7 Nights Scandinavia Explorer Cruise

First cruise with Ambassador

First time with Ambassador cruises, I must write that everything was excellent, from embarkation, which was quick and easy, on board in 5mins. The restaurants and food were all fantastic with so much choice, we tended to go for breakfast in the main restaurant and have dinner in the Borough Market at a time that suited us better, it was the same food as in the main restaurant. The entertainment team were all great, led by Adam, but special mention must go to William, Will, Shalei & Emma who really made the cruise for us, from quizzes, to bingo, to gameshows to plays on stage and dancing in the Observatory late at night. We did plenty of trips, with the hi-light being the dog carting in Alta, and the Arctic train ride in Narvik. Our only complaint and it was only one was the trip to see the Northern lights in Alta, not because it rained and we did not see them as it is not guaranteed but it cost £250 a couple which we felt was a bit extortionate, otherwise the cruise was excellent, and Norway is a beautiful country. We were very impressed with all the staff who worked extremely hard so all the guests could enjoy themselves, special mention also to our cabin person Andy, who was efficient and helpful. We have already booked another cruise for next year and cannot wait to come back

Old School Cruising - Relaxing & Comfortable

It was a last-minute choice of cruise but we fell on our feet. Ambassador is targeted at the over 50s and most cruises are adult only. The Ambiance is not the most modern ship but it is immaculately maintained with the crew doing constant work to ensure it stays that way. Yes, some of the windows were blown and foggy, as many others have mentioned, but it made no impact to our holiday. We were looking for a cruise where we could just relax and enjoy the sights. We'd both had recent health issues and needed pampering plus time to recover. We're not the most fashionable couple and dressing up for meals and events just did not appeal. Thankfully we got exactly what we needed and wanted. We only went to the main dining room once and it was excellent. But sticking to our relaxed approach, we mainly kept with the buffet restaurant. The range & quality of food was excellent and the staff were so friendly & helpful. Our room was spacious for an outside cabin @ 19sq m. The washroom with shower was a practical size, especially as I'm 6'2'' and not slim. The available storage was impressive with two wardrobes and many drawers. The TV was pretty useless I both channels & image quality. Hair dryer tried to attack my wife, thankfully she'd brought her own as well. The rooms are old-fashioned in style but all the practicality is there and they are in a good state. Embarkation & disembarkation at Tilbury was a breeze. Parking so near and taking our bags from us on arrival to the car park made boarding so easy. We chose to take our bags off at the end of the cruise so we were away very early, but still with a full breakfast first of course. We attended only a few events. The in-house entertainment team were all very keen and energetic. Guest entertainment was of a high quality and we found them very engaging. Norway was, as ever, very picturesque and friendly. Due to the smaller size of the ship we never needed tenders and were very close to the locations we visited. All locations were easily within walking distance. Bergen Decided to rain all day, but even then we got to know the local shops extremely well. We didn't go on any organised excursions, but the feedback seemed positive. I spent the whole holiday in an ankle air boot. I needed a full-body massage to help with muscle pain. It was spot on and kept me going for the rest of the week. I am so grateful to the masseuse for her professionalism & knowledge. We made very little use of the drink venues on board and didn't have a drinks package. We found the buffet to be fine for our drinks needs, plus a fixed-price water package including a water bottle. To summarise, we greatly enjoyed our trip. The food was of great quality & freshness, staff friendly & helpful and fellow passengers a complete mix. For sure, we will be travelling Ambassador again in the future.

Ambience Bank Holiday cruise from Tilbury

There’s something rather special about Ambience. An elegant, stylish and intimate ship, easy to find your way around with an instantly welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. My cruise onboard Ambience was a 5-night Bank Holiday cruise from The London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury with calls at Zeebrugge, Bremerhaven and Amsterdam before returning to Tilbury. Embarkation at Tilbury was a breeze. My wife and I arrived by taxi and were dropped off at the terminal entrance where our luggage was whisked away by the porters. We were given a check in time of 12 noon for our arrival, and I would advise that you try to keep to your allocated time as closely as you can as there are limited seating and waiting facilities at the port. Our check in was quick and efficient, through security, passports and paperwork checked and we were onboard having lunch and enjoying a couple of glasses of wine in Borough Market located on deck 12 aft. Talking of drinks, although prices are very competitive, we did take advantage of the Expedition drinks package. An onboard drinks package includes service charges and gratuities and can be booked online up to 7 days before the sailing date and is something I would recommend. Full details of the packages are on the Ambassador website. After lunch we made our way to our cabin, a premium balcony cabin on deck 11, where our cases had already arrived, and we met our steward. Our cabin was very comfortable, well decorated with bathroom/shower, 2 super comfy beds which could be made into a double, UK 3 pin socket, small refrigerator, pool towels, safety deposit box, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, TV, sitting area, balcony with 2 loungers, air conditioning and plenty of wardrobe and drawer space. We were soon to be sailing, so we quickly joined other excited fellow guests for the sail away deck party. Drinks in hand we slowly pulled away from our berth and started sailing down the Thames Estuary. With a casual dress code for the evening we made our way to the Botanical Lounge Bar on deck 7. This bar and SW19 proved to be our favourite pre-dinner drinks spot for the cruise Ambience at 70,285 tonnes is designed to carry approximately 1400 guests creating an inviting and social atmosphere and is fitted with emission reducing technology. There are 798 cabins (23% balcony) ranging from 18 to 52 sq metres, a choice of 5 restaurants, 2 cafes, 9 lounges, 2 swimming pools, 2 hot tubs, a spa and fitness centre. Evening dress code is listed every day in ‘All Aboard’ the ships programme which is delivered to your cabin every evening and on our 5-night cruise there was one gala night where dressing up is encouraged, with men wearing dinner jackets or lounge suits and the ladies evening or cocktail dresses. Dining is an important aspect of any cruise and Ambience doesn’t disappoint, the food is exceptional and outstanding! The main dining venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner (2 sittings) is the Buckingham Restaurant, which is beautifully furnished, very comfortable and offers a great menu every night and first-class service. Borough Market on deck 12 offers a buffet style service for all meals again with a wide choice. There’s a Al Fresco Grill when weather permits and two speciality restaurants, Saffron the Indian and Asian inspired restaurant and Sea & Grass which offers an exclusive tasting menu. In addition there is the exclusive VIP dining experience – Chefs Table. An outstanding 9 course menu. We had the Sea and Grass Speciality Restaurant booked on one night of our cruise and the whole experience and food was amazing – don’t miss it! One of the many things I liked about this ship was the plentiful lounges and bars where you could sit and relax. SW19, Purple Turtle Pub, Botanical Lounge Bar, Raffles, Pool Bar, Centre Court (the atrium) and the Observatory Lounge at the top of the ship with great views. There’s a library and shopping galleria onboard too. Showtime: Day and evening entertainment on Ambience was very good. In the evenings, aside from live music in the lounges, the Palladium is the focus for shows with the Ambience Theatre Show Company providing great entertainment. On our first night there was a fabulous revue style show called ‘Through the Decades of Detroit Motown and Soul’ featuring songs from the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5 to name but a few. After the show if you fancy a flutter there’s the Casino on deck 6 and perhaps disco dancing may appeal in the Observatory Lounge. Ambience is very popular and the future cruise desk on deck 5 was always busy with guests booking future cruises and picking up some great deals. Cruising allows you to travel to wonderful destinations taking home special memories. Ambassador offers a wide range of destinations from Tilbury to suit a wide range of tastes and budgets. For our trip we took advantage of the Destinations Experience organised by Ambassador Cruise Lines. Experiences were available for each port and again my advice to avoid any disappointment is to pre book online, although a Destination Experience desk is onboard. Destinations: Our first port of call was Zeebrugge and popular tours to Bruges were on offer. A complimentary bus service was laid on from the quayside to Blankenberg which is a Belgian town with a long beach and promenade about 5 miles along the coast. The main street is a haven of small shops and restaurants and along here we enjoyed a lunch of Belgian French fries, mayonnaise and a glass of local beer! Bremerhaven in Germany was our port of call the following day. This destination was new to me and I found that the city had many attractions on offer ranging from the German Maritime Museum and the Zoo to the wartime U-boat "Wilhelm Bauer". After a lovely day at sea, we arrived in the port of Ijmuiden where coaches had been laid on to Amsterdam. A drive of about 40 minutes to the centre. It doesn’t take you long to realise why this city is called ‘the Venice of The North’ with its picturesque canals and historic architecture it’s well worth visiting. Wellness Centre The GreenSea Spa and Wellness Centre is an oasis of calm located on deck 2 with an extensive beauty and therapy list at very reasonable prices. Open daily from 8am to 9pm featuring Classic Massage Therapies, Ultimate Body Treatments, Hair Styling, Hand and Foot Care and Sauna to name but a few. I had an excellent treatment from the Men’s World list whilst my wife chose a light touch massage technique that stimulates the lymphatic system which she said was one of the best treatments she has ever had! Conclusion: Ambassador Cruise Line gave us an incredible cruise experience on Ambience, not forgetting of course their signature ‘Baked Alaska’ parade on the last night. The elegant ship, the friendly, smiling staff, the destinations, what a fabulous way to travel, no fly from Tilbury. Ambassador has a fantastic cruise ship in Ambience and we can’t wait to sail with them again.