Ambassador Cruise Line
{{Short description|British cruise line}}
{{infobox company
| name = Ambassador Cruise Line
| logo = File:Ambassador cruise line logo.svg
| type = Private company
| successor =
| foundation = 2021
| founder =
| location = Purfleet, England
| key_people = Christian Verhounig (CEO)
| area_served = Worldwide
| industry = Hospitality and transportation
| products = Cruises
| num_employees =
| parent = Njord Partners
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = [https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com www.ambassadorcruiseline.com]
}}
Ambassador Cruise Line is a British cruise line headquartered in Purfleet, England.{{cite web|title=Contact Us|url=https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/contact-us/|website=Ambassador Cruise Line}} 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
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.{{Cite web |last=Fielding |first=Jenni |date=2023-05-24 |title=Ambassador Cruise Line Ships: What To Expect Compared (2023) |url=https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/ambassador-cruise-line-ships/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=Cruise Mummy |language=en-GB}}
In 2023, Ambassador cruise line announced that their ships will have internet connections from Starlink{{Cite web |title=Ambassador Cruise Line adopts Starlink Wi-Fi Connectivity |url=https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/newsroom/ambassador-cruise-line-adopts-starlink-wi-fi-connectivity/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Ambassador Cruise Line adopts Starlink Wi-Fi Connectivity |language=en}} and that Ambience would sail the grand round-the-world cruise in 2024.https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/cruise-types/world-cruise/ Ambassador sponsored the 2025 World Indoor Bowls Championship in January 2025.{{cite web|url=https://bowlsinternational.com/ambassador-cruise-line-world-indoor-bowls-championships-open-pairs-winners-crowned/ |title=Ambassador Cruise Line World Indoor Bowls Championships open pairs winners crowned |publisher=Bowls International |access-date=21 January 2025 }}
= Launch of ''Ambience'' and ''Ambition'' =
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.UK fleet grows with ambitious acquisition Ships Monthly March 2023 page 13 {{Cite web |title=Ambition Cruise Ship Christening - Cruise Critic |url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/7374/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=www.cruisecritic.com |language=en-us}}
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= Ambassador Group and ''Renaissance'' =
On 9 January 2025, Ambassador Cruise Line and {{ill|Compagnie Française de Croisières|fr}} (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.{{cite web |title=Ambassador Cruise Line and CFC reach agreement to merge, forming a leading no-fly cruise line |url=https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/merger-announcement/ |date=9 January 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Shoffman |first1=Marc |title=Ambassador merges with French cruise line to create new brand |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/ambassador-cfc-cruise-line-b2676472.html |access-date=30 January 2025 |work=Independent |date=9 January 2025 |location=London}} 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 and to plugin and turn off her engines when in suitably equipped ports.
= Ambience dry dock =
Ambience is due to go into dry dock in January 2026 this is for planned maintenance and an upgrade to add electrical equipment that will allow the ship to turn off its engines when in a port with suitable connection (known as cold ironing)
Ships
= Current fleet (Ambassador Group) =
References
{{reflist}}
https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2025/02/ambassador-launches-2025-uk-ship-visit-program-for-group-tour-organizers/