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

[ConnieTact]

Due to past experience, I always said I would never cruise on an older, smaller, ship. This ruled out all the ships that would dock in my home port, Bristol, Royal Portbury, U.K.!

Last month, I booked a cruise on such a ship, Ambassador Ambition, which will dock at that very port! It is in our home ‘town’.

 

It all fitted in with a big birthday surprise I had planned for Mr CT! He had, shall we call it, a ‘milestone’ birthday this month and I wanted to surprise him. 

I created a Magical Mystery Tour! I then made him guess, in a music style quiz, what the surprise was! Most of the songs were by the Beatles! 

When he guessed one correctly, I would move to the next song! 

First, he guessed we would be day trippers with “a one-way ticket, yeah!” And then, picture himself “on a train in a station” from the Beatles song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!'

I won’t take you through the whole quiz, but he guessed correctly that we were going one way on the train to Liverpool and there we would stay. The hotel was an easy song choice, named the “Hard Day's Night” Hotel!

 

We will go for an excursion with the Beats tour, the ultimate Beatles tour experience. It is a ride in a huge yellow-decorated car, a replica of John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce Phantom. This will take us to the Beatle’s childhood houses, to the spot that inspired Strawberry Fields and also to Penny Lane. All the while, the guide will play Beatles songs! 

We had booked this experience two years ago, but sadly missed it as we were stuck on our cruise ship and couldn’t get off in time to make the tour! 

The tour owner remembered this and kindly gave us a good allowance for this rebooked one.

 

Back to the quiz! Last, Mr CT guessed we were going to get back home, by sea! We have never sailed the Bristol Channel as the bigger ships we prefer can’t go up this stretch of water, so this will be a different experience.

We can easily get an Uber home as it is only 6 miles away from the port!

 

I had priced up doing this trip and compared it to going from Southampton to Lisbon on NCL and flying home, but it worked out as a similar daily rate, all things considered. Also, we often sail to Europe and are doing a similar cruise in October, so I settled for a more memorable mini-break.

The icing on the cake, and deciding factor, was that on this two-night cruise from Liverpool, the fantastic band ‘The Bootleg Beatles’ would perform on the ship! We love a Beatles tribute band, but these guys are the very best. They command high-priced tickets when they play around the U.K., so I thought we were really getting added value by having them onboard. I found it amazing that this fitted right in with my theme. I am hopeful this will be a cruise never to be forgotten!

 

Follow along on my trip. Like all my live reviews, I will include lots of pictures and helpful information for others considering cruising with the relatively new British cruise line that was founded just two years ago. I will do my best to answer any questions you may have too. This ship only started sailing with passengers in May this year, so there’s not much ‘out there’ to read about it. So I will do my best to present my findings and help fill that gap.

 

Our adventure starts 10 days from today, so I will post again a little closer to the time!

[Sand$!]

Excellent Planning. Looking forward to your  review especially as you will be in a small older ship which is exactly what I love. Enjoy

[ConnieTact]

2 hours ago, Sand$! said:

Excellent Planning. Looking forward to your  review especially as you will be in a small older ship which is exactly what I love. Enjoy

Thanks Sand$! Have you sailed with Ambassador before? 
Do you particularly like the size of a smaller ship or do you like the more simple design of an older one? 
I have to say I rather like the all singing, all dancing big ones but am happy to experiment new cruise lines and their ships too!

[Sand$!]

3 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

Thanks Sand$! Have you sailed with Ambassador before? 
Do you particularly like the size of a smaller ship or do you like the more simple design of an older one? 
I have to say I rather like the all singing, all dancing big ones but am happy to experiment new cruise lines and their ships too!

Hi we have not sailed Ambassador yet. Have London to Sydney booked for the New Year. I like smaller ships after our first cruise repositioning Brazil to Barcelona was a great relaxing sea day’s experience. We tried a larger ship out of Sydney for a short break and were frazzled getting around! Older ships give me a smile on layout and I think they feel more of being on a ship than the huge floating cities. That being said I cruise anything that brings us the right itinerary. We have found the time onboard with a smaller set of people also relaxing with staff getting to know you and it is the one time I pack away my computer work and switch off!! Ambassador fits for us on the trip we want and am hoping for a Cuba trip in the coming years. I really hope you have a fab time on your trip and will love hearing about it. The added extras of the right entertainment for you should be a blast. We just finished a 4 day 80s cruise here in Sydney which was on an older ship which means cheap enough but great entertainment. 

[ConnieTact]

On 8/24/2023 at 10:43 PM, Sand$! said:

Hi we have not sailed Ambassador yet. Have London to Sydney booked for the New Year. I like smaller ships after our first cruise repositioning Brazil to Barcelona was a great relaxing sea day’s experience…….we want and am hoping for a Cuba trip in the coming years. I really hope you have a fab time on your trip and will love hearing about it…….

Sounds like you’ve had some great,longer journeys on smaller ships. I fancy doing a Brazil to Barcelona one day and I know MrCT is also very keen on going to Cuba. I agree itinerary is important for exploring new places. We take a yearly, January, ‘lazy’ Med cruise which we enjoy for resting and comfort rather than getting off at each post that we know well already. This way we can enjoy the ship while others are off it! 

[ConnieTact]

Due to train strikes, we actually no longer have a ‘Ticket to Tide’ on the train to Liverpool- the alternative Beatles song I was singing (‘Yesterday’!) was ‘Don't Let Me Down!’😅

Just a week away from our travel date, I received notification that both trains I had booked were cancelled due to U.K. rail workers industrial action. After a busy day, MrCT helped me research alternative ways to travel, one way, to Liverpool. 
Our options were National Express coach which would take around 5 and a half hours including one change. An Uber which was five times more expensive than my (bargain) train tickets. We even researched local flights from Bristol to Liverpool but these would stop at Isle of Man and as soon as I added larger hand luggage the price went up too high. We settled for car hire -one way. It’s now booked and paid for and at least we know we can still get there now! We could have cancelled all the other elements and got a cruise transfer from Bristol to the ship on sailing day, but that would mean missing out on a lot of fun pre-cruise activities.

[ConnieTact]

I received an email at 11pm to invite me to log on and complete check-in on ‘my Ambassador Sailing’. Having changed my password (yes! I forgot it! 😅) I logged on. I got to the correct page but the check in was not available. I’ll try again in the morning.

 

Yesterday, I received both an email and a text from ‘Hard Days Night Hotel’ to invite me to check in there too. This worked well, so at least the first two nights are confirmed on our Magical Mystery Tour! 
 

[ConnieTact]

I managed to check in for the cruise this morning, All very straight forward. We printed off the boarding passes and luggage labels at work. 
Just finished packing and it is clear there are two members of the family who want to come with us! 😻🧳😻

 

[ConnieTact]

On our way to Liverpool in our hire car- a Fiat 500. Just hit a bit of traffic but so far so good. I’m not a huge fan of long car journeys but we’re taking a couple of breaks along the way.

 

[ConnieTact]

We dropped off our hired car and easily picked up an Uber in one minute flat! While we were in the Uber we got a call from Enterprise Car Hire in Bristol. We were to be charged an extra £50 odd quid for ‘one way’ travel! Needless to say, I agued the point, it was not in our contract and, we had not been told of this charge either in writing or verbally. Following this the manager ‘removed the charge’. It made me think of the ‘nickel-and-diming’ Americans complain about. We had already agreed and extra £25 for added insurance because we were told even if you damage the car slightly, we would take £1,500 from your card!  All this didn’t make us feel inclined to return to that company, even though the car was good and we had no insure with it.

[ConnieTact]

Here’s some pictures of the hotel room at The Hards Days Night Hotel. 
Although we had to remake the bed before sleeping in it as it had been set up with duvet tucked right in on one side and hardly reaching the other side(!) we both slept well.

[ConnieTact]

We ate in the dining room names ‘Blake’s’ after Peter Blake who designed the album cover of Yellow Submarine along with lots of other pop art. Unfortunately the restaurant lacked atmosphere, with no music playing, crumbs on the floor from breakfast and only tow other couples in there.

The food was fine though and service was friendly. When we declined a dessert the waitress replied “oh yes! You must be stuffed! Sausages are really filling!” 😂

 

[ConnieTact]

We took a walk around the neighbourhood, as it was a lovely evening in Liverpool.  Then went back to check out the live music in the hotel bar. The guy singing was talented, and fun, played lots of Beatles and even a bit of David Bowie especially for me! 

[ConnieTact]

The view from our window this morning! Good morning Liverpool! 

[ConnieTact]

Breakfast was good. We got there early so didn’t have to queue- we read reviews so knew that could be an issue. 
 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by ConnieTact

[ConnieTact]

Looked around hotel at memorabilia and art and was really impressed. Settled to look at brilliant photo books provided by hotel too. Great fir any Beatles fans. We’re in same block as Cavern club so will be visiting there later.

[ConnieTact]

Our plans to go on ‘the Beats Tour’ in a replica of John Lenin’s Rolls Royce changed rather abruptly this afternoon! I told Robbie the car’s owner we were booked in for the tour only for him to bark at me “No you’re not!”

We thought he was joking at first, but he insisted the car was full and I only had one place in the car!

I had originally paid for tickets in October 2021 but we couldn’t get off the ship in time for the tour. When we realised we were going to Liverpool again, I contacted him and he offered to give a ‘free’ place and I would buy another. I was happy with this but did worry he would forget about the agreement. My dread was realised when he told me bluntly, “the booking wasn’t checked out- there’s no place!” 

My second lot of money checked out from my bank though! I had paid in full for three tickets and here we were on the street, in front of the hotel, being told we weren’t going anywhere this afternoon in his car!

After further discussion he said we could squeeze onto tomorrow’s 12 noon tour and, if we got there early, he would do his best even if it was a shortened tour. We agreed but told him we had luggage to take to the ship by 2pm tomorrow! He reassured us he’d either get us there or get us to a taxi so we would get there.

I’m still feeling pretty upset at the way he confronted me in public in such an impolite way but we decided to rethink our plans.

We have come to the Beatles Museum. We had tickets I won in an auction in aid of Bath cats & dogs home! So here we are!

 

[ConnieTact]

A few more from the Beatles museum.

[ConnieTact]

After a rest we went fine for supper in Blake’s restaurant again. We were surprised to see nobody in the restaurant! We went to reception, just to catch waitress coming from ‘downstairs’ where there is a wedding party in full swing! Due to this we were the only ‘allowed’ diners along with two other parties as we had pre booked. 
Food was good again and the waitress plsyed Beatle’s tunes from her phone so a bit of background music tonight!

Still crumbs in the seats and floor though! We assess restaurants and it’s hard for us to not notice this kind of thing. Another diner came in and happily set on the crumbs but this made me cringe to even see that happen! 😅

 

[ConnieTact]

We went fir a walk after supper.

 

[ConnieTact]

Next on to the bar at the hotel for entertainment straight from the cavern club. There were no bar staff at the bar and we watched as so many would be customers came and left. Then, just like buses, three bartenders turned up at once! 🤪

The live music was and is amazing/ really good - I’m watching as I write! 

Edited September 2, 2023 by ConnieTact

[ConnieTact]

The music organised through the Cavern really makes this hotel. Without that and without the Beatles pictures, the hotel would not have been worth booking. MrCT said to me last night, we could always stay somewhere else next time and just pop in for the entertainment. This sounded like a “boss” idea -as they say up here!

Craig the singer was joined by Kaitie who was an America with a beautifully sounding voice. They sang well together and make up two of a band of four called Carousel who are one of the resident bands at The Cavern Club. If you like, check them out.

https://www.cavernclub.com/resident-bands/carousel/

[ConnieTact]

While we were enjoying the music people at the bar continued to get frustrated as the bar staff struggled to cope! I witnessed one server try her best to shake a cocktail only to get the shaker stuck on the mixing glass and couldn’t get it off. She then discovered she’d only mixed one portion but divided it between two glasses. Another bartender came along and, aiming to be helpful, reached over to pour one into the other glass but in doing so, cracked one of the glasses in pieces! “We’ll have to start again,” he declared. He took over the mixology asking her to get my easier drinks order instead. She looked dumbfounded when I asked for a small Malbec and he explained to her she’d find it in the red wines cabinet! She went on to charge me almost double for two large ones. I waited for a long time for a manger to be found and agree the £10 refund. 
I used the time to act out charade-style, “be sure to check your bill” to the guy who was next up to be served and standing at the other end of the bar. He got it in one, put his thumb up, and we both smiled. I saw him laughing and telling his wife about it when he sat down.
Another thing-don’t ask for a wine list either in the bar or the restaurant because they don’t have one! 😅 The quality of the drinks was good though- worth the wait. Although, I saw more than ten people come to the bar, wait and then leave.

[ConnieTact]

Breakfast has been good, although surrounded by dirty floors. Coffee machine is broken but they were going around serving filter coffee. I got Earl grey with tea leaves in a pot. 

A couple of areas for improvement would be a serviette on the uncut loaf of bread so people aren’t eating whatever germs were on the last cutters hand! Also I saw them sanitise tables but not backs of wooden chairs it would take two secs to just do them too! 
Also, I think there should be tongs for taking the pastries and cakes- again not good to have other people touching your food.

I’d like see hand sanitisers at the entrances to the restaurant too. 
That said, I still enjoyed my breakfast and just avoided the bread and cakes! Not a bad idea anyway! 😅

[ConnieTact]

Awaiting to board following our great Beatles tour! Photos to follow re that!

just put luggage in and now awaiting on some chairs.