The vessel, currently located at Newcastle’s Port of Tyne, sails to Dundee on May 12 from where it will begin a 14-night ‘Hidden Gems of France and Spain’ voyage.
Honouring Michelle Lupino
As part of the launch event, Ambassador welcomed on board the family of Michelle Lupino for the opening of Lupino’s restaurant last night. The purple ribbon was cut by Michelle’s sister and daughter. Lupino passed away last October.
Eight different departure ports
The launch of Ambition will see Ambassador welcome passengers on board from eight different UK departure ports. Over the course of its inaugural season, Ambition will visit 29 countries, call at 91 ports and travel more than 70,000 nmi. Together with sister ship Ambience, the 2023/24 season will see Ambassador’s portfolio of destinations grow to 60 countries, with the ships visiting 166 ports and sailing more than 160,000nmi. Cruise experiences will last from two to 120 days, and almost 100,000 passengers will travel with Ambassador.
A ‘buoyant season’ ahead
Christian Verhounig, CEO, Ambassador Cruise Line, stated, ‘Adding another ship to our fleet is evidence of the strength of both Ambassador and the wider cruise industry, showing the support we have received and demand we are experiencing ahead of what’s set to be a buoyant season.
‘Despite a backdrop of difficult economic conditions, we enjoyed a very strong booking period at the turn of the year, tripling sales compared to the same period in 2022. Demand remains strong, indicating that holidaymakers see a holiday as a necessity, not a luxury, and are eager to get away this year.’
Popular itineraries
Verhounig went on to say that there is heightened interest in the line’s Norwegian fjords sailings, round-Britain cruises and bucket-list itineraries, such as its round the world cruise, which sails in January 2024. ‘We have also seen a shift in demand coming from customers who are new to cruise as more travellers choose no-fly holiday options. Interestingly, guests who have typically sailed with more luxury brands are instead choosing Ambassador, where they can enjoy a premium value, no-fly cruise that exceeds expectations,’ he added.
Refurbished in Bremerhaven
Ambition recently spent several weeks undergoing refurbishment works in Bremerhaven, Germany. In total, 10,940l of paint were used during the works, with 3,500sq mtr of new decking installed and 20t of steel replaced. The on board entertainment team also designed 1,200 new costumes and undertook 864 hours of rehearsals ahead of Ambition’s inaugural sailing.
Ambience
The launch of Ambition comes almost one year on from when Ambassador’s first ship, Ambience, commenced its inaugural sailing. In the ship’s first season, it sailed 18 cruises and welcomed almost 30,000 passengers onboard.
