Ambassador Cruise Line renewed its partnership with the charity dedicated to marine conservation, ORCA.
The UK-based company announced that the 120-day World Cruise is a B2B/back-to-back grouping 14 itineraries. The voyage is themed on ocean conservation/guest interaction, which is the longest time the charity has ever committed to any line for a single sailing.
Following the brand's successful inaugural season in collaboration with ORCA, Ocean Conservationists are joining passengers on Ambassador Ambience ship for 7 itineraries out of London-Tilbury (England UK), with the sistership Ambassador Ambition entering service in May 2023. Additional departures are offered from the company's UK homeports Belfast, Bristol, Dundee, Falmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle, which are scheduled to host a further 7 itineraries for Ambassador Ambition.
Totaling ~500 days at sea in 2023-2024, these will take in a host of destinations/itineraries including the no-fly cruise company’s multi-generational voyages. The sailings see ORCA’s experts collect major scientific data aimed at protecting sea life (whales, dolphins, porpoises) and inviting guests to learn more about ocean conservation.
Ambience's "Grand Round the World Cruise" will see the charity visit parts of the world for the very first time. Ports of call include Blue Whale migratory routes around Australia & the East Indian Ocean; migratory routes for the endangered Oceania subpopulation of Humpback Whales close to the Cook Islands; threatened Pygmy Blue Whale habitats in Sri Lanka; nursery grounds of Southern Right Whales in South Africa; and the Panama Canal, where animals are at high risk of ship strike.
Each ORCA journey with Ambassador features an interactive education program aimed at offering passengers the chance to learn more about the marine environment, ranging from Q&As and lectures to simply spending time on deck to help travelers spot and identify the range of life that can be seen at sea.
Both Ambassador ships have dedicated enrichment venues featuring activities/educational materials focusing on whales and dolphins, including the ORCA OceanWatchers app, allowing passengers to try their hand at being an Ocean Conservationist.
The continuation of the partnership will see ORCA and Ambassador reaffirm their commitment to a joint Anti-Whaling Campaign, which launched in 2022. The industry-first campaign addresses the issue of commercial whaling/unnecessary dolphin hunts.
A full year of ORCA cruises with Ambassador is likely to see an increase in sea life sightings and further enhance the research efforts of the charity even though the first 6 months of the partnership yielded 1,719 sightings, the highest number recorded by ORCA to stem from a single vessel.
Since the first ORCA cruise with Ambassador in June 2022, the charity’s Ocean Conservationists have recorded/tracked many different species of animal (with 509 common dolphin sightings and further 247 white-beaked dolphin sightings, 15 Loggerhead Turtle sightings, 24 Blue Whale sightings, 59 Humpback Whale sightings, 63 Harp Seal sightings, and 78 Fin Whale sightings).