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)
