Ambassador Cruise Line will homeport its first ship, the 1,400-guest Ambience, in Tilbury; sales will open in June, with the line’s inaugural sailing, a short break to Hamburg, fixed for 6 April next year.
Ambience, which was built in 1991 and christened Regal Princess by Margaret Thatcher, will then embark on a mixed itinerary programme sailing the Norwegian Fjords and British Isles.
Its first full programme will get under way in May 2023 and will consist of 33 sailings taking in 88 ports, visiting the Baltics and St Petersburg, Greenland, the Arctic and Iceland; winter sailings will include a range of expedition-style voyages sailing to the Canary Islands, Cuba, the Caribbean, Cape Verde and Scandinavia.
Ambassador said a trade sales team would be going out to agents shortly to encourage new trade partners to register for further details. A brochure will also be available.
The line is fully equity-financed and carries no debt, with backing from London-based equity house Njord Partners; chair Gordon Wilson brings more than 30 years’ travel experience to the role, serving as president and chief executive of Travelport until July 2019. He said the line would create "at least 100" jobs in the UK.
Verhounig, meanwhile, was chief executive of CMV, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, when the line collapsed in July last year. He acquired some of the line’s assets, including its customer database and booking systems, with a view to relaunching CMV. He will assume the role of Ambassador’s chief executive.
Christopher Coates has been appointed Ambassador’s chief commercial officer, Gary Hides chief information officer, and Simon Weeks chief financial officer. All three are formerly of CMV.
"We are hugely excited to launch the first British cruise line in over a decade," said Wilson. "It is just what the industry needs right now to reboot the British cruise market and inject confidence into the sector. Ambassador Cruise Line offers the best of British cruising – we’re a new company offering a distinctive product but maintaining traditional cruising values we know are important to our guests.
"This is just the beginning. We have ambitious growth plans, and the travel industry is a crucial partner in this. We’re looking forward to working collaboratively with agents, partners and the shipping community.
"Investment on this scale, and the launch of such a significant business as we emerge from the pandemic, will make a significant contribution to the local economy and travel industry, particularly as we look to fill at least 100 jobs from the UK."
Trade support
Ambassador launches with a commitment to achieving International Maritime Organization Tier 3 standards. It has pledged to update Ambience with emission reduction technologies prior to sailing. The ship will also be equipped with modern ballast and sewage water treatment system allowing it to sail in all seas, including those under strict environmental protections.
There will be no single-use plastic onboard, while menus, shore plans and activity schedules will be available digitally.
All Ambassador bookings will be financially protected, with the line operating an independent trust account model that will release funds to the line upon departure. It said it would offer a "booking guarantee" in the event it is forced to cancel a cruise, but offered no further details of this upon launch.
All guests and crew will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
A seven-night European cruise with Ambassador, departing Tilbury, is expected to cost from around £850pp on a full-board basis. Detailing pricing for individual itineraries will be available from June, which will include introductory offers. It will also launch a 68-page brochure.
"The trade sales team will be reaching out to agents and encouraging trade partners to sign up to the registration website for more news and information about the range of itineraries and Ambience," the line added.
