Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience (IMO 8521232) was
forced to disembark all its passengers only hours after they had come on board
and just as they were sitting down for dinner after an issue was discovered
with a lifeboat station onboard.
The guests had booked a three-day Festive Market Getaway
cruise. It was due to depart London Tilbury on Sunday December 18th.
They were asked to leave before 09:30 the following morning.
Ambassador Cruise Line said on December 18th that “we can this evening confirm that we have reluctantly taken the decision
to cancel our three-day Festive Market Getaway cruise, which was due to depart
London Tilbury today, Sunday 18th December”.
The cruise line said that the issue with the lifeboat
station was such that it would not be able to complete the repair and
post-repair test in time to operate the cruise successfully.
Ambassador Cruise Line announced on December 19th that the Ambience would head to Germany for repairs. The vessel subsequently
left London Tilbury to go to Bremerhaven, where the work and tests will be
completed. Ambassador said tat, regrettably, this would not be concluded in
time to operate the Christmas & New Year Canary Islands Cruise, which was
due to sail on Wednesday December 21st.
The Ambience is the former Regal Princess that sailed for
Princess Cruises between 1991 and 2007. Between 2007 and 2020, the 70,285
gross-tons cruise ship sailed for P&O Australia as Pacific Dawn.
In 2020 the vessel was purchased by Ocean Builders
Central and rebranded as Satoshi. This company planned to convert the ship into
a floating bitcoin residence, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
In 2021, the ship was thought to be scrapped but was
later resold to Ambassador Cruise Line. As of January 5th the vessel
was underway in the North Sea en route from Bremerhaven t, Germany, to Tilbury,
England, ETA January 5th.
1991-built, Bahamas-flagged, 70,285 gt Ambience is owned
by Wake Asset Co Ltd care of manager Ambassador Cruise Line Ltd of London, UK.
ISM manager is Bernhard Schulte Cruse Services of Hamburg, Germany. It is
entered with American Club on behalf of Wake Asset Co Ltd.
