Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

5 1 on 6 April 2022 and then operate 33 cruises to 90 ports worldwide in her first full year of operation. Destinations will include the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic, the Canary Islands, Cuba, the Caribbean and Cape Verde. “The itineraries will be very diverse and take guests to places that larger cruise ships are unable to go,” says Verhounig. “We’re collaborating with destination partners to develop a range of sustainable shore excursions that will satisfy all our guests and have a positive impact on both the environment and the local communities in the destinations we visit.” Ambassador is led by an experienced management team that includes several executives from UK-based cruise brand Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), which went into administration in July 2020 due to the pandemic. However, Verhounig, who was himself part of the CMV team, is unphased by any comparisons that might be drawn between the two companies. “We’re fortunate to be able to draw on the experience and expertise of those who led CMV when developing Ambassador but it’s a completely new company with different goals, priorities and owners,” he says. “We’ll deliver a distinctive cruise experience that will be appealing to past CMV guests and new customers and first-time cruisers too.” Another key difference is Ambassador’s unique financial model. The brand is fully equity-financed through a multimillion-pound investment and fund scheme managed by London- based firm Njord Partners. Unlike most established cruise lines, Ambassador will not use guests’ deposits to finance its operations but will instead pay their monies into a fully independently managed trust account and they will only be released on the day of departure. Additional insurance cover has also been implemented to financially protect all monies paid directly to Ambassador or via travel agents in case of cancellations. “Many people save for months or even years to afford their dream cruise holiday and the pandemic has made them anxious about losing money if we’re forced to cancel because of new travel restrictions or health and safety concerns,” says Verhounig. “Our safeguards ensure all parties are fully financially protected if this happens, giving our guests greater peace of mind. It’s a completely new concept for the cruise industry and we’re already had interest from other operators who are considering implementing a similar financial model in future.” Buoyed by the initial success of the brand’s launch, Verhounig is hopeful that Ambassador is already well on its way to becoming the UK’s premium-value cruise line. “The response we received from both the industry and the consumers has far exceeded our greatest expectations and we’re looking forward to welcoming guests onboard in 2022. In future, we may look to expand the business further afield to other European countries or potentially worldwide.” CFR INTERV IEW Ambience will undergo interior renovations and be equipped with green technologies before she launches in April 2022 Ambassador’s itineraries will take guests destinations such as Portree on the Isle of Skye in Scotland