Hidden Gems of France & Spain

14 nights from £1,199pp departing Saturday 13th May 2023

Time to see Britain’s overseas holiday hotspots in a new light. Uncover remote wonders and get lost in the romance on a two-week adventure through France and Northern Spain. In Le Havre, see where Monet painted 'Impression, Sunrise', the work which inspired impressionism, sip the finest wines in Bordeaux and be sure to visit to the cutting-edge Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Art, cuisine, history and sea breeze swell together to create a truly unforgettable European love story.

CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

La Coruna for Santiago, Spain...

Supposedly the burial site of St. James, the walled medieval town of Santiago de Compostela is a treasure house of history, with its magnificent carved stone façades, grand plazas and fascinating winding streets.

Getxo for Bilbao, Spain

You are greeted with a charming seaside spot, granting perfect access to the largest city in the Basque country, Bilbao. Head to the world famous Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Fine Art and its breathtaking 14th century Gothic-style cathedral.

Itinerary

Map

					Arrive	Depart
	13th13	MayMay	202323	Dundee, Scotland, embark on the Ambition		19:30
	14th14	MayMay	202323	At Sea
	15th15	MayMay	202323	At Sea
	16th16	MayMay	202323	Cherbourg, France	07:00	16:00
Originally a little fishing village, Cherbourg has developed into a historic port designed by Vauban. This was also a strategic naval port during the Napoleonic wars; there is a marina with over 1000 moorings. “Cap de la Hague” is to the West and the “Pointe de Barfleur” to the East. This port, which belongs to Normandy, is a region that has provided inspiration for countless artists and writers, and is the land of apple orchards and rolling farmland dotted with villages of half-timbered houses. Boasting a wealth of abbeys and châteaux, as well as a superb coastline, it offers something for everyone. Cherbourg was also the first stop of RMS Titanic after it left Southampton, England. On 19 June 1864, the naval engagement between USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama took place off Cherbourg. The Battle of Cherbourg, fought in June 1944 following the Normandy Invasion, ended with the capture of Cherbourg on June 30.
	17th17	MayMay	202323	Brest, France	09:00	19:00
	18th18	MayMay	202323	Montoir-de-Bretagne, France	08:00	18:00
	19th19	MayMay	202323	Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France	07:00	18:00
Situated on the Garonne River, 70 miles (113 km) inland from the Atlantic, Bordeaux's origin can be traced back to the 3rd century when it was Aquitaine's Roman capital called Burdigala. From 1154 to 1453, the town prospered under the rule of the English, whose fondness for the region's red wines gave impetus to the local wine industry. At various times, Bordeaux even served as the nation's capital: in 1870, at the beginning of World War I, and for two weeks in 1940 before the Vichy government was proclaimed. Bordeaux's neo-classical architecture, wide avenues and well-tended public squares and parks lend the city a certain grandeur. Excellent museums, an imposing cathedral and a much-praised theatre add to the city's attractions. The principal highlights, clustered around the town centre, can easily be explored on foot.
	20th20	MayMay	202323	Getxo, Spain	07:00	20:00
	21st21	MayMay	202323	Gijón, Spain	07:00	20:00
The Campo Valdés baths, dating back to the 1st century AD, and other reminders of Gijón's time as an ancient Roman port remain visible downtown. Gijón was almost destroyed in a 14th-century struggle over the Castilian throne, but by the 19th century it was a thriving port and industrial city. The modern-day city is part fishing port, part summer resort, and part university town, packed with cafés, restaurants, and sidrerías.
	22nd22	MayMay	202323	La Coruña, Spain	07:00	17:00
La Coruña, the largest city in Spain's Galicia region, is among the country's busiest ports. The remote Galicia area is tucked into the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, surprising visitors with its green and misty countryside that is so much unlike other parts of Spain. The name "Galicia" is Celtic in origin, for it was the Celts who occupied the region around the 6th-century BC and erected fortifications. La Coruña was already considered an important port under the Romans. They were followed by an invasion of Suevians, Visigoths and, much later in 730, the Moors. It was after Galicia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias that the epic saga of the Pilgrimage to Santiago (St. James) began. From the 15th century, overseas trade developed rapidly; in 1720, La Coruña was granted the privilege of trading with America - a right previously only held by Cadiz and Seville. This was the great era when adventurous men voyaged to the colonies and returned with vast riches. Today, the city's significant expansion is evident in three distinct quarters: the town centre located along the isthmus; the business and commercial centre with wide avenues and shopping streets; and the "Ensanche" to the south, occupied by warehouses and factories. Many of the buildings in the old section feature the characteristic glazed façades that have earned La Coruña the name "City of Crystal." Plaza Maria Pita, the beautiful main square, is named after the local heroine who saved the town in 1589 when she seized the English standard from the beacon and gave the alarm, warning her fellow townsmen of the English attack.
	23rd23	MayMay	202323	At Sea
	24th24	MayMay	202323	Le Havre, France	09:00	17:00
Le Havre, founded by King Francis I of France in 1517, is located inUpper Normandy on the north bank of the mouth of the River Seine, which isconsidered the most frequented waterway in the world. Its port is ranked thesecond largest in France. The city was originally built on marshland andmudflats that were drained in the 1500’s. During WWII most of Le Havre wasdestroyed by Allied bombing raids. Post war rebuilding of the city followed thedevelopment plans of the well-known Belgian architect Auguste Perre. Thereconstruction was so unique that the entire city was listed as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site in 2005.
	25th25	MayMay	202323	At Sea
	26th26	MayMay	202323	Newcastle upon Tyne, England	08:00	18:00
An urban city mixing culture, sophistication and heritage, Newcatle-upon-Tyne offers a range of activities and attractions. With more theatres per person than anywhere else in the UK, Newcastle has a wide range of arts and cultural attractions for visitors to enjoy, from the Theatre Royal – regional home to the Royal Shakespeare Company – to the famous Angel of the North.
	27th27	MayMay	202323	Dundee, Scotland, disembark the Ambition	07:30

Ambition

Launch Year

2022

Tonnage

48,123

Capacity

1,200

Cabins

714

Accessible

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

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Holiday Summary

	14 nights aboard the Ambition
	Port Taxes and Fees
	ABTA and ATOL Protection*

Interior staterooms from		£1,199pp
1	Standard Twin
2	Standard Plus Twin	£1,199pp
3	Superior Twin	£1,279pp
4	Premium Twin	£1,349pp
IN	Inside Guarantee

Oceanview staterooms
6	Standard Twin
7	Standard Twin
8	Standard Plus Twin
9	Superior Twin
11	Superior Plus Twin
12	Premium Twin
OS	Ocean View Guarantee

Balcony staterooms
16	Premium Balcony

Suite staterooms from		£2,999pp
JS	Junior Suite	£2,999pp
SJS	Superior Junior Suite
DS	De Luxe Suite
PS	Premium Suite