Ambassador Cruise Lines launched in 2021, and commenced sailing with its first ship, Ambience, in 2022.

Ambition was launched in May 2023, sailing from regional UK ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Liverpool, Belfast and Bristol amongst others.

Targeted at the “young at heart” over 50’s market, most cruises are adult only with a small selection of multi-generational cruises in the summer.

Ambassador position themselves as “premium value”, offering a more premium experience at a value price. They have ambitious plans to grow the fleet to five by 2026.

Ambition, Introduction and First Impressions

Upon boarding, we were guided to No.10 Conference Room for a presentation. Enroute, we spoke with a passenger who told us “I have been on 72 cruises, and this has been one of the best”. High praise indeed.

Built in 1999, Ambition has recently undergone a £55m refit. All the cabins and internal communal areas onboard look modern and newly fitted with a fresh feel.  The ship accommodates 1,200 guests, looked after by 500 crew.  The ship is small by modern standards and has a boutique feel to it.

Venues and Communal Areas

Guests can whet their palates at a number of venues:

Pendennis.  An intimate venue serving up light entertainment and canapes after dinner.

Purple Turtle Wine Bar.  Decorated with a glass wall full of wine bottles, this venue sits at the entrance to the Palladium Theatre.

The Angel Bar.  On Deck 6, overlooking the Reception area, this bar has Angel of the North themed décor.

Clifton Lounge.  A small cocktail bar, featuring a performing area for live entertainment.

The Cavern.  Forward on Deck 7, this is the late-night cabaret venue as well as featuring quizzes during the day.

The Palladium Theatre covers the forward end of decks 5 and 6. It will seat 507 guests with well-spaced-out seats and small tables.  Evening performances can be enjoyed with table service.

Other notable venues are the Bronte library and Aces and Eights games room.

At the Sun Deck there is the main pool and an active pool with two hot tubs. Served by a pool bar and an ice cream cart, loungers are spaced out and there is a range of seating options.

Dining

Two main dining rooms, Buckingham and Holyrood.  Evening dining is traditional early and late seating, requested (but not guaranteed) on booking.

Borough Market is the buffet restaurant, featuring a generous outside seating area.  The buffet is small, but the quality and selection of food on offer is very good.

Included is the Alfresco Grill.  Hot dogs, pizza and Tex Mex are available outside on the Sun Deck.

Specialty restaurants are,

Lupinos.  A Mediterranean inspired theme. £14.95pp

Saffron.  An Indian themed restaurant.  £16.95pp

The food we experienced on board was excellent.

Green Sea Spa

A real highlight of the ship.  Forward on the Sun Deck and enjoying panoramic views, the spa takes up an area that would be a lounge on many ships.  

The spa area, gym, saunas and relaxation rooms are free to use by all guests.  Treatments are at an extra charge.

Accommodation

A choice of inside, outside, obstructed view, balcony and suite cabins are available to book.  All feature, tea and coffee facilities, 3-pin sockets, USB ports and glass shower screens.

The cabins have all been refurbished and are fresh and clean, if a little smaller than average.

Fare Structure

Ambassador offers two fare types.

Saver Fare which is a Cruise only fare.

Ambassador Fare which includes the Expedition drinks package and tips (worth £6 per person per day).  

The Ambassador Fare is the best value and offers a saving against booking those elements separately.

Overall Impressions

Ambition has been fitted out with a fresh and modern feel.  The venues onboard are intimate, comfortable and nicely presented.

Everywhere we went, we observed the crew interacting with guests, taking time out to speak with them and smiling.

The food was excellent.

This ship and brand are most suitable for the mature cruiser, there is very little to do on Ambition for younger guests.  It fits the bill as a viable option for anyone who wishes to cruise from regional UK ports on smaller ships at a value price.