Signalling its confidence in the British cruise market, the new cruise company Ambassador Cruise Line has announced the purchase of the cruise ship AidaMira, which will be renamed Ambition. The ship will enter service in 2023, as the second vessel in the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet after the company purchased the former bitcoin cruise ship Satoshi.
The latest addition joining Ambassador Cruise Line has been purchased outright from Costa Cruises which operated the vessel under their AIDA brand, as AIDAMira, mainly targeting the German market. Prior to entering service the ship will undergo similar extensive upgrades as her new sister ship, Ambience, including the installation of the latest emission reduction technologies to secure IMO Tier III compliance. This will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by approximately 95% compared to current standards. Along with installing updated ballast and sewage water treatment systems, both ships in the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet will be among circa 10% of the current world cruise fleet authorised to sail in strictly environmentally protected seas. These investments are a key part of the Ambassador Cruise Line strategy of operating with a high level of environmental responsibility as well as meeting the increased demands of guests who want to enjoy all the benefits of travel whilst making the lowest possible impact on the destinations they travel to.
“We are delighted with the warm reception given to the introduction of Ambassador to the market – a new brand, proposition and our first ship. This announcement of the addition of Ambition to the fleet reflects our confidence and willingness to invest in the future of Ambassador and the cruise sector. We are particularly excited to be offering regional departure options for Ambition in 2023, whilst also offering guests who travel from London Tilbury a greater choice of sailings and ships on which to enjoy them. Clearly, we are all focused on the success of Ambience’s maiden season which commences in April this year, but we believe existing and new guests, as well as our trade partners, will be thrilled to hear about Ambassador’s growth plans,” Ambassador Cruise Line CEO, Christian Verhounig said.
Ambition, like her sister ship Ambience, will offer no-fly sailings predominantly targeting the 50-plus market with a premium-value, authentic cruise experience. In addition to London Tilbury, she will also offer a summer 2023 programme of regional departures from ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth, enabling guests across the UK to have a shorter distance to travel before experiencing Ambassador’s onboard service. The full programme is being finalised and will be on sale from Q2 2022.
