Ambassador Cruise Line (“Ambassador”), a Njord Partners por;olio company, and French cruise operator Compagnie Française de Croisières (“CFC”), have reached an agreement to merge, forming the “Ambassador Group”. This strategic combination marks the creation of a leading European premium affordable value cruise line, targeting the no-fly silver market. The transaction is expected to close by the end of January 2025.
With Ambassador’s success in the UK market and CFC’s strong presence in the French no-fly cruise sector, the combined operators provide a formidable pla;orm from which to expand the newly formed Ambassador Group’s footprint in the European market, taking advantage of the significant growth in the European cruise sector over the next decade. With the market expected to grow by 12% p.a. over the next five years, the Group will leverage its premium and highly regarded offering to establish new destinations while delivering authentic and sustainable cruise experiences to a wide audience.
The Group will operate a fleet of three small-to-mid-sized vessels incorporating Ambassador’s Ambience and Ambi(on and CFC’s 1,200 guest-capacity Renaissance, which is fully refurbished following recent multimillion euro investments. Both the Ambassador and CFC vessels will continue to offer a traditional British or French product offering to their respective markets, with each brand retaining its unique national identity so as to ensure that all guests travelling with the combined operator enjoy an unrivalled onboard experience in line with their expectations.
With the cruise industry increasingly focussed on sustainability, Renaissance will be upgraded with the latest environmental technologies a_er entering Dry Dock in January 2025 to make her IMO Tier III compliant in line with her sister ships, the standard bearers for Ambassador Group’s high environmental standards and commitment to sustainable travel.
Ambassador Group is introducing a joint fly-cruise Caribbean programme in Winter 2025/26 in partnership with Corendon, a leading European travel operator. With itineraries from October 2025 and homeporting in Barbados, Martinique and Curaçao, sailings will combine source markets from the UK, France and the
Netherlands, marking the Group’s entry into the fly-cruise market and enhancing its year-round offerings. Further details of the Caribbean programme including itineraries will be provided in the coming days.
The combined businesses will achieve operational efficiencies through synergies including fleet management and sourcing, while fostering growth opportunities for both shipboard and shoreside staff. Ambassador Group will be majority-owned by Ambassador’s existing shareholders, Njord Partners, with Cheyne Capital taking a minority stake.
