I was very lucky to be given the opportunity by Ambassador Cruise Line to visit their second ship in the fleet, Ambition for the day. On arrival at the terminal building, there were plenty of staff to show us where to go and what to do. This made the boarding process easy and seamless. Shortly we were onboard being served coffee and biscuits by some of the friendly waiter staff.
We then began our tour of the ship, starting with the cabins on deck 12. These were my favourite cabins on the ship because they are almost hidden away behind a door so it is like having a private corridor with only 18 other cabins, meaning noise and traffic outside the cabins will be kept to a minimum. On deck 12 you will find junior and premium suites. I personally think that the Junior suites are a great option for those who want a bit more space without breaking the bank. In the cabin you will have a double or twin bed, living space with a sofa, decent size bathroom with a shower and bath or a shower over the bath depending on the cabin number. All these cabins also have their own private balcony.
However, for those who are looking for something a bit more budget friendly, the inside and outside cabins are a great option. They are both the same size and layout, the only difference is that the outside cabins have a lovely picture window providing great ocean views and natural light. There are plenty of these cabins to choose from and they are all located on decks 7, 8 and 9.
We then moved down to deck 11 to explore the buffet restaurant, the pool area and the spa. The buffet restaurant, Borough Market, is beautifully decorated and has both indoor and outdoor seating. It’s the perfect spot for a casual lunch. Out on the pool deck there are lots of sun loungers and comfy chairs around a small pool as well as two hot tubs. The spa has lots of treatment rooms with floor to ceiling windows so that you can relax and enjoy the view. The sauna and stream room are complimentary for all guests however the spa and beauty treatments were all very reasonably priced.
Decks 5 and 6 are where you will find the two main dining rooms, bars and entertainment. I am a massive foodie and I can assure you that you will not go hungry on this cruise! I was lucky enough to be treated to a three course waiter service lunch in one of the main dining rooms called Holyrood. This is the slightly smaller restaurant of the two, the other one being the Buckingham Restaurant. The waiter staff in here were amazing and as with all the staff, nothing was too much trouble for them. There are also two speciality restaurants onboard Ambition which are great if you would like an alternative to the main dining restaurant. Guests can dine in here from only £19.95 per person. Lupinos is the speciality Mediterranean restaurant and Saffron is an Indian restaurant.
There are plenty of bars to choose from onboard and they all have live entertainment in the evening with the exception of the Purple Turtle wine bar. The entertainment will vary throughout the cruise and can be anything such as musicians, comedians, guest speakers and more. On deck 8 they have the Palladium which is the theatre where they host stage shows. The staff encourage you to take your drinks into the theatre so most of the seats have little tables in front which I think is a really nice touch.
In addition to all the things I have listed above, Ambition also has plenty of places for you to sit and relax or socialise with other guests such as the library, games room, shopping gallery, reception area and much more. Something else which I really liked were the interactive screens placed all around the ship where you can find out everything that's going on that day, what the weather is like in port and even directions of how to find something on the ship in case you get lost!
In summary, even though Ambition is a small ship there is plenty to see, do, eat and experience onboard Ambition. The staff provide an exceptional service and it is clear that they really do love their jobs and that they will do anything they can to make sure you have a great time. The ship has a lovely warm feel to it and I really do believe that there is something for everyone onboard.
If you are thinking about booking with Ambassador or just interested in some more information please don’t hesitate to contact me with any of your questions or queries on [email protected], call me on 01275 774 454 or come in and see me in our Portishead store.
