FAQs

Cabins are fitted with UK 3 pin socket with some allowing for USB charging.

To enable guests to budget for any extra costs, we are offering a selection of Ambassador Drinks Packages that include service charges, gratuities, and other additions. Savings are available on these packages when booked and paid for before your cruise. 

Please note drinks package prices will be increasing on 1 September 2023, we would advise guests looking at purchasing a package to do so before this date otherwise new higher prices will be in effect. 

During the day, we suggest that you wear casual clothing for your comfort. For the evenings on board, every day the Daily Programme suggests, as a guide, a mode of dress for that particular evening’s events.  
There are generally two ‘formal’ or gala nights planned every 7-12 nights when many gentlemen wear dinner jackets, although a lounge suit is quite acceptable. Ladies on these occasions have a chance to dress up and often opt for evening or cocktail dresses. Please note that jeans, T-Shirts, shorts and open neck shirts are not permitted in the main restaurant on Formal or Gala evenings. 
On evenings proposed as ‘smart’, a suit or smart jacket and trousers, with or without a tie, for the men is suggested and the ladies have further opportunities to look elegant in cocktail dresses or trouser suits.  
A ‘casual’ recommendation often covers evenings spent in port or when a special event such as a deck party is scheduled.  In these cases, the choice of dress is left entirely to you.

As general guidance, the number of formal nights onboard is as follows:

Our beverage prices are very competitive with a typical Gin & Tonic (Tanqueray) costing around £4.65, a large beer £3.80, a cappuccino £2.45, Coca-Cola £2.55 and our cocktails costing approximately £4.65. 

Of course, this can be done during the online check-in process. Please visit My Ambassador Sailing (ambassadorcruiseline.com) once within 72 hours of sailing.

Those who wish to settle their account in cash, must place a cash deposit to their onboard account at Reception within 24 hours of boarding.

All prices onboard our ships are quoted in sterling. A cashless system is in operation for all your onboard purchases. An account is opened for you at the start of your cruise for purchasing goods and services on board. All purchases are charged to your shipboard account and a final invoice is presented at the end of the cruise itemising all charges. This can be settled by MasterCard or Visa credit cards, or by Visa debit cards.  Guests who prefer to pay by cash may top-up their cruise card by visiting reception.

Guests wishing to charge onboard expenditure to their credit card must register their chosen card during the embarkation process. Your card will be pre-authorized for £1.  This pre-authorization will appear on your bank statement as a pending transaction until the end of your cruise.

During your cruise we will top-up your pre-authorised or pending amount in line with your account activity. You can check your account balance at any time using the ALL ABOARD APP, or at the self-service kiosks located around the ship.  Your account will be closed at 0300 hrs on the day of disembarkation, at which point your onboard balance will be settled automatically and any remaining pre-authorised amount will be cancelled within 24 hours. Please note any purchases made after this point must be cash only.

Yes, both Ambience and Ambition have a self-service laundrette that guests can use for a small charge. Please speak to the Reception once onboard for further details.

Evening highlights include production shows from our talented show team of professional entertainers and live acts. Music and dance feature prominently as well as quizzes, various games, activities, and our very detailed guest speaker programme. Full details will be confirmed in the Daily Programme.

Ballroom dancing and dance hosts may only be available on selected sailings but are not available on every sailing. Full details will be confirmed in the Daily Programme once on board. Themed Cruises are advised in our Cruise Collection brochure and on our website in the Onboard Experience section.

The onboard shops are open daily when the ship is at sea, but local customs regulations do not permit the sale of duty-free goods whilst a ship is in port.

On Sundays at sea, we offer an interdenominational church service.

We kindly ask that sunbeds are not reserved in advance and are only utilised whilst you are actually using them.

It is strictly prohibited to bring alcohol aboard at embarkation and any found will be confiscated and stored until the end of the cruise. Any alcohol purchases made ashore during the cruise should be handed to Security on re-joining the ship.  These will be returned upon disembarkation.

Foldable bicycles are permitted but these must be stored in your cabin at all times and it is the guest's responsibility to take them on/off the ship in all ports.

Our pools are not heated and are filled with seawater which is chlorinated and treated. Please note that due to local customs regulations, the pools may not be filled during port days and for health and safety reasons are emptied each evening.

In all cabins, there are beach towels for your use around the pools and open decks. If you should take them ashore, please ensure you bring these back to the ship or you may be charged for a replacement.

Any child using the pools onboard must be supervised by a parent/guardian at all times. For public health reasons, children in nappies (including swim nappies) and children who are not toilet trained are not permitted in the public swimming pools and/or whirlpools onboard.

You will find a 24-hour room service menu in your cabin, offering a range of drinks and snacks, both hot and cold. Room service costs will be charged to your onboard account.

An attractive programme of optional Destination Experiences is offered at the majority of our ports of call. The exact content, pricing and full details of the programme and how to pre-book will be communicated to you closer to your sailing departure. Availability permitting, you will also be able to book once onboard with our Destination Experiences Team, who will be pleased to assist you in selecting the Experiences most suitable for your requirements.

Of course! Please visit the guest services team to view the wonderful Ambassador Moments that we offer. They are sure to help you celebrate in style. 

We may be able to offer this however, this is at the discretion of the local port authorities and we must follow their regulations.  We can make the necessary enquiries for you but it may take some time to seek approval. Please contact one of our Guest Services Team at guestservices@ambassadorcruiseline.com to discuss further.

You may wish to inform your family, friends, or business associates that, whilst on board, you can be contacted via the ship’s satellite telephone system. Calls will be picked up in Reception and can then be transferred to the cabin. 

Wi-fi packages will be available to purchase once on board, at the costs shown below:

Please note these packages are subject to change at any time. 

All guests must be at least 18 years at the time of sailing, with the exception of our advertised multi-generational cruises.

Children under three may occupy a cot. These are permitted in all grades of cabin, providing the number of guests doesn’t exceed the maximum capacity. As we have a limited number of travel cots onboard, we kindly suggest that you bring your own.

Guests are requested to smoke only in the designated smoking areas on open decks. E-Cigarettes or similar are permitted only in the designated smoking areas.

All your unforgettable experiences onshore and onboard will be photographed, as well as sound and image recordings captured by our professional team of photographers. The images will be presented on board and will be available for guests to purchase.

The sound and image recordings may be broadcast on the ship's TV channel during the cruise and also used to produce the travel film, which guests of the respective voyage will be able to purchase.

If you do not want to be photographed or filmed, please inform the photographer present. Images presented in the digital photo gallery can also be removed from the display instantly at your request, please alert a member of the photo team to do this.

The photos available to purchase can be found at the onboard digital photo display. To simplify the selection and in line with Ambassador’s substantial values, we have an automatic biometric photo matching process, through facial recognition. This reduces the need to print and waste paper however, this process is optional and it is possible to make purchases without using this process.

All photographs will be stored for 60 days, after the end of the cruise. This is to fulfil any warranty claims and/or post-cruise sales.

The currency on board is Pounds Sterling (£ - GBP).

The reception will hold a limited amount of certain local currency onboard and operate a small bureau de change facility to enable you to exchange your sterling and/or euros to certain currencies. However, guests requiring a large amount of currency are strongly advised to obtain this in the UK prior to the cruise.

For your greater convenience, we operate an automatic service charge and gratuity system which is automatically added to your onboard account.

For guests sailing on/after 1 September 2023 an amount of £7 per person per night (£6 per person per night on cruises of 15 nights or more per night) - will be automatically added to your onboard account. For children aged 12-17 years of age, where applicable on a multi-generational sailing, an amount of £4 per person per night will be automatically added to your onboard account. Gratuities on Ambience's Grand Round The World Cruise have been frozen and will remain at £5pppn.

All service charges and gratuities are collated, so a portion goes to each crew member, who helps to make your cruise special.

If you notice an issue that makes you think twice about our service charge, be sure to speak with one of our Guest Services Team who will try to resolve the matter before a charge adjustment becomes necessary. Even if you had a negative experience with a particular employee, seriously consider whether it warrants removing your gratuities altogether, keeping in mind that because of one crew member the whole team is affected. Of course, if you want to also reward a crew member personally in addition for excellent service, feel free to do so!

If you purchase one of our Ambassador Drinks Packages, gratuities are also included. However, please note that the gratuity contribution cannot be removed from any of the packages.

The services of our qualified medical staff are available to you onboard in the event of ‘mal de mer’ or an emergency. It should be noted that the NHS does not cover treatment on the ship and there is a scale of charges for surgery visits and medical treatment.

Ambassador Cruise Line warmly welcomes guests with disabilities, including those with mobility restrictions as well as restricted sight and hearing. However, with the very different nature of a cruising holiday when compared to one on land, and purely for safety reasons, such guests should be accompanied by an able-bodied, or a fully sighted/hearing companion (as appropriate), who will be responsible for providing any assistance that you may require both onboard and ashore.

Ambience has thirteen cabins adapted for those needing mobility aids, and Ambition has two. 

Guests booked into one of our Disabled cabins, will be able to use their mobility aid throughout the vessel; however, those taking a wheelchair or scooter for temporary use only, may be asked to park or leave their mobility aid in designated areas near certain public venues, including the restaurants and show lounges, in order to leave access routes clear. Guests who are not booked in a Disabled cabin must be able to walk short distances in some venues, without the support of larger mobility equipment (eg scooters).

There are size and weight restrictions for the mobility equipment that can be taken onboard. For further information of the restrictions in place, please refer to our Mobility Policy which can be found here: Mobility Policy | Ambassador Cruise Line

For your comfort and convenience, the interior temperature is centrally set at 21c/22c.

There will be two dinner sittings and on days at sea, these sittings are normally timed to commence from 18.00hrs and 20.15hrs. These timings may vary during port days. Please state any preferences for a particular dinner sitting and/or table size at the time of booking. Please note that any specified preference is made on a request basis only and cannot be guaranteed.

Breakfasts and lunches are generally served in the restaurants on an open seating basis.

Yes, Ambience offers two speciality restaurants onboard. Saffron is our Indian & Asian inspired restaurant and will be charged from £16.95pp. Sea and Grass is our fine dining experience and will be charged from £27.95pp (with the opinion of an additional £5pp for wine pairing).

Ambition also offers two speciality restaurants onboard. Again, Saffron is our Indian & Asian inspired restaurant and will be charged from £16.95pp. Lupino’s is our Mediterranean-style restaurant with a relaxed, al-fresco feel and will be charged from £14.95pp.

Please click here for further information: The Dining Experience | Ambassador Cruise Line

We will try our best to accommodate this request, however, please inform us of this at the time of booking, or as soon as possible. Please note that any dining seating requests cannot be guaranteed unless you have booked an Ambassador Fare.

Yes, all cabins have tea and coffee making facilities. For health and safety reasons, guests are not permitted to take their own kettle on board. Complimentary tea and coffee are provided from various stations 24 hours a day.

Safety deposit boxes for your valuable items, jewellery, money, and documents are available in each cabin on board.

All cabins and suites onboard Ambience have a small fridge however onboard Ambition, only certain grades of cabin have fridges.

Should you need to store medication and do not have a fridge in your cabin, please speak to Reception once onboard and they will be able to arrange suitable storage for you.

Yes, towels are provided and changed daily, however, if you want to help the environment, speak to your cabin steward and have these changed as and when needed.

No, for safety reasons we cannot allow guests to use an iron in their cabin.

Onboard both ships, there are self-service ironing facilities for guests to use free of charge.

Cabin upgrades are usually chargeable either pre-cruise or onboard but on some occasions, there may be an opportunity for a complimentary upgrade. However, to be considered, you will need to select the ‘Complimentary Upgrade’ option at the time of booking. If your cabin is upgraded, your new cabin number will be confirmed once online check-in opens, 72 hours before sailing. Please note this option applies to pre-cruise upgrades only. Any available upgrades once onboard will be chargeable. 

In ports of call where it is not permitted for guests to walk inside the port, a complimentary shuttle service will be provided to either the port gates or the local town. In some ports of call, if local regulations allow, an optional shuttle service may be provided and a cover charge for this will apply. Please note that not all ports of call require a shuttle service owing to their proximity to the local town/city.  Further information on shuttle services will be available once you are onboard.

Please note we do not offer any printed documentation.

As a sustainable cruise line, all cruise information and documentation will be available online only, through our My Ambassador Sailing (ambassadorcruiseline.com) facility on our website.

Here, you will be able to add your passport details, provide us with your travel insurance and next of kin information, add Drinks Packages to your booking, pay your balance (if booked directly with us) view our Terms and Conditions of Carriage, view your allocated cabin number and embarkation time, plus much more.

Once within 72 hours of sailing, you’ll also be able to check-in for your cruise, complete the Health Declaration, download your boarding pass, car park permit/coach voucher and luggage labels. 

To assist with setting up your My Ambassador Sailing account, we have prepared this useful video: https://youtu.be/2V9szQetuOw

As all our documentation will be accessible online only, you must have an email address in order to make a booking. Please call our Sales Team for further information.

We do not offer any option of printed documentation. All cruise information and documentation will be available online only through our ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ facility. 

A passport is essential for all cruises, including mini-cruises and sailings around the British Isles and the Republic of Ireland, and all British Citizens must hold a full 10-year passport. For travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must meet the Schengen area rules. As a general rule, your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be: 1. less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’) 2. valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’).  For travel outside of the EU your passport should be valid for 6 months after the date of your return. We will follow UK Government advice (which can be found here Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) however it is worth noting, that passport requirements when entering by sea, may differ from the entry requirements when arriving by air. If in any doubt of the validity of your passport, please contact our Guest Services Team at least three months prior to travel.

If you do not hold a valid 10-year British passport, please note it can take up to twelve weeks to obtain a new one. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel.

For our Onboard Festive Events, a passport is not compulsory however all guests must present photographic identification at embarkation.

It is a guest’s own responsibility to ensure that they hold the correct documentation to visit the countries shown on their chosen itinerary. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides up to date information for all British travellers – visit www.fco.gov.uk. Failure to have the correct documents prior to sailing will result in you being denied boarding. The Visa Travel Company is Ambassador Cruise Line’s preferred visa, testing and entry provider. They can offer help and advice on specific requirements for Ambassador Cruise Line’s cruising itineraries as well as independent travel. For more information please visit https://thetravelvisacompany.co.uk/ambassador-cruise-line/ or alternatively you can call on 01270 904 907.

It is a condition of booking that all guests hold fully comprehensive travel insurance that specifically covers cruise holidays, is valid for the entire duration of your chosen itinerary, provides full health coverage for all pre-existing conditions and the costs of medical repatriations, plus specific cover for Covid-19 related issues.  It should also include Personal Luggage insurance since there is limited liability for loss or damage. We are delighted to be working with Holiday Extras, who are able to provide our guests with exceptional value fully comprehensive cruise travel insurance cover, please visit www.holidayextras.com/ambassadorcruiseline/insurance.html to find out more.

The cruise itineraries published are subject to amendment. Should major changes to the ports of call, other than timings, berth adjustments or the order in which they are visited become necessary, we shall try to notify you in advance.

At times, events out of our control such as adverse weather or sea conditions may result in a change of itinerary. Alternative arrangements will be made where possible.

A technical call is a short duration visit to a port that is made for a specific purpose only. Such reasons for scheduling a technical call include the taking on of freshwater or fuel oil or embarking or disembarking participants of an organised destination experience that commences at one port and re-joins the vessel at another. Independent guests cannot go ashore during these brief technical calls.

No, you will be able to remain on board for the duration of the turnaround. You can of course go ashore too and you won’t need to join the embarkation queue when you return. You will however need to visit Reception, to collect a new cruise card when the second cruise begins. 

The embarkation procedures at UK ports normally commence four hours before the published sailing time. Provisional embarkation times will be displayed on My Ambassador Sailing 21 days prior to your departure date however, final embarkation times will be confirmed on your boarding pass, 72 hours before sailing. For final disembarkation, you should allow approximately 90 minutes from the scheduled arrival time before disembarkation will commence. Allocated disembarkation times will be confirmed once onboard.

We will always assist Guests who need to disembark the ship in the event of an emergency on board or at home.  Disembarking the ship during a cruise and rejoining at a later port for other reasons can cause difficult immigration issues and is not encouraged.  If you need to leave the ship and then re-embark at a different port on the itinerary, please make sure that you notify us as soon as possible. Relevant authorities will need to be advised and their authorisation will be needed in advance. We will do our best to support you, but timings for non-emergency immigration authorisations may be beyond Ambassador’s control. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation in place for the ports you wish to disembark/re-embark the ship. This includes but is not limited to; local testing requirements, passenger locator forms, travel insurance and applicable visas. Ambassador Cruise Line will not be held responsible for any associated costs that you may encounter, in the absence of the necessary documentation. Should we receive any charges from local authorities, these will be passed on to the guest.

If your absence relates to something urgent that was unforeseeable before the departure of the vessel, please inform the ships’ Reception team as soon as possible.

You should contact the Always Here Emergency Support Team on 01708 973 601, before you are due to travel to re-embark, to confirm the ship’s current location and estimated timings for the re-embarkation port of your choice.

Embarking or disembarking at a port that is not considered the ships’ ‘home port’ may be possible, however, we will need to seek approval from the relevant authorities before confirming authorisation. Please inform us of any such requests as soon as possible. If approved, we will provide you with confirmation. You will be charged for the full published itinerary. Please note that all travel arrangements to/from the ship will be your responsibility and at your own cost. If for any reason the ship is unable to get into your chosen embark/debark port, then you will be fully responsible to make alternative arrangements to embark/debark the ship. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct documentation in place which includes but is not limited to; local testing requirements, passenger locator forms, travel insurance and applicable visas. Ambassador Cruise Line will not be held responsible for any associated costs that you may encounter, in the absence of the necessary documentation or for travel to/from the chosen ports. Should we receive any charges form local authorities, these will be passed on to the guest

You should contact the Always Here Emergency Support Team on 01708 973 601, before you are due to travel to embark, to confirm the ship’s current location and estimated timings for arrival at the re-embarkation port.

If you have booked one of the Cabin Guarantees that are available on certain cruises, we will allocate you a ‘guaranteed’ cabin at the fare quoted for your chosen grade of accommodation. Please note that you may ultimately be berthed in a higher grade of cabin for the same price, but in some circumstances, this may be located on a lower deck, or have an obstructed view. In most cases, the cabin number will be confirmed once online check in opens; however, we reserve the right to make changes up to the time of embarkation.

We may also offer entry level guaranteed cabins on certain cruises – simply offering a guaranteed inside or outside cabin as standard, perfect for those who don’t mind where their cabin will be on the ship. Again, these cabin numbers will not be confirmed until online check in opens, 72 hours prior to sailing.

It is most likely that you have received a complimentary cabin upgrade, however, please contact your booking agent or one of our Guest Services Team to confirm.

You will be able to log in to ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ to check in online and to download your boarding pass and final documentation once online check in opens, 72 hours prior to sailing.

If you are booked with a Travel Agent, it is the Agent’s business address that will show on your invoice.

Yes, if you require more luggage labels you can download these from ‘My Ambassador Sailing’.

Once within 72 hours of sailing, online check in will open for your cruise and within this, you will be asked to complete the Health Declaration.  Providing you have completed this, you will not be asked to sign another declaration upon arrival at the port. 
However if you do not complete the online check in process, when you arrive at the terminal, you will be required to complete a Health Questionnaire. If you have suffered from any flu-like or viral symptoms such as a cough, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting etc within the 72 hours before sailing, you must immediately contact your GP and notify us providing details of the symptoms suffered. Based on the information you provide, if we reasonably feel that you are not fit to travel, we will not allow you to board.

We are pleased to advise that Ambassador Cruise Line have now lifted all vaccination and testing requirements, meaning that all guests regardless of vaccination status, are now welcome to sail with us.

Requirements may differ for our longer duration cruises (such as Ambience’s 2024 Grand Round the Word Cruise and Ambition’s 2024 Highlights of Brazil and West Indies Adventure) but we will communicate this to those booked directly.

For all cruises departing and returning to the UK there is no luggage restriction. For safety reasons, each bag/suitcase must not exceed 23kg. Please note we have no luggage facilities, and all luggage must be stored in your cabin.

Your luggage cannot be left onboard either before you join, or after you disembark the ship. It must be kept with you at all times and remains your own responsibility. 

Peace of mind is our priority here at Ambassador. We know how important it is to feel financially protected and to be able to book with confidence, and as an ABTA member (Y6765), we are part of the UK’s leading travel trade association, widely acknowledged as the mark of trust and reassurance associated with travel brands. In addition to being ABTA members, our guests are financially protected by a Financial Failure Insurance policy which is managed by TMU Management Limited and underwritten by Accelerant Insurance Europe SA who are regulated by the Financial Services and Markets Authority (3193).   We will continue to pay guests’ deposits and balance payments into an independently managed trust account.

We have a standard range of television channels (including news & film) on board.  We do not normally show major sporting events on board as not all guests have the same level of interest and licensing restrictions for public venues can be restrictive.  We do offer a Wi-Fi internet connection for guests who want to keep up to date with special events.

Should you leave a valuable item onboard, please email lostproperty@ambassadorcruiseline.com and we will liaise with the ship to try to locate and retrieve this for you.

For reasons of hygiene and storage capacity, we are unable to retrieve any items such as clothing, footwear, duty-free, beachwear, sunglasses, and personal items such as hairbrush/comb, toiletries, perfume, and costume jewellery. Any such items that are found will be taken ashore and given to local charities. If we can locate your item, then we will arrange for this to be returned to you. There will be a cost for postage & packaging to return your item/s.

Please note that any items returned to our office, will only be kept for four weeks after the return date of your cruise.

If you return home and discover that you have not collected all your luggage following disembarkation, please contact one of our Guest Services Team on 0808 102 8031 or email lostproperty@ambassadorcruiseline.com

Should you discover after returning home that you have mistakenly taken someone else’s luggage, please contact one of our Guest Services Team on 0808 102 8031 or email lostproperty@ambassadorcruiseline.com

Please note: - It is the responsibility of the property owner to cover the cost of carriage. Should you have taken another guest’s luggage in error, you will also be responsible for the cost of carriage involved in returning it to the rightful owner.

We offer car parking all UK departure ports, with prices starting from £6.00 per car per night.

If booked directly with us, parking can be added via My Ambassador Sailing (ambassadorcruiseline.com) however if you are booked via a travel agent, parking must be added and paid via the booking agent.

Please note car parking must be booked at the very latest 2 working days before sailing and is subject to availability. You will not be able to pay on arrival if you have not pre-booked and will be refused entry to the car park.

If during office hours (09.00hrs to 17.30hrs Mon-Fri, 09.00hrs to 17.00hrs Sat), please contact one of our Guest Services Team on 0808 102 8031 or guestservices@ambassadorcruiseline.com. If outside of these hours, please contact our Always Here: 24/7 Emergency support line on + 44 (0) 1708 973 601 or email alwayshere@ambassadorcruiseline.com 

To pass on feedback or make a complaint regarding the service you have received prior to sailing with us, please send an email to: guestservices@ambassadorcruiseline.com  

For any post cruise queries, please use our dedicated Guest Correspondence facility on our website. This can be found here: Guest Correspondence Procedure | Ambassador Cruise Line

For any queries, feedback or comments whilst onboard, please visit our Reception team who will be happy to assist you.