Live report (with a Beatles theme) from Ambassador Ambition 2 night ‘Summer Songs Seacation’ and pre-cruise stay in Liverpool

[ConnieTact]

We went to the Cavern and, exactly on our disembarkation time of 12.40, we were asked to form a queue to be led down to the the awaiting shuttle bus. We walked down a fairly steep gangway and straight onto the coach. We reached the cruise terminal in a few minutes and we got off, easily identified our luggage and went straight to taxi rank. 
We were asked where we were going, and helped with bags. Only as we were driving out the port did the driver ask, “Have you been told the price?” 
I said that we hadn’t, and when he told me it would be £40 I told him an Uber was £21, nearly half the price! I went on to say let us off, and he phoned his manager as we slowly headed to the port’s exit. 
His manager answered, “What?”

“She’s not happy with the price!”

The voice on the other end paused, then said,

”Well, how much IS she happy with?”

He turned and asked me. I had a quote from Uber on my phone, showed him, and said “£25 that’s the Uber rate just now!”
“Up to you” said the manager, ending call and leaving it to the driver to decide!

”I’ll do it for £30!” He bargained. I told him as we would have given him a fiver tip anyway, it was a deal.

I must admit I didn’t relish the thought of getting bags out the back and waiting for an Uber anyway! 😅

 

 

[ConnieTact]

If you don’t like cats…skip the next bit! 😀🐾

We’ve arrived back and I got the best welcome ever! Zumi was a rescue cat. His last owners split up and he was sent to Cats Protection League. Our other cat had not long lost his brother, who died a day before his second birthday. So the two cats get along so well.

I honestly think Zumi must wonder if we are ever coming back when we go away, and is so relieved when we return, that he almost collapses in my arms and relaxes this way until I choose to end the cuddle! 

[Sand$!]

Brilliantly executed report. Love your detail and personal reflection along with all the pics. 
 

Thank You

 

one minor question from someone who has yet to sail on this ship. Is there that much Astro turf on board? On older ships it is usually decking. Knock me back on my gribble of course it is not to take away from this marvellous insight of a cruise

[ConnieTact]

1 hour ago, Sand$! said:

Brilliantly executed report. Love your detail and personal reflection along with all the pics. 
 

Thank You

 

one minor question from someone who has yet to sail on this ship. Is there that much Astro turf on board? On older ships it is usually decking. Knock me back on my gribble of course it is not to take away from this marvellous insight of a cruise

Thanks for your encouraging feedback.

Interesting question about Astroturf and made me think back! I was going to say, not that I noticed but looked back on some photos and found three areas of use.

there are strips on the pool deck either side to make cosy areas with comfy seating. Next it is in the outside area of the buffet. Lastly I noticed a small area at the top of the ship where there are games. The majority of the ship is ordinary hard decking and the carpets inside are spotlessly clean like new. The jogging/walking track is smooth and great as is the decking on the sides of the ship.

Do you particularly like or dislike astroturf? I’ve seen it on the newer MSC ships and I think on an Oasis of the Seas but thinking about it, it does seem strange to have artificial grass on a ship! 😅

[Sand$!]

My dislike of Astroturfing some surfaces is it looks tired very quickly at the edges. Silly thought only.  I love old wooden board decks from memories as a child on board some of his ships as a captain!! Not glamorous at all. Merchant Navy on oil tankers 🤣

[ConnieTact]

25 minutes ago, Sand$! said:

My dislike of Astroturfing some surfaces is it looks tired very quickly at the edges. Silly thought only.  I love old wooden board decks from memories as a child on board some of his ships as a captain!! Not glamorous at all. Merchant Navy on oil tankers 🤣

Not glamorous maybe but very interesting! 
i don’t like fake grass anywhere really…especially not good for gardens and the environment. 
I must say though, it is all new and has not been spoiled since the ship sailed in May this year. I guess time will tell if Ambassador doesn’t keep it in, ‘tip top and Bristol fashion!’

( reference there from my home ‘town’! 😀).

[ConnieTact]

As we were dropped off to the ship by the Beats tour car and then I posted about the checking in process, I didn’t get the chance to report on the Beats Tour. Here are a few pictures. The car was amazing and the tour itself is similar to others one can buy at half the price with a private taxi tour. For us, it was worth spending the extra as this was a tour to remember. Robbie the tour hide and owner was great at the actual tour but as I reported we did have a mix up and although he did his best to fix it. He arranged for us to tour the next day, changing it to earlier and dropping us off in the port. At the end when MrCT gave him a tip and asked him how long he’d been doing the tour, he grumbled “too long!” I do recommend the tour as something more special but if you’re not bothered with the car experience, a taxi tour would be fine too.

Here’s the car outside the Hard Days Night Hotel and in the street where John was born and on the famous Penny Lane. Robbie diligently offered to take photos of us at various points.

 

[ConnieTact]

The tour covers each of the Beatles homes that they grew up in, with commentary from both Robbie and every so often recordings and blasts of Beatles hits. I’ll always remember the excitement of hearing ‘Penny Lane’ as we drove toward it. The last time I was there, I was seven years old and it was number one in the charts! It was a double A side with ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’. 
As we were driven to Strawberry fields the woman who shared our tour with us told me excitedly that she had been looking forward to this moment all her life, she had come from Australia especially for the tour. Her daughter had done the tour and now this was her turn at last! Imagine our dismay when Robbie pulled up outside the gates of the venue and declared, “We won’t be getting out as we need to get going to the port for these people now, so they won’t be late! You can take pictures from the car!”

I told him this was not enough and insisted we got out, even if we were a little late to the port as this was a once in a lifetime experience! I was trying to keep things as light as possible, not to ruin the magic of the moment for the woman. We got out, and I offered to take photos of them with their phone. I did this and got back in the car as they had a few more minutes enjoying the site. As I got in I explained to Robbie how important it was to her. I later realised I hadn’t taken any photos of my own, so I took a photo of her camera so at least I had one!
 

[ConnieTact]

[Britboys]

On 9/4/2023 at 10:22 PM, baser said:

Great report.l will be on ambition next year.can you tell me what is the size of the swimming pool and what are the set evening dinner times.many thanks .

Be warned that unless things have changed, the swimming pools on Ambassador ships are not heated...