• Thursday 02 May 2024

As you may have seen on our Cruise Centre's Instagram or Facebook pages, some of our team recently went onboard Ambition for a ship visit while she was docked in Cobh. Here's what they had to say:

Having been refit in 2023, Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition is a great ship – really fresh, clean and bright. The food was excellent and the entertainment programme appears to be really good also.

There's a great bar called the Cavern with nods to The Beatles, and the theatre looks fantastic. There are no obstructed views, and the little tables and bench seats ensure a comfortable experience. The entertainment team puts on some incredible-looking and thrilling shows, including plays at sea. You'll also come across pop-up theatre and performance moments across the ship throughout your cruise!

We got great feedback from the guests we were chatting to onboard. The ship was docked in Cobh for the day as part of a cruise of Northern Europe. Onboard Ambition there's plenty of lounge space and bars. The smaller ship size (just 1,200 passengers) means there's a great atmosphere. It also means embarking and disembarking at port is a breeze compared to some of the larger ships.

The cabins were really impressive also. They were bright and fresh, with everything you need for a comfortable stay. The bathrooms were a good size too. There are single-bed categories- ideal for solo sailors- and some beautiful suites with walk-in wardrobes, convertible sofa beds and minibars. 8 of the premium suites also include a second separate bedroom with a single bed.

We enjoyed a superb lunch on board, made up of a selection of items from restaurants across the ship. The prawn cocktail was fantastic, the mezze (from speciality restaurant Lupino's) was fresh, and the cream of tomato soup was delicious. There was a good selection of bread rolls on offer too.

The butter chicken (from speciality restaurant Saffron) was very popular, as was the pan-fried salmon fillet. The vegetarians in our group really enjoyed the Szechuan Cauliflower Fried Rice. For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding was a firm favourite, with an honourable mention for the Crème Brûlée, which broke just right.

There are some amazing itineraries on offer in 2025, on sale now. 2024 sold out quickly, so if you're interested we recommend getting in touch soon. Plus, for a limited time- when you buy one fare, the second fare is free!

This is a superb ship, perfect for No-Fly cruise options, with free coach pickups to Belfast included from locations around Ireland. Skip the airport and bring unlimited luggage. There is a selection of fantastic itineraries to Norway, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and more.

If you haven't seen them yet, head to our Cruise Centre Facebook or Instagram pages for videos from our visit.

Plus! Coming soon: We'll be planning a special Shandon Travel/ West Cork Travel group cruise onboard Ambition – details to follow. Payment plan in place for all group trips!

Click here to browse Ambassador Cruises, including no-fly cruises from Belfast aboard Ambition. 2024's cruises sold out quickly, so if you're interested we recommend getting in touch soon! Our cruise experts are here to help you plan your perfect cruise holiday.

Want to start planning your next cruise?

Email us: cruise@shandontravel.ie

Call us: 021 4935806 or 0818 300205

In-person and video consultations are available.