Ambassador Cruise Line has been forced to make a controversial decision, following news that its ship Ambience will be undergoing repairs for an extended period of time.
Because Ambience will be out of action until later in January, the cruise line has transferred all Ambience bookings onto sister ship Ambition, and sailing the Ambience itineraries on that ship instead.
This means that around 800 passengers who were booked onto Ambition will now have their cruises cancelled – although it does mean that the 6,000+ passengers booked to sail on Ambience will still be able to travel.
While the numbers make sense, you have to feel for the passengers who are having their cruises cancelled despite there being nothing wrong with the ship they were booked to travel on.
The problems stem from Ambience’s dry dock in Berlin. During the existing repairs to the hip, there were some more serious issues uncovered with two propeller shafts.
Left unfixed, it could have caused serious environmental risks, and so the cruise line had no other option but to keep the ship from sailing cruises until the repairs could be completed.
We have taken the difficult decision to switch Ambition and Ambience’s itineraries over the next month. With over 6,600 guests due to be on board Ambience in December and 800 booked on Ambition, it made operational sense to cancel the one sailing over this period on Ambition than all Ambience’s planned itineraries, which limits the impact on most guests with forward bookings.
Christian Verhounig, Chief Executive Officer for Ambassador Cruise Line
As it stands, the cruise line has not announced any compensation package for guests who were due to sail on Ambition, though they will, of course, receive a full refund.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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It’s not just Ambition passengers affected. Some Ambiance passengers moved to Ambition are receiving cabin downgrades. A lesser problem perhaps, but still a disappointing start.
Sickening way for Ambassador to dismiss Ambition customers. I booked in February and paid the final balance in September – I’m awaiting aprox £16,000 full refund. Funny isn’t it how payment can be taken from me almost immediately, but refunds take, well…..make up your own number of days. As for our consequential costs, who knows what I can do with non-refundable train tickets, hotel rooms, insurance etc, plus all the other things people spend money on ONLY BECAUSE they are due to travel.
Our Christmas and New Year is cancelled and I certainly can’t afford to look for an alternative holiday (it would certainly be with another company) until I get my refund – by which time my vacation slot will probably have come to an end. As for Ambassadors so called generous alternative cruise ‘offers’ – do they honestly think I want to wait a until 2025 to travel with them, or that I can simply move my vacation dates (to suit them) to early next year? No, I can’t. Happy Christmas!
Still awaiting my refund from Ambassador
Refund received today.
I have just billed them for insurance, trains and hotel costs
I hope you see progress regarding your refund and consequential costs very soon
But why do we have to lose some of our insurance money through no fault of our own making
This is a no way to treat your customers to dump them when there is nothing wrong with the ship they were due to sale on they have also spent a lot of money on insurance as i was booked on this trip . I will never recommend ambassador .
HI JENNI
WE WERE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR CRUISE OUT TO THE CARIBBEAN OVER XMAS AND NEW YEAR WITH AMBASSADOR’S AMBITION , CASES PACKED , HOTEL BOOKED ONLY TO BE CANCELLED 4 DAYS PRIOR TO SAILING!
YES VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT AMABASSADOR HAVE NOT OFFERED SUBSTANTIAL COMPENSATION, JUST A REFUND, THAT PERHAPS WE WILL RECEIVE IN THE NEW YEAR ??
JOHN FRANKLIN
I am now out £300 due to my train tickets and hotel that I can’t change. What are my options r
Second Christmas in a row with an issue with Ambassador Cruises after last years cancellation of a Christmas market cruise while passengers were just onboard, makes you wonder if they can survive with the reputational damage this will do their brand.