She was over 70 years old and cute as she stood waiting on the edge of St Peters Port in Guernsey. Her name was Twinkle and yes, she proved to be a little star. She carried 35 passengers, and attracted attention and smiles as she chugged along the island’s narrow roads.
We embarked this vintage bus in the bustling harbour, overlooked by Victor Hugo’s statue with the music of his novel, Les Misérables, still in mind from the Palladium Theatre music performance from the night before. This vintage island tour was one of the excursions offered by Ambassador Cruise Line on the seven-day Gems of the English Channel voyage.
The voyage adventures
Clinging to the Cornish coastline of the southwest estuary, the scenic drive traced the route into the harbour town of Charlestown, where Poldark was filmed and the delights of Fowey, stopping of course for afternoon tea (strawberry jam first and topped with clotted cream from the Guernsey cows), while listening to its links with Daphne De Maurier. Enjoying such a mild climate, the hydrangeas were in full bloom as we passed tourists savouring a Cornish pasty. According to the Cornish Association, a Cornish pasty can only be classed as one if it has been made in Cornwall, and made strictly with specified ingredients. Another popular excursion was to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Europe’s largest garden restoration project.
Life on the Isles of Scilly seemed very simplistic as we joined a guided history tour. “It’s rather nice to know that Kate is my landlady” were the words of our Scillonian guide as Tamarisk House, owned by the Prince and Princess of Wales, was pointed out on the island of St Mary’s. Harold Wilson lived here too and is fondly remembered as we passed his home and gravestone. The bite-sized cluster of five inhabited islands have their own character but one not to be missed is Tresco, the second largest in the archipelago carpeted with its Tresco Abbey Gardens, the world in a garden, garlanded with tropical plants along its stepped terraces amidst the ruins of a Benedictine priory.
We docked in the southern estuary of the Seine, in the charming town of Honfleur in Normandy with its central old dock lined with open restaurants and bobbing with sailboats. Expect to be served with cider or calvados, caramels or camembert, and forget the cholesterol. From here, we headed to Deauville for an enchanting step back into nobleman territory with horseracing, a casino built originally for Parisians, passing green countryside dotted with stunning villas, farms, barns and apple orchards, the inspiration for Claude Monet’s home on his doorstep. Deauville was the first official seaside and has colourful parasols on the public beach and cabins named after famous movie stars reflecting the American Movie Festival that takes place here annually. Stamping her elegance, Coco Chanel opened her first boutique here in 1930.
Onboard the nod to British culture floats between the decks and dishes from Sunday roasts, crumbles and Ploughman’s. No-fly cruises offered by Ambassador Cruise Line appeal to the more mature traveller as well as to specific groups and solo travellers. Ambience has a high percentage of single occupancy cabins with regularly arranged onboard social events. Our delightful dining companions, Norma and Reg from Shropshire were experiencing the Ambiance for the first time and, having travelled extensively, were impressed with the convenience of the no-fly cruise and the quality of the service as their favourite bottle of wine appeared on the table. It was a very friendly ship, not fancy or big but homely with an approachable and unpretentious service. The staff forever eager to please, the service level high – smiles all round throughout our gem of a voyage over seven nights, calling at four ports, two countries with two sea days, leaving with many memories including our coach journey on Twinkle, our vintage bus.
Life onboard
Ambassador Cruise Line offers a good choice of excursions which provide a good balance between offshore experiences and onboard hospitality. Ambience, the ship for my sailing, offers various accommodation categories, ranging in size and deck locations with a capacity for up to 1,400 passengers. My veranda cabin was airy and comfortable with ample hanging and drawer space, with tea and coffee making facilities, flat screen TV and safe.
The ship altogether feels spacious and modern with a friendly vibe. There’s a good mix of dining venues; a colourful buffet around the Borough Market spilling outside to the Alfresco Grill, the main, more formal Buckingham Restaurant and the speciality restaurants of Saffron, (South Asian fusion cuisine) and fish and sea-inspired Sea & Grass. The ultra fine dining experience is the Chef’s Table. And pair drinks with your choice of ambiance from the stylish Raffles cocktail bar, accompanied by a pianist and jazz tunes, the sophisticated Botanical Lounge with live classical music, a relaxed, quieter setting in SW19, coffee in Dickens and the lively Purple Turtle Pub with quizzes, bingo and upbeat songs. Talking of which, dance the night away in the night club setting of the Observatory on the top deck.
During the day there’s ‘knit and natter’, dance classes, choir and crafts to learn new skills in the studio – how about making your own beaded bracelet? Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but so is Tanzanite according to the jewellery talk onboard. When it was discovered in 1967 it was then only sold by Tiffany and now likely to become extinct. There’s a card room, a library, shopping galleria and if you have the energy, a well-equipped fitness room, Pilates and yoga classes, a swimming pool, two hot tubs and a walking route around the deck with the bonus of a breeze and fresh sea air. It was my first experience of a seashell massage and so good I was ready to book again with my expert therapist, Choki, from Bhutan, who explained that hot shells improved circulation and much smoother than the usual hot stone treatment. Relaxation extended to the steam, sauna and heated beds in the thermal suite.
Next steps
Find out more about Ambassador Cruise Line and their voyages, call Silver Travel Advisor on 0800 412 5678.
