Wonders of Western Europe

12 nights from £1,149pp departing Tuesday 15th Apr 2025

Immerse yourself in the stories, cultures, and natural wonders of the Atlantic coastline. Explore the maritime treasures of Belfast before sailing to the historical richness of Brest and the coastal allure of Lorient. Continue to El Ferrol for the option to visit Santiago de Compostela and Gijon, Spanish ports steeped in cultural heritage. The return journey offers the chance to discover charming Le Verdon in France, where you can take an optional tour to Bordeaux, before a concluding visit to St. Peter Port, Guernsey, a gem of the Channel Islands.

... 1)">CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

Belfast
Belfast, Northern Ireland's capital, reveals a vibrant cityscape interwoven with history. From the old docklands of the Titanic Quarter to dynamic neighborhoods filled with mural art, Belfast offers endless opportunities to explore.

Lorient
Lorient, on the Brittany coast, is imbued with French charm with a distinctly Celtic twist. Engage with local maritime history by visiting beautiful Catholic churches and the Second World War-era Lorient Submarine Base.

El Ferrol
Guarded by castles at its harbour entrance, Ferrol is one of Spain's oldest and most famous port cities. Stroll through historic plazas, visit naval monuments, and discover the city's maritime charm.

Gijon
Gijon, on Spain's northern coast, unveils a sun-washed cityscape steeped in Asturian charm. Wander historic promenades, discover contemporary art, and embrace the understated beauty of this Spanish port town.

Itinerary

Map

					Arrive	Depart
	15th15	AprApr	202525	Liverpool, England, embark on the Ambition		17:00
From world-class attractions and sports to legendary music, Liverpool offers old-world charm with modern sophistication, underpinned by a rich cultural history.
	16th16	AprApr	202525	Belfast, Northern Ireland	08:00	17:00
Before English and Scottish settlers arrived in the 1600s, Belfast was a tiny village called Béal Feirste ("sandbank ford") belonging to Ulster's ancient O'Neill clan. With the advent of the Plantation period (when settlers arrived in the 1600s), Sir Arthur Chichester, from Devon in southwestern England, received the city from the English Crown, and his son was made Earl of Donegall. Huguenots fleeing persecution from France settled near here, bringing their valuable linen-work skills. In the 18th century, Belfast underwent a phenomenal expansion—its population doubled every 10 years, despite an ever-present sectarian divide. Although the Anglican gentry despised the Presbyterian artisans—who, in turn, distrusted the native Catholics—Belfast's growth continued at a dizzying speed. The city was a great Victorian success story, an industrial boomtown whose prosperity was built on trade, especially linen and shipbuilding. Famously (or infamously), the Titanic was built here, giving Belfast, for a time, the nickname "Titanic Town." Having laid the foundation stone of the city's university in 1845, Queen Victoria returned to Belfast in 1849 (she is recalled in the names of buildings, streets, bars, monuments, and other places around the city), and in the same year, the university opened under the name Queen's College. Nearly 40 years later, in 1888, Victoria granted Belfast its city charter. Today its population is nearly 300,000, tourist numbers have increased, and this dramatically transformed city is enjoying an unparalleled renaissance.This is all a welcome change from the period when news about Belfast meant reports about "the Troubles." Since the 1994 ceasefire, Northern Ireland's capital city has benefited from major hotel investment, gentrified quaysides (or strands), a sophisticated new performing arts center, and major initiatives to boost tourism. Although the 1996 bombing of offices at Canary Wharf in London disrupted the 1994 peace agreement, the ceasefire was officially reestablished on July 20, 1997, and this embattled city began its quest for a newfound identity.Since 2008, the city has restored all its major public buildings such as museums, churches, theaters, City Hall, Ulster Hall—and even the glorious Crown Bar—spending millions of pounds on its built heritage. A gaol that at the height of the Troubles held some of the most notorious murderers involved in paramilitary violence is now a major visitor attraction.Belfast's city center is made up of three roughly contiguous areas that are easy to navigate on foot. From the south end to the north, it's about an hour's leisurely walk.
	17th17	AprApr	202525	At Sea
	18th18	AprApr	202525	Brest, France	08:00	18:00
	19th19	AprApr	202525	Lorient, France	08:00	18:00
	20th20	AprApr	202525	At Sea
	21st21	AprApr	202525	Ferrol, Spain	08:00	18:00
El Ferrol has been inextricably linked to the sea for more than two millennia, being a major shipbuilding centre for most of its history. From its beginnings as a tiny fishing port in the 1st century BC, it endured conquests by Vandals, Suebis, Arabs and Christians. With the arrival of the Bourbons in the 18th century, Ferrol became a leading maritime centre, largely due to its large natural harbour on the Ferrol Inlet, an arm of the Atlantic. Now a large commercial port, Ferrol is also the gateway to the northern Spanish province of Galicia, a region noted for its green mountains, deep gorges and fast-flowing rivers. It is also well placed for visiting the medieval holy city of Santiago de Compostela. Interestingly, Ferrol's city centre is modelled on Lisbon in Portugal, a country with which it has strong historical and linguistic ties. The layout comprises of a rectangle lined with six parallel streets, with two squares on each side. These squares have the city's best shops, restaurants and bars.
	22nd22	AprApr	202525	Gijón, Spain	08:00	14:00
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.
	23rd23	AprApr	202525	Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France	08:00	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.
	24th24	AprApr	202525	At Sea
	25th25	AprApr	202525	Saint Peter Port, Guernsey	08:00	18:00
Cobblestone streets, blooming floral displays, and tiny churches welcome you to this wonderfully pretty harbour. The town of St Peter Port is as pretty as they come, with glowing flower displays painting practically every street corner and window-ledge with colour. As the capital, and main port of Guernsey, St Peter Port puts all of the island’s gorgeous beaches, wonderful history and inspiring stories at your fingertips. Feel the gut punch of the midday gun firing at Castle Cornet, which stands guard over one of the world's prettiest ports. This 800-year-old, Medieval castle offers staggering views of the harbour from its imposing, craggy island location, and you can look out across to the looming shorelines of the other Channel Islands from its weathered battlements. With four well-tended gardens, and five museums offering a rich overview of Guernsey's history, you’ll want to leave a few hours aside to explore the many treasures that lie within the castle’s walls.
	26th26	AprApr	202525	At Sea
	27th27	AprApr	202525	Liverpool, England, disembark the Ambition	08:00
From world-class attractions and sports to legendary music, Liverpool offers old-world charm with modern sophistication, underpinned by a rich cultural history.

Ambition

Launch Year

1999

Refit Year

2023

Tonnage

48,123

Capacity

1,200

Cabins

713

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

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

Interior staterooms from		£1,149pp
INS07AFT	Inside Cabin (Aft - Deck 7)
INS08AFT	Inside Cabin (Aft - Deck 8)	£1,149pp
INS08FWD	Inside Cabin (Forward - Deck 8)	£1,149pp
INS08MID	Inside Cabin (Midship - Deck 8)	£1,189pp
INS09AFT	Inside Cabin (Aft - Deck 9)	£1,219pp
INS09FWD	Inside Cabin (Forward - Deck 9)	£1,219pp
INS09MID	Inside Cabin (Midship - Deck 9)	£1,369pp
INS10AFT	Inside Cabin (Aft - Deck 10)	£1,399pp

Oceanview staterooms from		£1,709pp
OUT07AFT	Ocean View Cabin (Aft - Deck 7)
OUT07MIDO	Ocean View Cabin - Obstructed View (Midship - Deck 7)	£1,709pp
OUT08AFT	Ocean View Cabin (Aft - Deck 8)	£1,899pp
OUT08FWD	Ocean View Cabin (Forward - Deck 8)	£1,709pp
OUT08MID	Ocean View Cabin (Midship - Deck 8)	£1,809pp
OUT09AFT	Ocean View Cabin (Aft - Deck 9)	£1,999pp
OUT09FWD	Ocean View Cabin (Forward - Deck 9)	£1,899pp
OUT09MID	Ocean View Cabin (Midship - Deck 9)	£1,999pp
OUT10AFT	Ocean View Cabin (Aft - Deck 10)	£1,899pp

Balcony staterooms from		£2,849pp
BAL09AFT	Balcony Cabin (Aft - Deck 9)	£2,849pp
BAL10AFT	Balcony Cabin (Aft - Deck 10)	£2,849pp

Suite staterooms from		£2,759pp
SUI10FWD	Suite (Forward - Deck 10)	£2,759pp
SUI10MID	Suite (Midship - Deck 10)	£3,179pp
DLX07AFT	Deluxe Suite (Aft - Deck 7)	£3,839pp
DLX08AFT	Deluxe Suite (Aft - Deck 8)	£3,929pp
SUI12AFT	Suite (Aft - Deck 12)	£3,379pp
PRM07AFT	Premium Suite (Aft - Deck 7)	£3,449pp
PRM08AFT	Premium Suite (Aft - Deck 8)	£3,689pp
PRM09AFT	Premium Suite (Aft - Deck 9)	£3,929pp
PRM10AFT	Premium Suite (Aft - Deck 10)	£3,789pp
PRM12AFT	Premium Suite (Aft - Deck 12)	£3,789pp