Words by David Powell
There’s something rather special about Ambience: an elegant, stylish and intimate ship that’s easy to find your way around with an instantly welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. My cruise onboard Ambience was a five 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 seven 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, two super comfy beds, which could be made into a double, UK three pin socket, small refrigerator, pool towels, safety deposit box, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, TV, sitting area, balcony with two 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 seven. This bar and SW19 proved to be our favourite pre-dinner drinks spots for the cruise.
Ambience, at 70,285 tonnes, is designed to carry approximately 1,400 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 five restaurants, two cafes, nine lounges, two swimming pools, two 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. On our five-night cruise there was one gala night where dressing up is encouraged, with men wearing dinner jackets or lounge suits and the ladies in 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 (two sittings) is the Buckingham Restaurant, which is beautifully furnished, very comfortable and offers a great menu every night along with first-class service. Borough Market, on deck 12, offers a buffet style service for all meals, again with a wide choice.
There’s Al Fresco Grill when weather permits and two speciality restaurants: Saffron, the Indian and Asian inspired restaurant, and Sea and Grass, which offers an exclusive tasting menu. In addition there is the exclusive VIP dining experience, Chefs Table. An outstanding nine 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, including 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.
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 Five, to name but a few. After the show, if you fancy a flutter there’s the casino on deck six and perhaps disco dancing may appeal in the Observatory Lounge.
Ambience is very popular and the future cruise desk on deck five 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 there is a Destination Experience desk onboard.
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 five 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 with 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.
The GreenSea Spa and Wellness Centre is an oasis of calm located on deck two 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.
In a nutshell
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.
Factbox
For more information on Ambassador’s cruises visit ambassadorcruiseline.com
Images of Ambience courtesy of Ambassador Cruise Line.
