Ambassador Cruise Line: A Complete Guide
Here is everything you need to know about Ambassador Cruise Line
A UK focused cruise line specialising in no-fly voyages, Ambassador begun operations in 2021 with just the one ship.
Their cruises are adults only (although they used to host a limited number of multi-generational voyages) and are particularly popular in the 50+ demographic - although you definitely don’t have to be this age to sail with them. I travelled with Ambassador at 30 years old and had a really fun time!
The small size of ambassador’s ships means that they are able to dock in a variety of regional UK ports. This really sets them apart from other lines, allowing them to run itineraries from places like Cornwall and Scotland.
This blog post will explain everything you need to know about Ambassador Cruise Line, including its pros and cons, fleet details, value for money and more.
What Is Ambassador Cruise Line?
As the UK’s newest cruise line, Ambassador was founded in 2021 with a focus on no-fly cruises.
Their ships sail from nine ports around the country, from Falmouth to Newcastle, with itineraries featuring the Norwegian Fjords, Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Iceland. A select number of fly-cruises were added to their schedule from October 2025 after their merger with CFC, which is a French cruise line.
Aimed at a 50+ British audience, Ambassador promise to give the ‘warmest welcome at sea’ with affordable, good value voyages.
Ambassador Cruise Ships Overview
Ambience
As Ambassador Cruise Line’s first ship, Ambience set sail after a major refit in 2022. She was originally built for Princess Cruises in 1991, where she sailed as the Regal Princess before moving to P&O.
After a multi-million pound refit, Ambience now carries up to 1400 guests on no-fly sailings departing from the UK. She has 10 passenger decks, 789 guest cabins and a total of 7 restaurants as well as a large theatre, library and British pub.
The ship itself is small in size, at just 70,285 gross tonnes and 245m in length. In comparison, P&O’s newest ship Arvia is 184,700 gross tonnes and 345m in length, carrying a maximum of 5,200 guests. You can read more about Arvia on my blog post here.
For more detailed information about Ambience, take a look at my full tour and review here.
Ambition
Starting life with Festival Cruises in 1999, Ambition first sailed as Mistral and was acquired by Ambassador in 2022. She now carries up to 1200 guests and has 10 passenger decks, two main restaurants and 680 guest cabins.
Ambition is a slightly smaller ship than Ambience, measuring 48,123 gross tonnes and 216m in length. Similarly to her sister, Ambition offers a wide variety of no-fly sailings from UK ports including itineraries that span throughout Europe.
Renaissance
The latest addition to the Ambassador fleet, Renaissance is operated by CFC and joined the brand after their 2025 merger. Originally built in 1992 and sailing as Maasdam for Holland America Line, she now embarks on fly cruises for Ambassador guests.
As the second largest ship in the Ambassador fleet, Renaissance measures 55,575 gross tonnes and 219.3m in length. She is equipped to carry 1,100 guests across 629 cabins, with 9 guest decks.
Renaissance operates Caribbean sailings from October through to April, departing primarily from Bridgetown in Barbados. She spends the rest of the year sailing from France, targeting a French audience during the summer months.
Onboard Experience: What to Expect
Atmosphere
Ambassador cruises are designed to have a traditional yet relaxed feel, with regular formal nights and a packed entertainment schedule. All guests are over the age of 18, and while many passengers will be aged 50+, you’ll find cruisers of all ages onboard.
Dining
Ambassador Cruise Line has a variety of dining options to suit all tastes. All of your meals in the main dining room and buffet are included in the cruise fare, and speciality dining options are available for an additional cost.
Fittingly, the main dining rooms on Ambition and Ambience are both named the Buckingham Restaurant, which is apt for a British cruise line, while Renaissance has the two story Grand Restaurant Vatel which echoes its French roots.
Entertainment
With a wide variety of entertainment options, Ambassador has a packed schedule with no shortage of things to do. In the evening you’ll find West End style theatre shows, live music and quizzes in venues around the ship including the theatre, British pub and bars.
During the day you can choose from craft classes, board, card and deck games, book clubs, wine tastings, dance classes and more.
Facilities
Despite the older age of their fleet, Ambassador’s three ships all offer a variety of modern facilities. This includes pools, bars and lounges, spa facilities with treatment rooms, saunas and steam rooms, as well as fully equipped fitness centres.
WiFi is available onboard, made possible by modern Starlink technology that allows high speed connection while at sea. As with other cruise lines, WiFi does come at an additional cost.
Cabins and Accommodation
When compared to other cruise lines, Ambassador tends to have a lower number of balcony cabins onboard their ships. This is a reflection of how shipbuilding has changed over the last 30 years, and is something that would be difficult to change retrospectively.
Around 134 out of 789 cabins onboard Ambience boast balconies, while Ambition has 125 balcony cabins out of a total 714.
My suite onboard Ambassador’s Ambience
This is very different from modern ships, which are built with a high number of balcony cabins. For example, P&O’s Arvia has 1,496 balcony cabins out of 2,610, which is more than half of the total available!
Other cabin options onboard Ambassador include suites, ocean view and inside cabins, offered at a range of price points. Inside cabins are a great option if you’re looking for a good deal, while suites offer a more high-end experience with a number of additional facilities and services.
You can read all about my cabin on Ambassador’s ship Ambience here.
Itineraries and Destinations
UK departure ports
Ambassador Cruise Line departs from a total of nine UK based ports:
London (Tilbury) is Ambassador’s primary home port, which you can read all about on my post here.
The entrance to London Tilbury Cruise Terminal
Newcastle (Port of Tyne)
Liverpool
Bristol (Royal Portbury)
Portsmouth
Falmouth
Belfast
Edinburgh (Leith)
Dundee
Plus fly-cruises are now available from Bridgetown in Barbados!
Popular routes
Ambassador’s signature no-fly cruises include the Mediterranean and the Norwegian Fjords, with regular British Isles and Baltic sailings. They also offer Christmas cruises and, since October 2025, a number of Caribbean fly-cruises onboard their newest fleet member Renaissance.
Pricing and Value for Money
Ambassador is known to an affordable cruise line with well priced options to suit all budgets. Voyages can be booked for as little as a few hundred pounds for a short cruise lasting a few days, which includes all of your meals (excluding alternative dining options), travel, entertainment and accommodation onboard the ship.
For those with a slightly larger budget, suites can also be booked for a fraction of the price charged by other cruise lines.
Of course, there are things that will cost extra once you are onboard, but this is very normal in the cruising industry. Drinks can be purchased either by the glass or by investing in a drinks package, and additional restaurants are available for an additional fee.
Despite this, it is widely agreed that Ambassador Cruise Line is great value for money. The upfront price tends to be low, and if you don’t want to pay for any onboard extras, then you can keep the overall cost low.
Who Is Ambassador Cruise Line Best For?
Suitable for a wide range of cruisers, Ambassador Cruise Line will suit a variety of tastes. As with many cruise lines, Ambassador will be attractive to retirees and older travellers who are looking for an easy, stress-free way to travel abroad.
Younger groups of friends or large family groups will also enjoy an Ambassador cruise, which has a number of lively entertainment options including large theatres boasting West End style shows. There are also a number of late night venues that stay open into the early hours of the morning.
Similarly, first time cruises will be attracted by the low price point and exciting itineraries, allowing them try cruising for a low upfront cost. Those who prefer to avoid flying will also love Ambassador for its regional embarkation options and wide variety of no-fly itineraries.
The Observatory is one of my favourite bars onboard Ambience
So, who wouldn’t enjoy an Ambassador cruise? There are several demographics that I wouldn’t recommend book their next holiday with this cruise line. This includes families with children who will soon be unable to sail with Ambassador, as all multigenerational cruises will be ceasing from the 2027/28 season.
If you’re after a high end, luxurious experience then this also won’t be the cruise line for you. While Ambassador’s ships have undergone extensive renovations, there are areas that show their age and few luxury facilities that are seen on higher-end lines.
Finally, Ambassador is a traditional cruise line, so if you’re looking for ships that offer facilities like waterslides, dodgems and surf simulators, then you should look elsewhere.
Ambassador Cruise Line Reviews: Pros & Cons
Pros
Ambassador cruises are priced very affordably, with fantastic deals enabling guests to visit new countries for a low price. They also offer a range of UK departure locations, meaning that you don’t necessarily need to travel to Southampton to board your cruise.
Ambassador’s ships are known for having a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere, with great service and a range of entertainment and dining options to choose from. As the ships are older in age, they benefit from an increased passenger to space ratio - something that is often squeezed by other mainstream cruise lines.
As specialists in no-fly cruises, Ambassador offer a wide range of itineraries that depart from the UK, covering Norway, Iceland, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the Caribbean and more!
Cons
Despite the many pros, there are a number of cons to be considered before booking an Ambassador cruise. For example, their ships are generally considered to be on the older side, purchased from other cruise operators before being renovated by Ambassador. Although they have each undergone a multi-million pound refit, there are areas that show their age.
You will also find that there are a limited number of luxury options onboard. If you’re looking for a cruise line that has an extensive spa area or feels incredibly polished throughout, then this won’t be the operator for you.
Similarly, Ambassador Cruise Line is not a good fit for families, which will be adults only from the 2027-28 cruising season.
How Ambassador Compares to Other Cruise Lines
Ambassador is a uniquely British cruise line that is distinct from other options on the market.
It’s most easily compared to P&O Cruises, which is another UK based cruise line primarily aimed towards the British market. The biggest difference here is that P&O’s ships are a lot newer, with latest additions Iona and Arvia towering over the Ambassador fleet in size.
P&O have also recently repositioned themselves for families, with extensive facilities for children that include kids clubs, splash zones and regular themed activities. Like Ambassador, P&O offer a variety of voyages for a low price point, including many that depart from British ports, although they do serve far fewer regional options.
Fred Olsen is also similar to Ambassador in that it offers a traditional cruise experience favoured by older travellers. Other similarities include the small size of their ships and regional departures.
Fred Olsen differs in that they are more established that Ambassador, having started operations as a shipping company in 1848 before transitioning into passenger transport.
Booking Tips & How to Get the Best Deals
The best time to book any cruise will usually either be last minute or far in advance, which is when you will find the best deals.
Keep your eye on the Ambassador website, where they advertise seasonal offers with things like a £50 per person deposit, free parking, reduced drinks packages and buy-one-get-one-free offers on specific sailings. It’s worth checking back regularly or signing up to their email list to keep up to date with what’s on offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ambassador Cruise Line adults only?
Yes, Ambassador is now an adults only cruise line as they have cancelled their multi-generational sailings from the 2027/28 season.
Are drinks included?
No, drinks are typically not included in the price of the cruise. While tap water, tea and coffee are available for free, all other drinks must be bought either on a pay-as-you-go basis or by purchasing a drinks package.
Is it good for first-time cruisers?
Ambassador is a great line for first time cruisers. Not only do the cruises come at a low price point, but you can depart from a range of regional ports around the UK.
What is the dress code?
The onboard dress code is mostly casual, with selected formal nights during most cruises. You can read all about the dress code in detail on my blog post here.
Do they offer all-inclusive packages?
Ambassador doesn’t offer all inclusive packages, but you can purchase a drinks package if you want to avoid buying beverages on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Final Verdict: Is Ambassador Cruise Line Worth It?
Ambassador Cruise Line is a great choice for many travellers. Their ships offer good value for a low price, with freshly renovated ships and friendly service.
If you’re an older cruiser, cruising for the first time, or prefer to avoid air travel, then Ambassador is the ideal cruise line for you. Similarly, if you love a good deal, then there’s plenty to be found with Ambassador!
If you’re considering booking a cruise, then take a look at their website here for all of the latest deals.
Read More About Ambassador Cruise Line
Ambassador Cruise Line’s Dress Code Explained