82 REVITALISATION Photos: Ambassador Cruise Line Ambassador Cruise Line launched its first ship Ambience in April 2022 and expanded its fleet with the arrival of Ambition on 12 May 2023. Ambition, which previously sailed as both Costa Cruises’ Costa neoRiviera and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAmira, was delivered to Ambassador in March 2022 and was originally intended to debut in March 2023 after an extensive renovation. However, this project was delayed after the vessel was chartered to the Scottish Government between September 2022 and March 2023 to enable it to offer temporary accommodation for Ukrainians displaced by the ongoing the war with Russia. “Work began on Ambition at Lloyd Werft’s shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany, in early April 2023,” says Bob McGowan, head of guest experience at Ambassador. “During this time, it underwent environmental upgrades to make it compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III regulations, as well as venue improvements and furnishing upgrades.” As part of the project, Ambassador incorporated its own branding into the spaces onboard Ambition. “We wanted to add the Ambassador touch to the vessel by bringing in our own colours and style that have been so popular onboard Ambience, as well as new features,” says McGowan. “Ambition was previously refurbished in 2019, when an extensive modern upgrade was carried out at a total cost of $55 million, so it was already in excellent condition. Due to this, we focused on creating specific new spaces during the refit.” For example, the brand added a new Mediterranean-style dining venue called Lupino’s, which pays homage to Michelle Lupino, the late head of destination management who passed away in October 2022. Lupino’s features natural colours and textures and natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows to evoke a feeling of alfresco dining where guests can share platters of Mediterranean salads and mezze. “We previously worked with Atlantic Marine Interiors on the Ambience project and have a very good working relationship with the team – they understand our brand, guests and the concepts we are looking to create,” says McGowan. “That’s why we chose to work with them on the creation of Lupino’s. Michelle was a very close friend of mine and this restaurant had to be just right. Atlantic Marine Interiors and Guri Blindheim, our specialist interior designer, understood this and made sure the end results were a fitting tribute to a much-loved colleague.” Other restaurants onboard Ambition include the Buckingham and Holyrood Restaurants, which mirror the design concepts onboard Ambience and offer traditional British dishes via both buffet and à la carte dining experiences. Meanwhile, Borough Market features buffet stations serving an array of global cuisines, allowing guests to create their Alice Chambers asks Ambassador Cruise Line’s Bob McGowan about the renovations that were carried out onboard the brand’s second vessel, Ambition, which debuted in May 2023 And then there were two Ambition debuted on 12 May 2023
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