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Here is my full review and tour of Ambassador Cruise Line’s ship Ambience, which entered their service in 2022.

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Book an Ambassador cruise on their website here.

Relaunched in 2022, Ambience is Ambassador Cruise Line’s second ship. I sailed with her in 2025 on a three night return sailing from London Tilbury to Honfleur - a location that I previously visited with Viking Cruises!

Originally built in 1991, Ambience initially sailed as the Regal Princess, and went through several iterations before she was purchased by Ambassador Cruise Line in 2021. Since then she has been through an extensive refit and now sails on no-fly itineraries from the UK.

Ambience is considered to be a smaller cruise ship, holding up to 1,400 guests and 700 crew. One of the unique things about Ambassador Cruise Line is that their ships sail from a range of ports around the UK. I embarked at London Tilbury for my sailing but their ships also depart from other unusual ports like Falmouth, Bristol, Dundee and Newcastle.

Ambassador Cruise Line pride themselves in offering affordable holidays with a warm welcome, which is something I love. Ambience doesn’t promise to be an ultra luxury cruise ship, but she does offer quality experiences at a good price, making cruising affordable to everyone.

Here is my full tour and review of Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience.

Centre Court, Decks 5, 6, and 7

I always feel that the atrium sets the tone for a cruise ship. On Ambience this space is named the Centre Court, and has a fabulous retro feel that just can’t be replicated on newer ships. It looks smart, and not at all like a ship that was born in the early 90s.

Spread across three levels, you’ll find Reception and Dickens Coffee Shop on deck five, along with a sweeping grand staircase and plenty of seating. On deck six you’ll find the Ambassador Casino, as well as the Shopping Galleria, while deck seven houses the SW19 bar, photo gallery and additional shops.

There are cosy places to sit throughout this space and it really does act as the central hub of the ship.

Included Restaurants and Dining

Buckingham Restaurant, Deck Seven

This is the ship’s main dining room, and again, I love the retro feel of this space. It feels like a classic, but not dated, cruise ship dining hall and I’m here for it.

The Buckingham Restaurant is open each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu that is refreshed daily.

Breakfast and lunch are usually served on an open seating basis, while dinner has two set servings - early and late. Make sure you choose your preferred sitting before embarking, as this can’t be changed once you are onboard.

Expect a sumptuous five course evening meal all included in your cruise fare.

Borough Market, Deck Twelve

I love a good buffet, and always found something delicious to eat at Borough Market.

This space could get busy at times, but I found it to be particularly tranquil in the evening if I fancied a more casual dinner experience. Here you will find cuisines from around the world, with stations serving curries and east asian food, as well as British staples like fish and chips and a Sunday roast.

I really liked the spaghetti and have to admit that I ate it in very large quantities (and I don’t regret it).

Al Fresco Grill, Deck Twelve

Located on the sun deck, this makes an ideal spot for a casual lunch, with burgers, hot dogs, pizza and fries.

Speciality Dining: Saffron, Sea & Grass (Deck Twelve), and the Chef’s Table (Deck Seven)

For an extra fee, Ambience has a number of speciality restaurants serving meals you can’t find anywhere else on the ship.

Those who love Indian food simply must book a table at Saffron, which is located in the Borough Market buffet. I enjoyed a delicious three course meal here - you can see my starter below, although I demolished my curry before I had chance to take a photo of it.

If you fancy a bit of fine dining, then make sure you place a reservation for Sea and Grass, which offers a set menu of seven courses each evening.

The final speciality restaurant onboard Ambition is the Chef’s Table. Located in a sectioned off corner of the Buckingham Restaurant, this exclusive experience has limited seating and serves a nine course menu. It’s definitely the place to book for a special occasion!

Ice Cream Shop, Deck Twelve

Sadly, the ice cream bar was closed during my three night sailing, although it usually offers a wide range of ice cream flavours for an additional cost. Perfect for sunny weather cruises.

The Coffee House, Deck Twelve and Deck Five

Also located on the lido deck, you can find the extra fee coffee shop serving hot drinks, cake and light bites - it’s definitely somewhere I would frequent on a longer sailing.

You can also visit Dickens coffee shop on deck five in the Centre Court for similar fare.

Entertainment

Ambience has a packed entertainment line up meaning that you’ll never find yourself feeling bored or at a loose end. Make sure you keep an eye on the daily schedule, All Aboard, which you can find both on the app and as a hard copy, usually left outside your room by your cabin steward.

Palladium Theatre, Decks Seven and Eight

This impressive two tiered theatre is the main entertainment venue onboard Ambience.

Here you can watch a range of live entertainment including Broadway style shows, with two sittings each evening. The seating here is comfy and the waiting staff offer a drinks service that will be delivered to your seat, which I thought was great.

Make sure you arrive early as the shows are very popular.

The Purple Turtle, Deck Eight

A British cruise ship isn’t complete unless it has a decent pub!

The Purple Turtle was one of my favourite venues onboard Ambience. Here you can enjoy a variety of game shows and trivia with a lively atmosphere. Bingo is also hosted here, and I definitely would have attended if I had more time onboard.

My sister and I joined the music quiz here and laughed so hard watching the guests in the final round compete for the winning title. There was lots of friendly banter between the guests and the hosts were very friendly too.

Botanical Lounge, Deck Seven

If you like your gin, then you’ll want to check out the lovely Botanical Lounge. Often frequented by the ship’s classical musicians, this is a pretty space that has been well decorated, and offers an extensive menu including a variety of gin cocktails.

The Observatory, Deck Fourteen

I was absolutely amazed when I first saw inside the Observatory. With a huge dance floor, fantastic house band and the best views, this spot was easily my favourite place on the whole ship.

I enjoyed an excellent ABBA Cabaret show here on my first evening, performed by the Ambience theatre Show Team. If late nights are your thing then you’ll enjoy the discos in here, which carry on into the early hours of the morning. Watch out for the nighttime canapés that get passed around at this time too.

Raffles, Deck Seven

Another gorgeous bar, I was sad that I didn’t get to spend any time in Raffles during my short sailing!

Decorated to resemble a smooth jazz noir style lounge, this space has an exclusive whisky menu and serves a variety of cocktails. I can imagine spending a cosy evening in here listening to the piano and nursing a glass of Bailey’s.

Bronte’s Library, Deck Eight

Any ship that has a dedicated library always gets extra points from me. At a time when many modern cruise lines are removing these from their ships, Ambience has a lovely, well stocked library.

With space to sit down and relax, the library is operated on an honorary system and guests are able to take books to their rooms and around the ship as they please. Make sure you remember to return your books before disembarking so that other guests can enjoy them too!

I was impressed that Ambience has a dress on display that was worn by the actress who played Charlotte in the 2022 film Emily.

My only wish was that the library was located on the outside of the ship with a few large windows so that passengers can read with an open view of the sea, surrounded by bookshelves.

Aces and Eights and Kapoor’s, Deck Six

These two additional entertainment venues give guests even more choice of things to do, which I’m sure is appreciated during long cruises and sea days.

Aces and Eights is the dedicated bridge and card room onboard Ambience, which also has a stash of board games. This space is simply decorated with rows of playing tables and even has a Lego sculpture in the corner of the room.

Kapoors, on the other hand, is the ship’s crafting venue. Although it wasn’t used during my short trip, I love the idea of doing arts and crafts on a cruise and the activities here are reportedly well priced.

Sun deck, Deck Twelve

Here you will find two good sized pools, two hot tubs, lots of sun loungers and a large screen for late night movies. I love the sun deck’s retro feel, which is something you only find on older cruise ships.

The sun loungers here might have seen better days, but they do the job and are plentiful.

The large bar on this deck means that you never need to go without a drink. Don’t miss the fantastic sail away party that’s hosted here when leaving port, with live music and free drinks.

For a quieter drink, I recommend seeking out the Consulate Bar, which is located to the rear of deck ten. The sun loungers here are particularly nice and a bit newer than those by the main pool.

You’ll find another hidden spot at the rear of deck eleven, which has two additional hot tubs.

Gym and Running Track, Deck Fourteen

If you want to get your steps in, then head to the running track on deck fourteen. There’s also a fully stocked gym on this level which runs free aerobics classes and additional yoga and pilates classes for an additional cost.

I have to admit, I don’t usually do much exercise while I’m on a cruise but it’s always good to have the option.

For more outside space, check out the promenade on deck seven.

The Green Sea Spa, Deck Two

If you like a massage or a spa treatment while you’re on holiday then you definitely need to make the most of the deals available in the Green Sea Spa. Keep an eye out for the special offers that are often advertised after boarding the ship. A hair and nail salon is also available.

During my trip I indulged in a 90 minute aromatherapy massage which was excellent and beautifully relaxing.

A thermal suite is also available for all guests to use free of charge, and includes a sauna, steam room and relaxation area.

My Cabin

I was kindly hosted in suite 11147 on deck eleven, which I found to be comfortable and spacious. Click here for more photos and to read my full cabin tour and review (to come).

Our cabin steward was fantastic - so friendly and smiley, and as suite guests we were treated to a turndown service each evening.

Final Thoughts

Ambience may not be a posh ship but she is a friendly one - with lovingly renovated public spaces and fantastic crew.

Ambassador have clearly spent a lot of money on the entertainment and dining venues, and it really shows. I found the Observatory to be particularly impressive and I wish that I had more time to spend in the Botanical Lounge and Raffles!

There was an occasional issue with the toilets in the public spaces, with a few that were blocked, but this is something that can happen on older ships and wasn’t a big problem.

I also found that the guests onboard Ambience were some of the happiest I’ve encountered and were clearly having an absolute blast. I found singing, dancing and laughter in all corners of the ship, and it was great to see people having such a great time. I even saw a group of elderly guests having a singalong around a ukulele on the lido deck, which was absolutely adorable.

If you’re looking for a fun British cruise ship with great prices and a warm welcome, then you will love Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience.

Book a trip with Ambassador Cruise Line on their website here.