On arrival to Bristol Portbury Port for my first ever cruise, a 2-night taster cruise on Ambassador, I was filled with excitement as the bus transport from the car park approached the Ambition ship pulling up right next to her. I made my way to my cabin which was 8024; an inside cabin which had plenty of room with twin beds, coffee and tea facilities and plenty of storage. I unpacked and then made my way eagerly to the lift where I could see which deck I wanted to explore first.
Making my way up to Deck 11 for Borough Market, the buffet restaurant for lunch, I came across a games area, which offered table tennis, darts and table football. This is located in a covered area so it is ideal if you want to play in all weather. Walking further along the sun deck placed on either side are two hot tubs and in the centre 2 pools, the swimming pool which was a little larger than the active pool and had a great feature of water fountains. It was quite chilly whilst on I was on board in November going around the British Isles so I opted to make my way to the Spa to see what it had to offer.
The scent as you walk through the spa instantly relaxes you, there is the option to book treatments and I can recommend booking early as these are popular and get booked up quickly. As well as massages and treatments they also have a hair salon offering hairstyling, waxing, eyelash, eyebrow and nail appointments. There is a fantastic gym that provides an ample amount of machines from cardio to weights, free weights are also available to use. Classes are also held here from fun spin to yoga and many more. What I liked about the gym is that there was lots of space and the view of the open ocean as you worked out gave you the option to dolphin spot!
In the spa facilities, there are robes that you can wear and two saunas which both have large floor-to-ceiling windows so you can sit back relax and enjoy the views. There is also a steam room and showers available around the spa. One of my favourite areas I enjoyed was the relaxation room, lying on a comfortable lounger with soft music playing and looking out to sea was calming and could have easily fallen into a nap however I was off to explore more of what the ship had to offer!
Later that evening we had a lovely meal as a team in the Saffron which is one of the speciality restaurants which was fantastic, having a gluten-free diet I felt like I didn’t miss out on anything. I asked the waiters if my choice on the menu could be made Gluten Free and this was met, it was delicious. After dinner, we made our way to The Palladium where the evening show was going to start at 9.30pm, A night in Nashville! I also went to the Palladium during the trip to watch In Conversation with Linda Lusardi, it was great to find out about her career, family life and her upcoming ventures and also attended the Remembrance Service to pay our respects.
The palladium was busy as we walked in each evening but we were able to find a seat and then the show started…WOW, the talent of all the performers was outstanding they mixed up a variation of older country songs with a mix of up-to-date music with a country mix on it, I was in awe of the costumes, set and professionalism. If you prefer a quiet area after dinner there is options to sit in other bars where they may play piano, guitar or live singing in The Cavern.
The Cavern is where many guests move onto after the evening show in the palladium has finished this is where the entertainment continues. Game shows, bingo, and trivia quizzes all happen in The Cavern and another part of the cruise that was a highlight was the silent disco. On the following evening, there was an ABBA evening which was lots of fun and got us all up onto the large dancefloor. There is a bar here with many waiters who come around to your table and take your drink order. If you’re looking for a quiet area on board the ship, Ambition has a library and in the centre of the room there is a table with a large puzzle placed, it was lovely to see different guests throughout the journey adding to the puzzle. Next to the Library is a room called Aces and Eights, this is a lovely room with tables topped with baize.
I am so grateful that I was able to experience my time on Ambition ship and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing all that it has to offer regarding facilities on board.
