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Ambassador Cruise Line has quickly gained a loyal following among UK cruisers, offering no-fly sailings, fascinating itineraries and a refreshingly traditional cruise experience. While many people recognise the brand name, there are still plenty of details that aren’t always obvious at first glance.
If you’re considering an Ambassador cruise, here are a few things you might not know – from how many ships the cruise line has to what the dress code is really like on board.
How Many Ships Does Ambassador Cruise Line Have?
A common question for those new to the brand is how many ships Ambassador Cruise Line has.
Ambassador Cruise Line now operates a fleet of three ships: Ambience, Ambition and Renaissance.
While Ambience and Ambition may be the most familiar names to many UK cruisers, the addition of Renaissance expands Ambassador’s offering and gives guests more choice when it comes to ship size, style and itinerary focus.
Are Ambassador Cruises Adults Only?
Yes – Ambassador Cruises are adult-only.
All Ambassador sailings are restricted to guests aged 18 and over, which creates a calm, relaxed atmosphere on board. This makes the cruise line particularly appealing to couples, solo travellers and groups of friends who enjoy a quieter on board experience without children’s clubs, splash areas or family-focused entertainment.
The adults-only policy also shapes the style of activities and entertainment on board, which tend to focus on enrichment, live music, talks and classic cruise entertainment rather than high-energy attractions.
Where Does Ambassador Cruises Sail From?
Ambassador Cruise Line offers a wide-ranging programme of itineraries, with a strong focus on cruises from the UK and easy, no-fly cruising.
Ambience and Ambition sail from seven UK regional ports, including London Cruise Terminal (Tilbury), Bristol, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast and Liverpool. This makes Ambassador a popular choice for guests who want to avoid flying and begin their cruise closer to home.
Where Can I Sail With Ambassador Cruise Line?
Ambassador is particularly well known for its longer cruises and extended itineraries, including world cruises, grand voyages and in-depth regional explorations. These sailings appeal to travellers who enjoy unhurried travel, more sea days and the chance to truly settle into life on board.
Shorter cruises are available, too, but the cruise line’s strength lies in offering time-rich itineraries that feel more immersive.
Destinations include the British Isles, the Norwegian Fjords and Iceland, as well as a selection of short break cruises ideal for first-time cruisers or those looking for a shorter escape. During the winter months, Ambassadors’ itineraries expand further afield, with exploration-style voyages to the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and the Caribbean.
For guests who enjoy the idea of combining a flight with a cruise, Renaissance offers a choice of fly-cruise itineraries to the Caribbean, blending the ease of flying with the relaxed pace of life at sea.
What Is the Dress Code on Ambassador Cruises?
Another popular question is around the Ambassador Cruises dress code.
Ambassador keeps things refreshingly straightforward. During the day, the dress code is relaxed and casual, ideal for sightseeing, sea days and time on deck. Evenings are generally smart casual, with the option to dress up for formal nights.
Formal evenings are optional rather than compulsory, meaning guests can choose to participate or keep things low-key. Jackets and ties are not required, and there’s no pressure to pack a full evening wardrobe. This flexible approach suits travellers who enjoy a traditional cruise feel without overly strict rules.
Are Drinks Packages Available?
While Ambassador cruises aren’t all-inclusive as standard, the cruise line offers a selection of drinks packages designed to help guests manage on board spending.
There are options for those who enjoy alcoholic drinks, as well as non-alcoholic packages covering soft drinks and other refreshments. Choosing the right package can make a noticeable difference to the overall cost of your cruise.
If you’d like a full breakdown of what’s included and how much drinks packages cost, you can read our detailed guide.
Ambassador Cruise Line drinks package guide
Find out more about the drinks packages available on Ambassador Cruise Line’s sailings
Book Ambassador Cruise Line with Bolsover Cruise Club
When you book your Ambassador Cruise Line holiday with Bolsover Cruise Club, you benefit from expert advice from a team that knows the fleet, itineraries and on board experience in detail. Whether you’re choosing between Ambience, Ambition or Renaissance, deciding on the right itinerary, or weighing up options such as drinks packages, we’re here to help you make the right choice.
With UK departures, adults-only cruising and a relaxed on board atmosphere, Ambassador Cruise Line offers a distinctive style of cruising. Our cruise specialists will guide you through every step of the booking process, ensuring you can book with confidence and look forward to your cruise, knowing everything is taken care of.
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15 thoughts on “Things You Might Not Know About Ambassador Cruise Line”
I also went on the round British Isles trip last July. My experience was positive, particularly the entertainment, which was excellent. I also went down with covid on my return! My friend and I booked for the pre-Christmas mini cruise on Ambience, to the Belgian Christmas Markets, which ended up being cancelled. We have used the compensation package to book for the tour of Shetlands and the Faroes on Ambition. I am still awaiting a confirmation invoice from Ambassador. My impression of them is that they genuinely want to treat their customers well, but there are a few glitches in the application of that principle.
We have just came back from the round British isles trip. Staff food and entertainment very good. We had a problem with the hair dryer would not operate the light in the bathroom did not work and we had a leak from the ceiling and clothes got damp.All was put right but this really should not have happened. To top it off all four of us in our group all tested positive for Covid the day after we arrived home.
Ambaasador provide excellent value for money. My party of 5 (me at 92 plus son and2 grandchildren) went on the Norway cruise. Very good welcome and all well untill it came to sleeping. Our two cabins were at the stern and despite being on Deck 9 we were all kept awake by the vibration s from the engine room.
A request next morning for a change of cabins was negative at Reception, but 4 hours later they suddenly told me that we could move to the front of the ship on Deck6. This was accepted and proved very satisfactory..
The main Dining Room is the biggest I have ever seen (Cunard, P&O, Fred Olsen and others.) and served excellent food. The food in the Buffet Dining Room was also very good, but difficult to get a table for all of us, and I had to complain that the food was mostly lukewarm .
The staff are overworked and seem to have 2 jobs- the embarkation was all done by the ships crew ashore, and the disembarkation was a disgrace. Tilbury cannot be recommended as a cruise terminal. Our cabin class could not disembark untill 11 am ( Docked at 9am), unless we carried all our own luggage ashore, which we did along with an estimated 85% of the passengers. We were warned that there are no toilets nor sitting areas on disembarkation , so we were left ashore standing in the hot sunshine. The shuttle Bus to the Railway Station was not running, and I could only find one Port Of London employee, who tried to get me a seat, but failed. Very little space for cars to park so it was chaotic. Tilbury is Not Fit For Purpose.
Norway was however SUPERBE, as was the ships entertainment.
I’m sorry to say our experience of Ambience was not a good one. The ship really does not look or seem ready for customers. From the leaking roof in the bar at the top and front, to the air-conditioning not working (and we were isolated in our inside cabin due to covid) to the surly waiter to the shambles that was the covid positive people’s disembarkation. It is definitely NOT an experience we will be repeating.
please send a brochure
Hi Mary, we don’t have any Ambassador brochures in stock at the minute. You can request one direct by following this link. https://www.ambassadorcruiseline.com/brochures/
Please let me know the expected times of the evening shows in the show lounge. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment.
The evening shows onboard Ambience in the Show Lounge will usually take place around sitting times, so there will be an early show and a later one. I hope this helps with your query. Merry Christmas.
looking forward to the brochure no sign of it yet.
We’re booked on the Canada cruise next year. Looks to be a nice trip. Three wishes – I wish their brochure was in portrait format, not landscape. I wish they would take the miserable purple colour out of the general presentation. I wish they would simplify the classes and packages. Nonetheless, we hope it works out for them and look forward to giving them a try.
Good morning Ivan,
Wow, the Canada cruise does sound amazing, I’m sure it will all be worth it and we look forward to your feedback on return.
Asked for a brochure but not received one from them.
Would much prefer the option of freedom dining rather than 1st/2nd sitting.
Good morning Susan,
If you’d like to give our Cruise Experts a call on 01246 819 819 and we can look into the brochure order for you? Ambassador Cruise Line are going with the traditional dining of just the 1st or 2nd sitting for the time being. Although, things can change.
Please could we have a Brochure on the Ambience as it sounds and looks like the perfect cruise liner for my wife and myself. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely David and Kathleen Clarke
Good morning David,
We hope you’re both well. I have passed your details on to one of our Cruise Experts to look into this for you.