2 0 2 PL ANNER PERSPECTI VE Starting from scratch Michelle Lupino of Ambassador Cruise Line tells Alex Smith how the company built itineraries that will deliver a compelling experience for guests during its inaugural season Ambassador Cruise Line became the first British cruise line to launch in over a decade in 2021 with its first ship Ambience, and went on to purchase its second ship, Ambition, in January 2022. The cruise line is now preparing to begin its inaugural season in April 2022, taking guests to visit a variety of destinations worldwide. Michelle Lupino, head of destination management for Ambassador, explains what kind of experience it hopes to provide for passengers in its first year of sailing. “Our goal is to create a premiumvalue, traditional and authentic cruise experience,” she says. “Ambience and Ambition are small to mid-sized classic cruise ships which offer a high space to guest ratio. This allows us to put together affordable voyages of exploration that cater for both seasoned and new-to-cruise guests by delivering access to familiar ports, remote places, heritage sites and hidden treasures.” Ambassador will homeport at London Tilbury in the UK, while Ambition will offer a 2023 programme of departures from Tilbury and additional UK ports including Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth. “We offer no-fly, premium-value voyages and are the only cruise line offering year-round turnaround sailings from the iconic London Cruise Terminal,” says Lupino. “Exciting and popular itineraries will offer a range of destinations and give our guests time to enjoy the onboard experiences. While we recognise that destinations are key to our itineraries, our guests will also enjoy scenic cruising of rivers and fjords, so we’ll provide a balance of time at sea and ashore.” As a new brand, Ambassador had to start from scratch when building its programme for the upcoming season. The Ambition will offer summer sailings in 2023 with regional departures from a selection of UK ports
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