Ambassador Cruise Line Is Britain’s New Cruise Operator

Ambassador Cruise Line Is Britain’s New Cruise Operator

Ambassador Cruise Line is launching service with its new Ambience, set to be followed by the Ambition in 2023.

Highlights of the ship’s inaugural season, according to Head of Destination Management Michelle Lupino told Cruise Industry News. Include the 12-night Round Britain and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration departing May 26; a 34-night Grand Canada, Greenland and Iceland Experience departing on Sept. 12; and the 42-night Escape the Winter Cuba and Treasures of the Caribbean voyage sailing on Jan. 5.

“These destinations have been picked for their diversity, popularity and leaning towards longer duration voyages with a blend of marquee and more remote and less-visited ports of call,” Lupino noted.

‘Careful’

Lupino said that every Ambassador itinerary involves “careful consideration and planning.”

 Itinerary creation includes a variety of elements such as a “balance of ports versus time at sea, destination highlights, destination infrastructure, availability, costs and more.”

Ambassador’s itineraries range from two to 42 nights and cover various regions.

"Sailings closer to home may allow us to include more ports within the cruise duration, however, we must be mindful of the length of stays and if they will give a full guest experience,” she said. “Longer cruises require in-depth review, time zone changes to consider and a variety of regulations and requirements, so they can take more time to plan while we consider all the factors to include established favourites interspersed with new destinations.”

Port Selection

When creating itineraries, Ambassador factors in what ports will appeal to its guests, the availability and suitability for the ships, sailing times, speeds, fuel requirements and the seasons that give the best experience and will create consumer demand.

A successful itinerary offers both a range of destinations and enough time to enjoy the onboard experiences.

"While we recognize destinations are key to our itineraries, we want to ensure our guests also enjoy scenic cruising of rivers and fjords, providing a balance of time at sea and ashore. Successful itineraries create consumer demand for Ambassador, and we look to receive feedback from guests that will confirm demand for our future plans,” Lupino noted.

Ambassador’s first ship, the Ambience, will soon be joined by a second ship, the Ambition in 2023, which is the former AIDAmira.

"The Ambition, like her sister ship the Ambience, will offer no-fly sailings, part of our core brand offering. In addition to London Tilbury, she will also offer a summer 2023 program of regional departures from ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth, enabling guests across the UK to have a shorter distance to travel to the ship,” said Lupino.

Having both the 1,590-passenger Ambience and 1,428-passenger Ambition operate from regional ports will give Ambassador’s guests “a greater choice of sailings and ships on which to enjoy them,” she added.

Lupino told Cruise Industry News that the full 2023-2024 itinerary program for the Ambience and Ambition was expected to be announced in the second quarter of 2022.

Port space as the industry grows is a concern for ambassadors.

“Many regions have limited cruising seasons, and so availability is always something that we are aware may cause us to reconsider our programs. many ports of call are now introducing ‘out of season’ possibilities which we are happy to consider if they fit within our plans.” 

Photo: Ambience in Valletta (Photo: Valletta Cruise Port)

ACL's first 'modern' Paddlewheeler to launch in 2019

American Cruise Lines (ACL) has pushed back the expected launch of its more modern fleet of river cruise vessels by two years, to 2019.

Last year, when ACL first laid out plans for a fleet of modern ships for American rivers, they were slated to begin launching in 2017. This month, ACL said that construction is under way on the first of those riverboats, but that it is now expected to debut in 2019. The steel is currently being fabricated for what the company described as a "modern" paddlewheeler that will carry approximately 195 passengers. 

ACL did not provide any additional details about the new vessel, such as where it will sail, but did say that it is being built with the standards of European river cruising in mind and "with a level of comfort unprecedented on the American rivers."

Timothy Beebe, vice president of ACL, said in a statement that by "continually designing and building brand new ships", the company was able to increase the quality of its product. 

Earlier this year, American Cruise Lines launched its eighth ship, the 185-passenger Mississippi paddlewheeler, the America.

ACL has also begun construction on two new coastal cruise ships, with the first expected to launch in May 2017, and the second in 2018.

A rendering of the American Constellation. 

American Cruise Lines said it has two new coastal ships under construction that will carry 170 passengers each.

The first ship, the American Constellation, is expected to begin cruising in May. The second ship, yet unnamed, is scheduled for completion in 2018.

The summer inaugural season will be devoted to a new 10-night round-trip itinerary from Boston to destinations including Bar Harbor, Newport, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Both ships are being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., which is affiliated with American Cruise Lines. The design includes marbled tile bathrooms and large sliding glass doors in each cabin. 

ACL continues to add Columbia River capacity

This year marks American Cruise Lines’ fifth season on the Columbia and Snake Rivers with its 120-passenger paddlewheeler, the Queen of the West, which is now sailing more than double the number of cruises it sailed its first season in 2010, according to Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines.

The company is also in the process of building a new 175-passenger riverboat for the Columbia and Snake rivers, an exact launch date for which has yet to be announced.

American Cruise Lines acquired the Queen of the West in 2009, and has since completed several multi-million dollar renovations of the riverboat, according to the company. The Queen of the West operates eight-day cruises between Portland, Ore., and Clarkston, Wash.

In celebration on the Queen of the West’s five-year anniversary with ACL, the vessel’s first departure this year, on March 28, will include a complimentary pre-cruise package, featuring a bonus night onboard the riverboat, a private tour of the Pittock Mansion, a visit to the Portland Saturday Market, and a welcome reception and performance.

ACL newbuilds to ply Mississippi, Pacific Northwest rivers

By Michelle Baran

American Cruise Lines (ACL) will place the first two if its four upcoming new riverboats on the Mississippi River and on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The company announced in December that it would introduce four new vessels for U.S. river cruising between 2015 and 2017.

Construction has begun on the two riverboats at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, Md. They will join ACL’s existing vessels on the Mississippi and Columbia rivers — the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi and the 120-passenger Queen of the West.

The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to that of the Queen of the Mississippi and will enter service in March 2015. The new Columbia riverboat will be launched later in 2015 with a planned capacity of 175 passengers. Both will feature functioning paddlewheels.

“Demand on the Mississippi is high, and the Columbia River has not seen a new riverboat in many years,” Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines, said in a statement.

Both riverboats will feature historic accents and large staterooms with sliding glass doors offering passengers views from private balconies. A glass-enclosed dining room and various public lounge venues are planned.

ACL has not revealed names for the ships yet.