Tonnage | Flag | IMO | Notes | Home port | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambience | 1991 | 2022 | 70,285 GT |  Bahamas |
IMO number: 8521232 | Sold by P&O Cruises Australia to Ocean Builders and renamed Satoshi with plans to convert her into a floating hotel in Panama.[10] Sold to newly formed Ambassador Cruise Line and announced as the line's flagship in May 2021.[11] She sailed on her maiden cruise on 20 April 2022.[12] | London Tilbury |  |
| Ambition | 1999 | 2023 | 48,123 GT | Bahamas |
IMO number: 9172777 | Purchased from Aida Cruises. Sailed on her maiden cruise on 12 May 2023.[13] |  | |
| Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC) | ||||||||
| Renaissance | 1995 | 2025 (scheduled) | 55,575 GT |  Bermuda
|
IMO number: 8919257 | Will operate for CFC under Ambassador Group | Le Havre and Marseille |  |
References
[edit]- ^ "Contact Us". Ambassador Cruise Line.
- ^ Fielding, Jenni (2023-05-24). "Ambassador Cruise Line Ships: What To Expect Compared (2023)". Cruise Mummy. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ "Ambassador Cruise Line adopts Starlink Wi-Fi Connectivity". Ambassador Cruise Line adopts Starlink Wi-Fi Connectivity. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/cruise-types/world-cruise/
- ^ "Ambassador Cruise Line World Indoor Bowls Championships open pairs winners crowned". Bowls International. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ UK fleet grows with ambitious acquisition Ships Monthly March 2023 page 13
- ^ "Ambition Cruise Ship Christening - Cruise Critic". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ a b "Ambassador Cruise Line and CFC reach agreement to merge, forming a leading no-fly cruise line". 9 January 2025.
- ^ Shoffman, Marc (9 January 2025). "Ambassador merges with French cruise line to create new brand". Independent. London. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Former P&O Cruise Ship Slated to Become Floating Community off Panama". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
- ^ "New UK brand Ambassador Cruise Line launches". Seatrade Cruise News. 13 May 2021.
- ^ Mayling, Samantha (25 March 2022). "Ambassador Cruise Line delays inaugural sailing by two weeks". Travel Weekly. London. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ "Ambition Gears Up for Launch".