Ambassador Cruise Line has cancelled a Caribbean cruise on board its ship Ambition and some Festive Events on Ambience.
The cruise line confirmed the changes today, after finding out vital repairs need to carried out on Ambience.
Ambience has been in dry dock since 17 November and had been due to return to Tilbury yesterday (7 December), but the cruise line was informed on 3 December that the ship’s propeller shafts and stern bearings were damaged and it won’t be able to sail until early January.
Ambassador has decided to switch Ambience’s scheduled operation to Ambition and has cancelled Ambition’s West Indies & Dutch Antilles cruise on 11 December.
“Regrettably, we were informed that the additional but necessary maintenance works will not be concluded in time to operate our itineraries onboard Ambience as scheduled, with the ship only able to return to the UK in early January ahead of Ambience’s Grand Round The World Cruise,” Ambassador said.
More than 6,600 guests are booked on Ambience cruises in December, compared to 800 booked on Ambition’s West Indies & Dutch Antilles cruise, so the cruise line said it made operational sense to cancel the Caribbean sailing and transfer the other itineraries to Ambition.
In addition to the 11 December West Indies cruise cancellation on Ambition, Ambience’s Festive Event lunch and dinner sittings on 9 December (A12322L, A12322FD and A12322SD) have also been cancelled.
The five-night German Christmas Markets cruise (A12323) departing 10 December, will now take place on Ambition but will operate as a four-night cruise, leaving on 11 December. The itinerary has been amended, with Hamburg replaced with an overnight in Antwerp.
Ambience’s Festive Event lunch and dinners on 15 December (A12324L, A12324FD and A12324SD) and 16 December (A12325L, A12325FD and A12325SD) will take place on Ambition.
Itinerary A12326, the Ambience Festive Market Getaway on 17 December will now take place on Ambition.
The Ambience Christmas & New Year Voyage on 21 December (A12327) will now also take place on Ambition. The duration will change from 16 to 17 nights, returning to Tilbury on 7 January instead of the planned 6 January.
Ambassador added: “We have sent out communications to advise that Ambition will now host the majority of Ambience sailings and Festive Events through to early January, limiting the impact on the majority of Ambassador guests over the festive period.”
The cruise line said all affected guests have been informed of ‘generous transfer and compensation options’ where relevant.
CEO Christian Verhounig apologised to passengers, saying: “It is never an easy decision to change or cancel any Ambassador sailing, particularly at this time of year.”
The post Ambassador apologises after urgent repairs force it to switch ships and cancel sailing appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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The cruise line confirmed the changes today, after finding out vital repairs need to carried out on Ambience.
Ambience has been in dry dock since 17 November and had been due to return to Tilbury yesterday (7 December), but the cruise line was informed on 3 December that the ship’s propeller shafts and stern bearings were damaged and it won’t be able to sail until early January.
Ambassador has decided to switch Ambience’s scheduled operation to Ambition and has cancelled Ambition’s West Indies & Dutch Antilles cruise on 11 December.
“Regrettably, we were informed that the additional but necessary maintenance works will not be concluded in time to operate our itineraries onboard Ambience as scheduled, with the ship only able to return to the UK in early January ahead of Ambience’s Grand Round The World Cruise,” Ambassador said.
More than 6,600 guests are booked on Ambience cruises in December, compared to 800 booked on Ambition’s West Indies & Dutch Antilles cruise, so the cruise line said it made operational sense to cancel the Caribbean sailing and transfer the other itineraries to Ambition.
In addition to the 11 December West Indies cruise cancellation on Ambition, Ambience’s Festive Event lunch and dinner sittings on 9 December (A12322L, A12322FD and A12322SD) have also been cancelled.
The five-night German Christmas Markets cruise (A12323) departing 10 December, will now take place on Ambition but will operate as a four-night cruise, leaving on 11 December. The itinerary has been amended, with Hamburg replaced with an overnight in Antwerp.
Ambience’s Festive Event lunch and dinners on 15 December (A12324L, A12324FD and A12324SD) and 16 December (A12325L, A12325FD and A12325SD) will take place on Ambition.
Itinerary A12326, the Ambience Festive Market Getaway on 17 December will now take place on Ambition.
The Ambience Christmas & New Year Voyage on 21 December (A12327) will now also take place on Ambition. The duration will change from 16 to 17 nights, returning to Tilbury on 7 January instead of the planned 6 January.
Ambassador added: “We have sent out communications to advise that Ambition will now host the majority of Ambience sailings and Festive Events through to early January, limiting the impact on the majority of Ambassador guests over the festive period.”
The cruise line said all affected guests have been informed of ‘generous transfer and compensation options’ where relevant.
CEO Christian Verhounig apologised to passengers, saying: “It is never an easy decision to change or cancel any Ambassador sailing, particularly at this time of year.”
The post Ambassador apologises after urgent repairs force it to switch ships and cancel sailing appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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