If you’ve ever experienced the fun and fervour of holiday aboard a cruise liner, then you should be excited at the news that Britain is getting a new cruise line starting operations from this coming April.
Ambassador Cruise Line brings with a wealth of experience as it has been formed by the senior management of the former CMV-Cruise & Maritime Voyages. Personally I find this an exciting move for the travel and tourism industry as a whole. To see companies willing to take risks and branch out from within the covid-19 pandemic and start opening up sales and operations again is incredibly exciting.
Cruise liners will ultimately help local travel businesses the world round and really help the industry grow from strength to strength again.
So, when do they get underway?
“The maiden season for Ambience commences on April 6th, with an inaugural short break cruise to Hamburg, before embarking on a mixed itinerary programme with sailings to the Norwegian Fjords and the British Isles planned throughout spring. The first full year programme (operating until May 2023) will consist of 33 sailings visiting a total of 88 different ports, featuring the Baltics and St Petersburg, Greenland, the Arctic and Iceland. For the winter months, a range of expedition style voyages will sail to the Canaries, Cuba, the Caribbean, Cape Verde and Scandinavia.”
Peace of mind?
When covid-19 happened, many travellers the world round got the short end of the stick as companies refused to refund. The question many will now be asking is whether Ambassador would do the same thing if something similar had to happen regarding interruptions or restrictions were to be re-imposed. Well, I found this right on their front page:
“Treating our guests right is not just about the booking and onboard experience. We know how important it is to feel financially protected and to be able to book with confidence, which is why our booking reassurances include a refund guarantee, should one of our cruises be cancelled.
In accordance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, we have insurance cover in place to financially protect all guests booking with Ambassador Cruise Line, for all monies paid either directly or via their travel agent.
In addition, we operate a fully independent managed Trust Account where guests’ funds are deposited and only released when the cruise departs. We are not currently members of ABTA (which is not compulsory) but our application is in progress. The financial protection arrangements we have in place ensures we are fully compliant with the Package Travel Regulations for your protection and peace of mind.”
I find it refreshing that such a commitment be made straight up and immediately addressed.
Up to you
Ultimately the future of companies such as Ambassador rests in your hands. Whether you take a chance on them and ultimately whether you trust them. From the look of things I certainly hope that they do tremendously well. It’s not easy taking such risks from within a travel crisis, so I certainly congratulate and wish Ambassador all of the best. Long may they encourage us to explore the beautiful world around us.
If you are interested, go visit their website and have a poke around for yourself.
