Norwegian Cruise Line vs Ambassador Cruise Line
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Norwegian Cruise Line 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 Norwegian Cruise Line if you want…
- Flexible, no-rules cruising
- Solo travellers (studio cabins)
- Broadway entertainment
- Modern ship design
Norwegian Cruise Line may not suit you if…
- Those wanting traditional cruise formality
- Budget travellers
- UK-departure-only preference
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.
Norwegian Cruise Line Fleet (19 ships)
Norwegian Prima
Built 2022 · 3,215 guests
Norwegian Viva
Built 2023 · 3,215 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.
Norwegian Cruise Line Sailings
Save 2%7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Encore Alaska & Glacier Bay
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italy, Corfu & Adriatic Gems
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Nice, Florence & Amalfi Coast
9 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 9-night Joy of Alaska
7 NIGHTSItaly, Greece & Croatia Fly Cruise from Rome
Ports: Rome · Salerno · Catania · Corfu · Kotor · Zadar
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska & Glacier Bay
Save 14%7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain & Portugal
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italy, France & Spain
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Encore Alaska & Glacier Bay
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona · Spain
7 NIGHTSSpain & Portugal from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Valencia · Motril · Gibraltar · Cadiz
6 NIGHTS2-night Vancouver & 6-night Seattle, Astoria, San Francisco & 2-night Los Angeles
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska & Glacier Bay
10 NIGHTS3-night Salou & 7-night Spanish Cities & Islands
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italy, Greece & Croatia
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain, France & Italy
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain & Portugal
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Encore Alaska & Glacier Bay
Save 1%11 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 9-night Croatia, Italy, France & Spain
Ports: Venice (Ravenna) · Dubrovnik · Bar · Salerno · Rome (Civitavecchia) · La Spezia
Save 14%19 NIGHTSPanama Canal from Los Angeles with Stay
Ports: Los Angeles · Cabo San Lucas · Acapulco · Puerto Quetzal · Puerto Caldera · Panama City
7 NIGHTS2-night Athens & 7-night Greek Isles & Croatia
Save 1%7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Nice, Florence & Marseille
6 NIGHTS2-night Vancouver & 6-night Pacific Coast & 2-night Los Angeles
6 NIGHTS1-night Vancouver & 6-night Pacific Wine Country & 4-night Las Vegas
17 NIGHTSSeoul, Hakodate & Osaka to Tokyo with Stays
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Nice, Florence & Salerno
9 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 5-night Caribbean & Great Stirrup Cay
Ports: Caribbean · Great Stirrup Cay
14 NIGHTS1-night Barcelona & 14-night Transatlantic inc Drinks & Wi-Fi & 7-night Orlando
9 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 5-night Caribbean & Great Stirrup Cay
Ports: Caribbean · Great Stirrup Cay
Save 3%13 NIGHTS2-night Lisbon & 11-night Canaries, Madeira, Oporto voyage to Southampton
Ports: Lisbon · Las Palmas · Santa Cruz De Tenerife · Santa Cruz de la Palma · Funchal · Oporto (Leixoes)
11 NIGHTS1-night Lisbon & 11-night Canaries, Madeira, Oporto Voyage to Southampton
Hot deal15 NIGHTSAsia Voyage with Tokyo & Seoul Stay
Ports: Yokohama · Shimizu · Nagoya · Kobe · Kochi · Hiroshima
11 NIGHTS7-night Universal Orlando & 4-night Great Stirrup Cay & Nassau
12 NIGHTS7-night Universal Studios & 5-night Caribbean & Great Stirrup Cay
9 NIGHTS2-night Los Angeles & 7-night Mexican Riviera
12 NIGHTS7-night Universal Studios & 5-night Caribbean & Great Stirrup Cay
19 NIGHTSNew Year Thailand & Philippines fr. Hong Kong to Singapore with Stay
17 NIGHTSSingapore, Thailand & Vietnam to Hong Kong with Stays
11 NIGHTS7-night Universal Studios & 4-night Bahamas Getaway
15 NIGHTSPanama Canal with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami Beach · Miami · Great Stirrup Cay · Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic · Willemstad, Curacao · Oranjestad, Aruba
Save 10%15 NIGHTS7-night Waikiki Beach Honolulu Stay with Tours & 7-night Inter-Island Cruise of Hawaii
Ports: Honolulu, Oahu · Kahului, Maui · Hilo, Hawaii · Kona, Hawaii · Nawiliwili, Kauai
15 NIGHTSCaribbean Round-Trip from New York with Stay
Ports: New York · Puerto Plata · San Juan · Charlotte Amalie · Road Town · Basseterre
8 NIGHTS8-Day Bahamas Round-Trip Philadelphia: Nassau & Jacksonville
Ports: Philadelphia · Nassau · Bahama Islands · Orlando · Jacksonville
7 NIGHTS7-Day Caribbean Round-Trip Orlando: Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic
Ports: Orlando · Puerto Plata/Dominican Republic · St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) · Tortola · Great Stirrup Cay
5 NIGHTS5-Day Caribbean Round-Trip Orlando: Cozumel
Ports: Orlando · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya
9 NIGHTS9-Day Caribbean Round-Trip Tampa: Dominican Republic & Key West
Ports: Tampa · Key West · Great Stirrup Cay · Falmouth · George Town
8 NIGHTSNASCAR Daytona 500 and Bahamas from Port Canaveral
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Great Stirrup Cay
Save 1%17 NIGHTSHong Kong, Nagasaki, Hiroshima & Osaka to Tokyo with Stays
Ports: Hong Kong · Kaohsiung · Taipei · Ishigaki · Nagasaki · Kagoshima
14 NIGHTSTokyo Stay, Mt. Fuji, Osaka, Hiroshima & Nagasaki to Seoul
Save 2%15 NIGHTSTokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima & Nagasaki to Seoul with Stays
Ports: Tokyo · Shimizu · Nagoya · Osaka · Kochi · Hiroshima
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
Norwegian Cruise Line vs Ambassador Cruise Line: the bottom line
Choosing between Norwegian Cruise Line 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.
Norwegian Cruise Line, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Miami, USA, operates a fleet of 19 ships. It is categorised as a contemporary cruise line and scores 4.4/5 overall based on 13,800 reviews. The line is particularly strong for flexible, no-rules cruising and solo travellers (studio cabins), 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, Norwegian Cruise Line scores 7/10 compared to Ambassador Cruise Line's 6/10. For entertainment, Norwegian Cruise Line comes in at 8/10 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.
Norwegian Cruise Line vs Ambassador Cruise Line — FAQ
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