Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines vs Ambassador Cruise Line
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Ambassador Cruise Line covering ratings, fleet size, food quality, entertainment, value for money, and available sailings from UK ports. Updated for 2026.
The head-to-head
Ratings are based on aggregated passenger reviews, editorial analysis, and expert scoring. The cobalt outline marks the stronger line for each attribute.
Who should choose which?
Every cruise line has its strengths and weaknesses. Here is an honest look at who each line is best suited for, based on passenger feedback and our editorial assessment.
Choose Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines if you want…
- No-fly cruising from UK
- Small-ship intimacy
- Unusual itineraries
- Solo travellers (low supplements)
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines may not suit you if…
- Families with children
- Those wanting mega-ship facilities
- Modern luxury seekers
Choose Ambassador Cruise Line if you want…
- No-fly UK port departures
- Value-conscious cruisers
- Sustainability-minded travellers
- Traditional British cruising
Ambassador Cruise Line may not suit you if…
- Families with young children
- Luxury seekers
- Those wanting modern mega-ship facilities
Ships at a glance
A quick comparison of each line's fleet including passenger capacity, tonnage, and year of launch.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Fleet (4 ships)
Borealis
Built 2021 · 1,360 guests
Bolette
Built 2021 · 1,380 guests
Ambassador Cruise Line Fleet (2 ships)
Ambience
Built 2022 · 1,400 guests
Ambition
Built 2023 · 1,200 guests
Available cruises
Current sailings from both cruise lines. Prices shown are per person based on two sharing the lowest-grade cabin available.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Sailings
Save 3%12 NIGHTSSpain & the River Cities of France
Save 2%7 NIGHTSRegions of Northern Spain
Ports: Southampton · Santander · Getxo · Gijón · La Coruña
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%26 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%8 NIGHTSWestern Europe
13 NIGHTSAndalusia & Portugal with Madeira from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Lisbon · Cadiz · Malaga · Ceuta · Funchal, Madeira
Save 11%23 NIGHTSIslands & Bays of the Mediterranean from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Ceuta · Cartagena · Cagliari · Messina · Siracusa
15 NIGHTSIn Search of the Northern Lights from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Alesund · Narvik · Sortland · Tromsø, Norway · Harstad, Norway
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Hot deal14 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Geminid Meteor Shower from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Leixoes · Funchal · Santa Cruz de La Palma · Santa Cruz · Vigo
Save 3%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
5 NIGHTSA Celebration of Dance at Sea with Dame Arlene Philips & Ian Waite!
Ports: Southampton · Amsterdam · Honfleur
Save 3%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
15 NIGHTSCanary Islands Christmas & Cadiz New Year from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Santa Cruz de La Palma · Santa Cruz · Las Palmas · Puerto del Rosario · Cadiz
13 NIGHTSSouthern Spain Siesta from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · La Coruna · Cadiz · Malaga · Gibraltar · Vigo
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 6%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%8 NIGHTSFrance & Belgium Easter Break
7 NIGHTSCapitals & Cultures of Scandinavia
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%14 NIGHTSBritish Isles
6 NIGHTSRemote Isles of Scotland from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Ullapool · Lerwick · Stornoway
9 NIGHTSCoastal Gems & Culture of Ireland from Rosyth
Ports: Rosyth · Slieve League Cliffs · Killybegs · Carrickfergus Castle · Belfast · Dun Laoghaire (for Dublin)
Save 16%6 NIGHTSCultural Charm of Ireland from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Cobh (Cork) · Galway City · Killybegs
Save 16%9 NIGHTSFjords & Mountains of Norway from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Alesund · Nordfjordeid · Nordfjord · Skjolden · Lustrafjorden
Save 3%9 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 14%8 NIGHTSScenic Isles of Scotland from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Portree · Isle of Skye · Ullapool · Kirkwall · Orkney Islands
Save 17%14 NIGHTSVolcanic Azores & the Solar Eclipse from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Matosinhos (Porto) · Lisbon · Funchal · Madeira · Ponta Delgada
9 NIGHTSWhales & Wonders of Iceland from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Reykjavik · Grundarfjordur · Latrabjarg · Eyjafjordur · Akureyri
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
9 NIGHTSScenic Summertime Fjords of Norway from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Andalsnes · Olden · Skjolden · Bergen
Save 2%5 NIGHTSScottish Isles Bank Holiday Break from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Kirkwall, Orkney Islands · Lerwick, Shetland Islands
5 NIGHTSBank Holiday Fjords of Norway from Newcastle
Ports: Newcastle · Lysefjord · Bergen · Ulvik · Hardangerfjord · Maurangerfjord
Deal16 NIGHTSCultural Mediterranean with the Amalfi Coast from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Malaga · Cartagena · Olbia · Naples · Salerno
13 NIGHTSNine Nations of Northern Europe from Newcastle
Ports: Newcastle · Oslo · Aarhus · Malmo · Gdansk · Klaipeda
9 NIGHTSAutumn Fjords of Norway from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Alesund · Andalsnes · Olden · Skjolden
Save 3%26 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 13%11 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal & Gibraltar Escape from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Gibraltar · Malaga · Cadiz · Lisbon · Matosinhos (Porto)
12 NIGHTSAncient Wonders of Turkey, Greece & Egypt from Piraeus
Ports: Piraeus · Istanbul · Kusadasi · Alexandria · Heraklion
Save 3%87 NIGHTSDiscovering the Amazon & Antarctica from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz · Tenerife · Santa Cruz de La Palma · La Palma · St. John's
Ambassador Cruise Line Sailings
Save 4%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 2%9 NIGHTSAutumn Fjordland
Ports: Tilbury · Bergen · Flåm · Nordfjordeid · Åndalsnes · Sandnes
Save 4%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 2%7 NIGHTSExclusive Cruise with Jane McDonald & Friends from London Tilbury
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 4%16 NIGHTSNorway's Land of the Northern Lights
Ports: Tilbury · Stavanger · Kristiansund · Trondheim · Tromsø · Alta
25 NIGHTSAtlantic Horizons and Caribbean Discovery from Tilbury to Barbados
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 4%31 NIGHTSGems of the Adriatic & Mediterranean Autumn Sun from London Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Ceuta · Malaga · Valencia · La Goulette · Argostoli
4 NIGHTSBritish Isles
15 NIGHTSTropical Treasures from Barbados | London Heathrow Flights Included |
Save 4%4 NIGHTSWeekend Escape to Holland & Belgium
Ports: Tilbury · Zeebrugge · IJmuiden · Rotterdam
Save 4%4 NIGHTSOne More Dream – Hamburg's Festive Delights
Ports: Hamburg · Tilbury
Save 14%15 NIGHTSIsland Rhythms and Blue Horizons from Barbados
Save 4%2 NIGHTSDutch Festive Getaway
Ports: IJmuiden · Tilbury
Save 4%5 NIGHTSBelgium & Holland from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) · Antwerp · Bruges (Zeebrugge)
Save 4%5 NIGHTSCricket Legends Festive Getaway
Ports: Bremerhaven · IJmuiden · Zeebrugge · Tilbury
Save 4%3 NIGHTSChristmas Markets of Holland & Belgium
Ports: IJmuiden · Zeebrugge · Tilbury
Save 4%3 NIGHTSChristmas Markets of Holland & Belgium
Ports: IJmuiden · Zeebrugge · Tilbury
Save 4%14 NIGHTSChristmas & New Year Sailing to Spain & Portugal
Ports: Tilbury · Leixões · Lisbon · Almería · Málaga · Gibraltar
15 NIGHTSSecrets of the Caribbean from Barbados | Manchester Flights Included |
42 NIGHTSSupercraft Gems of the Caribbean Sea from Tilbury
Hot deal15 NIGHTSCaribbean Explorer - Tropical Isles from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Kingstown, St. Vincent & Grenadines · Castries, St. Lucia · Oranjestad, Aruba · Willemstad, Curacao · Kralendijk, Bonaire
Save 6%15 NIGHTSTropical Horizons - A Carribean Adventure from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown · Willemstad · Kralendijk · Pointe-à-Pitre · Roseau · Fort de France
Save 2%20 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Hot deal14 NIGHTSEaster Voyage to France, Spain & Portugal from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Honfleur · Le Verdon · Vigo · Seville (Cadiz) · Malaga
Save 10%2 NIGHTSA Tribute to the 90's from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Portsmouth
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 4%13 NIGHTSBritish Isles Discovery and French Charms
Ports: Invergordon · Kirkwall · Belfast · Liverpool · Cobh · Saint Mary's
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
7 NIGHTSNordic Neighbors: A Journey Through Sweden & Denmark from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Gothenburg · Copenhagen · Malmo · Aalborg
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Hot deal4 NIGHTSBritish Isles
12 NIGHTSClassic French Escapes: Bordeaux, Brest, Cherbourg & Honfleur from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Belfast · Brest · Bordeaux · Cherbourg · Honfleur
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Hot deal2 NIGHTSDutch Escape from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Ijmuiden · London Tilbury
11 NIGHTSFjordland Landscapes & Nordic Traditions from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Belfast · Geiranger · Alesund · Maloy · Flam
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 5%8 NIGHTSSpringtime Shores: Hebrides & Isle of Man Discovery from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Belfast · Tobermory · Isle of Mull · Stornoway · Isle of Lewis
Save 2%4 NIGHTSBritish Isles
11 NIGHTSNatural Wonders & Wildlife of Iceland from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Belfast · Runavik · Seydisfjordur · Akureyri · Isafjordur
Save 2%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
12 NIGHTSGlaciers, Geysers & Waterfalls of Iceland from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Runavik · Reykjavik · Isafjordur · Akureyri · Seydisfjordur
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Hot deal5 NIGHTSDutch & Belgian Delights in Five Nights
Ports: Zeebrugge · Rotterdam · IJmuiden · Tilbury
7 NIGHTSFjordland Landscapes & Nordic Traditions from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Austefjorden · Flam · Sognefjord · Aurlandsfjord · Haugesund
14 NIGHTSScandinavian Cities & Baltic Discoveries from Tilbury
Ports: London Tilbury · Copenhagen · Gdynia · Stockholm · Helsinki · Tallinn
11 NIGHTSIceland's Land of Ice & Fire from Dundee
Ports: Dundee · Klaksvik · Runavik · Reykjavik · Isafjordur · Akureyri
8 NIGHTSExploring Norway's Hidden Fjords from Newcastle
Ports: Newcastle (Port of Tyne) · Alesund · Maloy · Flam · Sognefjord (Scenic Cruising) · Austefjorden
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines vs Ambassador Cruise Line: the bottom line
Choosing between Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Ambassador Cruise Line ultimately comes down to what kind of holiday you are looking for. Both are well-established cruise lines with loyal followings, but they cater to different preferences and budgets.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, founded in 1848 and headquartered in Ipswich, UK, operates a fleet of 4 ships. It is categorised as a traditional cruise line and scores 4.4/5 overall based on 5,600 reviews. The line is particularly strong for no-fly cruising from uk and small-ship intimacy, making it a natural choice for cruisers who value those attributes.
Ambassador Cruise Line, established in 2022 from Essex, UK, has a fleet of 2 ships. As a value line rated 4.2/5 from 2,800 reviews, it excels at no-fly uk port departures and value-conscious cruisers. If those are your priorities, Ambassador Cruise Line deserves serious consideration.
On food, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines scores 6/10 compared to Ambassador Cruise Line's 6/10. For entertainment, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines comes in at 5/10 versus Ambassador Cruise Line's 5/10. Value for money favours Ambassador Cruise Line with a score of 8/10.
Our recommendation: browse the available sailings above and compare itineraries, dates, and total cost including what is bundled in the fare. The best cruise line is the one that matches your specific needs, budget, and travel dates. Use the scores as a guide, but remember that individual ship and itinerary matter just as much as the cruise line brand.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines vs Ambassador Cruise Line — FAQ
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