Scandinavia at its finest with Ambassador
Scandinavia is a part of the world that I’ve always enjoyed visiting, as there’s so much history and culture to soak up. One day, you find yourself docked in a bustling city centre and the next, a quaint seaside town. When Ambassador Cruise Line advertised their 12-night ‘Treasures of Denmark and Sweden’ sailing aboard Ambition, I knew that was a cruise for me.
I’d sailed previously with Ambassador, to the Canaries, Madeira and Morocco, aboard Ambience, but this time, I’d join her fleet sister, Ambition, for the first time. We sailed from Newcastle and called into Dundee, Copenhagen, Fredericia, Ronne, Visby, Stockholm and Aarhus. I’ll point out that embarkation was well organised and swift. It was the fastest check-in and onboard turnaround I’ve experience on any cruise.
I always enjoy walking around Stockholm, I know the Gamla Stan area quite well, yet when I walk through all the winding streets, I always feel lost in another world. There are cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and stores selling more traditional Swedish gifts and other items. Granted, things in this part of the world can be very expensive, so I don’t tend to buy much, if anything, I just enjoy the vibe and atmosphere.
Ronne was a charming delight. I’d visited on a previous cruise, but I couldn’t remember much about it. Eventually, the penny dropped. I think it was because during my first visit, it was very busy but this time, everywhere was very quiet. It’s a nice place to stroll around and there’s some wonderful architecture to enjoy as you go. I’d also never seen so many conkers in my life – they were everywhere! Hundreds of them littering the grass verges and cobbled streets. It brought back childhood memories of having conker fights at school. I used to spend hours toughening them up and putting them on string to battle with others in the playground.
Copenhagen was another port I’d previously visited and having done Tivoli and Nyhavn, I decided to use the free shuttle bus service and just walk around at my own pace. I’m glad I did, as I discovered things I’d not previously stumbled on, and I finally got to see the Little Mermaid minus graffiti. I explored the Kastellet, one of Northern Europe’s best-preserved fortifications. Today, it’s used as a military establishment and is a conserved area. It is constructed in the form of a pentagon with bastions at its corners. Kastellet was continuous with the ring of bastioned ramparts which used to encircle Copenhagen but of which only the ramparts of Christianshavn remain today. The grounds are lovely, and the windmill is quite impressive.
Overall, I enjoyed the itinerary very much. I thought it was well planned and well executed. Nothing was rushed and there were always more than enough shuttle buses, so no huge queues all the time, or people complaining.
Ambition is a very comfortable ship with ample public areas for guests to enjoy, including The Angel Bar, Purple Turtle, a vast pool deck, large spa, theatre and more. The onboard entertainment team were very good. It wasn’t singing and dancing all the time, it was a combination of things, and it piqued my interest.
One thing on Ambition that I preferred over Ambience was the Saffron restaurant, as it had its own dedicated space. Whereas on Ambience, it is nestled right in the middle of the buffet. Having its own dedicated space just made it feel a bit more special.
There are numerous dining options available, including Lupino’s and as previously mentioned, Saffron. I dined at both during my cruise and found the menus varied, I was most surprised by my meal in Lupino’s. When I’d first looked at the menu, I wasn’t blown away by the main course choices, but it turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the cruise. I can recommend the chicken souvlaki. Lupino’s is an additional charge of £14.95 per person.
Fresh breads and dips, a lovely starter and then a delicious main course, that sums up Saffron. I chose the murgh makhani (butter chicken) and couldn’t fault it. One thing I did notice was that the menu said the meal came with a pea pilau, but when they brought the rice to the table it was pilau with apple and pineapple. I wasn’t convinced at first, but it’s one of the nicest rice dishes I’ve ever tried. I can’t really explain the flavour – you’ll have to try it! Saffron is an additional charge of £19.95 per person.
I’d highly recommend Ambassador for solo cruisers and couples. I do a lot of solo cruising and find the size of Ambassador’s ships perfect for having my own space but also socialising when I choose to. Although Ambassador is predominantly child-free, they do offer a selection of multi-generational cruises, so the entire family can cruise together. These tend to be offered during school holiday periods.
On one evening, although they were covered slightly by cloud, the Northern Lights were visible in the sky. I could just make out tones of pink and green, so that was a nice surprise! It was quite a windy evening, but I braved the top outer decks to snap a few images.
If you’re new to cruising or considering Ambassador for the first time, then one of their mini-cruise itineraries would be the perfect option. These tend to be from 1-to-5-night sailings and are the ideal chance to experience everything this cruise line has to offer. An added bonus is that they all sail from UK ports, so there’s no need to factor in airports and flights – you can start your cruise holiday with less stress.
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