Budget-minded mature travelers who like a British, no-frills mid-size ship.
Think twice if: Older ship sold mainly in the UK: few US departures, British style and prices in pounds.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Ambassador Cruise Line's page for this ship →
What she's like
Easy to find your way around. Fewer crowds getting off in port. About 40 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
UK line sailing from UK ports; nationality mix not published.
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Cabin, meals in main venues, entertainment. Drinks, Wi-Fi, excursions and service charges extra (drinks packages include service charges).
Ambition and Ambience are adults only (18+); families with children 3-17 welcome on Renaissance.
Casual by day; evening dress suggested daily; generally two formal/gala nights per 7-12 nights (dinner jacket or lounge suit; no jeans, T-shirts or shorts in main restaurant those nights); 'smart' and 'casual' nights otherwise.
Her Europe sailings, November 2026 to December 2027
52 sailings in Europe on the published schedule, 1 to 42 nights. Tap a start port to see how to get from the airport to the ship.
Where they start
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | GBP 7 (GBP 6 on cruises of 16+ nights); GBP 4 for ages 12-17; Added to your bill automatically |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Ambassador Drinks Packages (include service charges; cheaper pre-cruise); prices not published. Sample bar prices: G&T about GBP 7.50, large beer GBP 4.50, cocktails about GBP 7. |
| Wifi | Starlink packages (Basic, Value, Premium) bought onboard, per device; prices not published. |
| Money on board | GBP ('The currency onboard Ambience, Ambition & Renaissance is Pound Sterling') |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 3 included, 4 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Holyrood Restaurant | Included |
| Borough Market | Included |
| Alfresco Grill | Included |
| Lupino’s | Extra charge |
| Saffron | Extra charge |
| The Grill | Extra charge |
| Chef’s Table | Extra charge |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
The line doesn't publish cabin sizes for this ship that we could find.
Good to know before you pick
No cabin warnings found on the plan.
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Guests with disabilities should travel with an able-bodied companion; adapted cabins: Ambience 13, Ambition 2, Renaissance 2 (partial). Tender policy not published. Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own drawing, built from the line's deck plan. Tap a deck to see what's on it, or use “Find on board”. Not to scale.
- Deck 14 · Exploration Deck
- Deck 12 · Sun Deck
- Deck 11 · Lido Deck
- Deck 10 · Ambassador Deck
- Deck 9 · Consulate Deck
- Deck 8 · Ambition Deck
- Deck 7 · Boat Deck
- Deck 6 · Promenade Deck
- Deck 5 · Reception Deck
- Deck 4 · Aloe Deck
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Online check-in opens within 72 hours of sailing once Advance Passenger Information is submitted.
Paying and cancelling
not published (ABTA-protected UK bookings).
Tips for her Europe sailings
Sails from regional UK ports (Tilbury, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Portsmouth); prices in sterling.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Ambassador Cruise Line
- Kind of ship
- Mass-market
- Built
- 1999
- Last refit
- 2023
- Guests
- 1,200
- Crew
- 670
- Cabins
- 680
- Guest decks
- 10
- Gross tons
- 48,123
- Length
- 216 m (709 ft)
- Width
- 29 m (94 ft)
- Flag
- Bahamas
- Class
- One-off (ex Mistral / AIDAmira, 1999)
- Ship number
- IMO 9172777
- In Europe 2026–27
- Northern Europe & Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, British Isles, Iceland, Canary Islands & Madeira, Atlantic Coast (Spain, Portugal, France)
Highlights
- Built 1999 as Mistral; later Costa neoRiviera and AIDAmira (Wikipedia)
- About 1,200 guests in 680 cabins; latest refit 2023 (Ambassador)
- Ten guest decks and six lifts (Ambassador)
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 9 sources · checked 2026-11
- Ambassador: Ambition ship profile
- Ambassador: Ambition deck plans
- Ambassador: Ambition leisure facilities and dining (Included/Extra labels)
- Wikipedia: MS Ambition (secondary)
- VesselFinder vessel record (registry: flag, gross tonnage, year)
- Ambassador Cruise Line FAQs
- Ambassador: what's on board / Wi-Fi FAQ
- Ambassador: travelling to port
- CruiseTimetables.com: Ambition schedule (independent listing)
- Deck names from Ambassador's deck plan page; venue labels are only in images/PDF, so per-deck venues not listed
- Crew count not published by Ambassador; Wikipedia gives 670
- Ambassador Cruise Line: Drinks package and Wi-Fi prices
- Ambassador Cruise Line: Deposit/final payment/cancellation
- Ambassador Cruise Line: Tender policy
- Ambassador Cruise Line: Wi-Fi FAQ URL path truncated in our extract