A NEW Thurrock-based cruise line company that was created out of the ashes of the failed Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) company has announced that it has purchased its second ship.

In May last year Thurrock Nub News reported on the creation of Ambassador Cruise Lines which features a number of the senior management of CMV on its board including CEO Christian Verhounig.

The new line, with Tilbury as its home port, said it aimed to follow the blueprint of CMV and offer no-fly itineraries aimed primarily at the over 50s market and announced it already had its first ship, the Ambience.

Now it has announced a sister ship to be named Ambition, which will enter service in 2023.

Like Ambience, Ambition will also offer a programme of regional departures from ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth. The maiden season for the Ambience is scheduled for April, with an inaugural short break cruise to Hamburg, before embarking on a mixed itinerary programme with sailings to the Norwegian Fjords and the British Isles planned throughout spring. Formerly known as AIDAMira Ambition will carry up to 1,200 guests in her 714 cabins, 125 of which have balconies and 113 are suites with up to 62m² of living space. She has two main restaurants and speciality dining options, a more casual bistro style café, four bars and lounges and a pub. These will be complemented by a tiered main theatre, casino, card room, library, and craft studio. Guests will also be able to enjoy the wellness centre, gymnasium, two swimming pools and a range of retail shops. The ship has been purchased outright from Costa Crociere and prior to entering service with Ambassador Cruise Line, she will undergo similar extensive upgrades as Ambience, including the installation of the latest emission reduction technologies. Mr Verhounig said: "We are delighted with the warm reception given to the introduction of Ambassador to the market – a new brand, proposition and our first ship. "This announcement of the addition of Ambition to the fleet reflects our confidence and willingness to invest in the future of Ambassador and the cruise sector. "We are particularly excited to be offering regional departure options for Ambition in 2023, whilst also offering guests who travel from London Tilbury a greater choice of sailings and ships on which to enjoy them. Clearly, we are all focused on the success of Ambience's maiden season which commences in April this year, but we believe existing and new guests, as well as our trade partners, will be thrilled to hear about Ambassador's growth plans. You can keep abreast of all Ambassador Cruise Line's news via its website on this link.