Ambassador Cruise Line, Ambience, Northern Europe Review

Ambience, Northern Europe

My advice is to steer well clear of this company, the parent of which is Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited (paid up share capital £1.00); the trading name of which is Ambassador Cruise Line Limited (paid up share capital £1.00) and whose ship (Ambience) is owned by CVI Group Limited whose shareholder is ACL Holdings Limited, a Guernsey registered company with paid up ordinary shares of £1.00 and of whom the Relevant Legal Entity (RLE) are Njord Partners LLP. The Ambience is crewed by contract labour through Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) of Papenburg, Germany and English law does not apply to employment conditions. The Trust Holding Company offered as financial reassurance to customers, Trust My Travel Limited, is a one man outfit run out of a private residence in Ryhall, Rutland which has, you've guessed it, a paid up share capital of £1.00. Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited is not a member of ABTA. The senior management were previously running Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV). It didn't take long for them to sink when Covid-19 struck. Ambassador is on an equally sure financial footing.
I went on their Baltic cruise, 14 nights from 12th May 2022. Embarkation was a nightmare because the carpark at Tilbury was insufficiently signposted and difficult to find. The cabin thermostat did not work and the temperature was either too hot or too cold throughout the cruise. I couldn't use my Nationwide debit card onboard for the whole cruise. I received three threatening letters demanding I resolve the problem or my disembarkation would be "difficult". The reception staff were downright rude and unhelpful about the matter. The cabin steward was lazy and had to be asked to change the bathroom towels and vacuum the carpet four days into the cruise. He was surly thereafter. Crew dressed in full protective clothing were seen delivering food to cabins on the same deck. I asked if Covid was onboard and received the reply, quote, "I'm dressed like this so you can't recognize me". Covid was on board because I tested positive on 27th May, one day after disembarking. I booked for the German Christmas Markets 5 night cruise due in December and paid the deposit. Rather than cruise with this company again I will forfeit the deposit and not bother. A truly awful cruise line.