Structural and Technical Repairs Extend Drydock for MS Ambience: Impact on December 2023 Voyages

In December 2023, MS Ambience of Ambassador Cruise Line underwent extended drydocking at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH in Germany to address critical structural and technical issues discovered during routine inspections. Emergency repairs to both propeller shafts and stern bearings, which posed risks of oil leaks and environmental pollution, necessitated the cancellation of four scheduled December voyages affecting over 6,600 passengers.

Ambassador Cruise Line rebooked affected passengers onto MS Ambition and rescheduled MS Ambience to resume operations with the Grand Around the World Cruise 2024 on 6 January 2024.

During the scheduled drydocking period (18 November–10 December 2023), inspections revealed metal grinding damage on both propeller shafts, creating immediate risks of oil leaks and potential marine pollution. Each propeller shaft measured 20 metres in length and weighed over 30 tonnes. The shafts were removed and sent to a specialist Danish metal-repair company for restoration, extending the drydocking timeline beyond the original schedule.

Vessel

• Name: MS Ambience
• Operator: Ambassador Cruise Line
• Type: Ocean cruise vessel
• Flag/Registry: Not specified in source

Affected voyages (Cancelled)

• 10 December 2023: 5-day "German Christmas Markets" roundtrip from Tilbury–London to Hamburg and Amsterdam
• 17 December 2023: 4-day "Festive Market Getaway" roundtrip from Tilbury–London to Amsterdam and Zeebrugge/Bruges
• 21 December 2023: 16-day "Christmas New Year Voyage" to the Canary Islands roundtrip from Tilbury–London
• 22 December 2023: 16-day "Christmas New Year Voyage" roundtrip from Rotterdam

Affected passengers

• Over 6,600 bookings for MS Ambience's December 2023 voyages were rebooked onto MS Ambition (which had approximately 800 bookings for its 38-day Caribbean journey).

Fatalities

• None reported.

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• Not applicable; no emergency evacuation occurred.

MS Ambience completed repairs and was rescheduled to resume commercial operations on 6 January 2024 with the Grand Around the World Cruise 2024. Ambassador Cruise Line managed passenger rebooking and schedule adjustments to minimise disruption.