What is a Destination Experience?
To help you make the most of your time ashore, a number of optional Destination Experiences have been created for a majority of the ports of call on your cruise. This may be a guided visit to a must-see tourist attraction in an iconic city, a small group experience designed to explore ‘off the beaten track’ locations, or an unguided transfer to allow those of you who wish to explore independently to get closer to the action.
When and how can I pre-register for my Destination Experiences?
Approximately 6-8-weeks prior to the departure date, or earlier if arrangements are complete, you will receive an email notifying you that the Destination Experiences programme for your cruise is available to view and pre-register online via ‘My Ambassador Sailing.’
Please note, pre-registration for experiences can only be made online. You cannot pre-register over the telephone or by post.
We strongly recommended that you use our pre-registration service as several of the experiences that we offer may have limited capacity. All experiences are subject to availability.
Is there a Destination Experiences brochure?
Descriptions and details of all Destination Experiences will be available to view by visiting ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ via our website. In a bid to remain true to our efforts to be a more sustainable cruise brand, we are not printing any information in paper format or as a brochure. Once on board, details can be viewed via the Ambassador App or at the kiosks in the Destination Experiences area.
How much will my Destination Experiences cost?
All prices and details for Destination Experiences for your sailing will be available to view by visiting ‘My Ambassador Sailing’.
How do I pay for my Destination Experiences?
Destination Experiences will be charged to your shipboard account, payable at the end of your cruise, or at regular intervals during longer voyages. Payment is not required prior to sailing.
Can I request a private arrangement?
Yes.
Please e-mail [email protected] for all private arrangement enquiries. This cannot be guaranteed in all ports of call, but we will liaise with our local agents and do our best to accommodate any requests.
Can I take a wheelchair or scooter on a Destination Experience?
For panoramic coach tours with photo stops, the answer is usually yes - as long as it is a full-sized coach, the wheelchair or scooter is collapsible and can fit into the luggage hold, and you are able to negotiate the large steps on to and off of the coach without aide. Please refer to the ‘Please Note’ section of each Destination Experience description for information about the total amount of walking involved, and the type of terrain that can be expected.
Where an alternative form of transport is used (i.e. coaster-bus, minibus, boat or 4x4), if accessibility is not clear from the description, please check with us before pre-registering for the experience by emailing [email protected].
For experiences which include entrances to places of interest, if you are unsure of the suitability after having read the description, please contact us directly so that we can discuss your individual needs by emailing [email protected].
In some ports of call, it may be possible to organise private experiences using wheelchair adapted vehicles. Please email [email protected] for any wheelchair/mobility related enquiries. Please note, this option is not always available, particularly in less developed countries or more remote ports of call, and usually attract considerably higher prices than experiences in standard vehicles.
How can I see that my Destination Experiences are confirmed?
Prior to sailing, you can view your experience planner by visiting ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ via our website. With every pre-registration or amendment, an updated experience planner will be emailed to you.
Once on board, you can view your experience planner via the Ambassador App or at the kiosks in the Destination Experiences area.
Can I cancel or amend my pre-registered Destination Experiences before sailing?
Yes.
If you wish to make any amendments, additions or cancellations to your pre-registration(s), please log into ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ via our website.
Unless specified otherwise in the description notes for individual experiences, cancellations of pre-registered experiences can be made via ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ up until 72-hours before you sail.
Cancellation fees are applicable for pre-registered experiences which involve upfront costs such as ticketed events, meals, flights or overnight accommodation. These fees can be applicable prior to the 72 hours and details of the agreements can be found in the individual description notes (provided to you prior to booking). To cancel these experiences an email must be sent to [email protected] and the appropriate cancellation charge will be confirmed to you.
Please ensure you have read and understood the description notes and any applicable cancellation terms that may apply to your experience prior to booking.
Can I cancel or amend my pre-registered Destination Experiences on board?
Yes, but there may be a charge.
Cancellations to confirmed bookings can only be made in person with one of the Destination Experiences Team on board during advertised opening hours. Unless specified otherwise in the description notes for individual experiences (provided to you prior to booking), cancellations of any experience can be made up to 48-hours before arrival in the port without penalty. Cancellation of any experience within 48-hours arrival in the port of call is subject to 100% cancellation fee.
Please ensure you have read and understood the description notes and any applicable cancellation terms that may apply to your experience prior to booking.
What will happen if a Destination Experience is cancelled by Ambassador Cruise Line?
In the event that an experience is cancelled prior to operating for reasons beyond our control, or the minimum number of participants is not achieved, the Destination Experiences team will advise you and a refund will be credited to your shipboard account.
What should I do if a Destination Experience is full?
We will closely monitor sales and if a destination experience sells out, we will ask our local operators for increased capacity or an additional departure, so it is worth checking ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ from time to time to see if space has become available for your preferred experience. Once onboard, the team will be able to add you to a waitlist in case cancellations are received, or the local operator is able to offer increased capacity at the last minute.
Where the Destination Experience includes a meal, are you able to cater for specific dietary requirements?
In the majority of ports, the most common alternative diets such as vegetarian or gluten free should be possible, although this is not guaranteed. It may not be possible to cater for more specialised diets or severe allergies. Please ensure you visit the Destination Experiences team on board to advise them of your dietary requirements so that they may liaise with the local operator. This should be done as early as possible once on board, but certainly no later than 48-hours before the departure of the experience.
Are comfort stops provided during a Destination Experience?
On the majority of experiences, we aim to provide comfort stops where possible, either with dedicated time slots or during free time. Please be aware that at some venues, local currency may be required to use the facilities if visited independently of our groups.
Are there toilet facilities available on board the coaches?
This cannot be guaranteed. If coaches do, some countries have rules regarding their use, often not permitted whilst the coach is in motion. We endeavour to provide regular comfort stops during our experiences, but this may not always be possible.
Are the Destination Experience coaches air-conditioned?
Standards of transportation differs from country to country, port to port. Where possible, our local operators will provide air-conditioned or forced-air coaches, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Can a seat on the coach be reserved?
We are unable to accommodate individual requests to reserve seats on coaches. Generally, we will reserve a small number of seats towards the front of coaches on experiences which include minimal walking. Guests who use mobility aids may be invited to use these seats when they board the coach, but due to the nature of these experiences, it is not possible for us to reserve for all guests with limited mobility.
Can my party all travel together on the same coach/vessel?
Yes. All we ask is that you arrive together at the same time, explain to the Destination Experiences team how many of you are in your party and they will ensure you are allocated to the same coach / vessel providing the size of your group does not exceed the vehicle capacity.
Is there a shuttle service?
In ports of call where it is not permitted for you to walk inside the port, a complimentary shuttle service will be provided to either the port gates or a central location providing there are no restrictions for us to do so (i.e. local taxi union / government regulations). In some ports of call, if local regulations allow, an optional shuttle service may be provided and a cover charge for this will apply. Please note that not all ports of call require a shuttle service owing to their proximity to the local town/city. Further information on shuttle services will be available once you are on board.
Why Book with Us?
- Pre-registration facility.
- No pre-payment required – all charges will be added to your shipboard account.
- Competitive selling prices.
- Peace of mind.
- A dedicated Destination Experiences team to take care of all arrangements.
