Excitement as cruise line expands sailings in Portsmouth in boost to city

Excitement is building as a cruise line announces its first full season to operate out of Portsmouth International Port coming as a boost to the city.

Following a successful first season of “tourist calls” from the port, Ambassador Cruise Line is now stepping up its program for 2027 from Portsmouth to places including France, Spain and Norway.

Having previously visited Portsmouth just as a port of call, Ambassador says the new relationship with the port is set to continue and grow as a boon to residents and tourists who value a no-fly holiday with excellent road and rail connections.

At a special event earlier this year held at the Spinnaker, dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Portsmouth, and key partners including Hampshire Cricket, the England Indoor Bowls Association and marine conservation charity ORCA, celebrated the new partnership.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Cruise Line chief marketing officer, Gordon Nardini, said: “Bringing sailings to Portsmouth has been an important step in our ambition to make cruising more accessible to guests across the region, and to see our first season here be so successful is something we are incredibly proud of.

“We are confident that Portsmouth as a departure gateway will continue to grow in popularity as more guests look to enjoy the simplicity and convenience of no-fly cruising and the affordable quality experience that sits at the heart of our brand.

“With the cost of land-based holidays continuing to rise due to ongoing geopolitical events, our great value offering has never been more compelling, particularly for guests looking to start their holiday closer to home without the uncertainty, complexity and price fluctuations of air travel.

“As we look ahead to 2027 and beyond, the success of our inaugural season and healthy future demand gives us real confidence in the future of Portsmouth as part of our regional programme, and we are excited to build on this strong foundation with our partners in the seasons to come.”

Mike Sellers, Portsmouth International Port Director, said: “We are delighted to host the popular UK cruise line Ambassador for their first turnaround season operating out of the city. This has been the result of building our relationship with Ambassador, who have chosen Portsmouth previously for tourist calls, so it is testament to the hard work of the port team that we have their confidence to deliver many more sailings from the city and become a departure gateway.

“Ambassador’s ship Ambition will return to Portsmouth next spring and we look forward to the ship becoming a familiar sight in the harbour.”

As well as its new Portsmouth connection, Ambassador, which caters to the over 50s market, has teamed up with Greatest Hits Radio, with a programme of on-board events featuring popular top DJs.

Ruth Brindle was privileged to join in with the fun on the cruise line’s second lady of the sea - Ambition - on a sailing along the Atlantic coastlines of Portugal and Spain.

She said: “The cruise ship’s theatre was buzzing as four very familiar female faces from the world of TV and radio took to the stage to share some very intimate and at times, emotional moments from their lives.

“Kate Thornton, Jenny Powell, Andrea McLean and Lucy Alexander held the audience spellbound with their life revelations during an informal chat and question and answer session. There was laughter, and there were even tears at times during the ‘Jenny and Kate Unscripted: Women At Sea’ session that is a refreshing, new addition to the Ambassador Cruise Line entertainment offerings.

“I was enjoying this no holds barred chat in the Palladium Theatre on board the ship Ambition on a cruise itinerary taking in Spanish and Portuguese ports which the celeb guests had joined along the way. This hook up for the cruise line with Greatest Hits Radio has set sail very successfully and Kate and Jenny now host popular shows.

“Superfit Jenny, 58, thought nothing of sliding off the stage and leaping into the audience with a microphone to take questions, sometimes with hilarious results. Her close friend and fellow DJ Kate Thornton, 53, well known as a journalist and for X Factor and Top of the Pops was sporting a sling after breaking her arm tripping over in the Tesco bread aisle, but was bravely soldiering on. It was all very down to earth and real.

“Andrea, 56, formerly of Loose Women and a TV broadcaster for many years, opened up about her financial woes and her new book Shameless, while Lucy Alexander - long-time presenter of Homes Under The Hammer - told the audience of the initial heartbreak of the time when her seven-year-old daughter Kitty was left paralysed and in a wheelchair after contracting a virus. Her story was inspiring as her beautiful daughter is now living a full life.

“But, overwhelmingly, this was a very warm and fun event after which I was lucky to chat with Kate and Jenny about their love of travel and their new-found love of cruising with Ambassador. They’ve spent many holidays together as single mums with teenage children of about the same age - Jenny’s daughter Pollyanna is 17 and Kate’s son Ben is 18. But cruising is becoming a firm favourite.”

Kate said: “You get to so many places on a cruise without the pain of the airport, booking a taxi, working out the accommodation and organising trips, because it's all here, it's all done for you.

“And you don’t even have to think about choosing restaurants because you've got the choice on board.

“We've seen some great places that we probably wouldn't have got to if we were relying on flights.”

The close friends agreed that one of their favourite cruise destinations was Montenegro, but Cadiz, Madeira and Las Palmas also feature in their ‘must visit’ list.

Kate said: “It’s nice to find unexpected places and ports where the very large ships cannot visit.”

The adults-only cruise was a 10-night ‘Springtime Sunshine in Portugal and Spain’ calling at Leixoes (for Porto) and Lisbon in Portugal, then Cadiz, Spain followed by Vigo, Spain on the return home to the UK.

Ambassador Cruise Line has a selection of no-fly sailings departing from Portsmouth in 2027. With itineraries ranging from two to twelve nights long, these sailings – departing from Portsmouth onboard Ambition – visit destinations such as Norway, France and Spain. Prices currently start from £169pp*.

For further information, visit ambassadorcruiseline.com/no-fly-cruises/cruises-from-portsmouth/.