Flam Railway &Bergen's Winter WonderCruise

All guests should have adequate travel insurance in place before travelling. Details should be provided at time of booking.

Shortly before the ship sails, or if this is not possible within 24 hours of departure, a full safety drill will be held, and this compulsory exercise will give guests precise information of what to do and where to muster in the event of an emergency on board as well as important instructions about life jackets and the emergency procedures in place. In the event of adverse weather or sea conditions, it is important to take extra care moving around the ship, making use of the handrails and heeding any special instructions given over the P.A. system. In certain sea conditions, use of the guest lifts may be suspended for the duration and outside cabins on the lower decks may have protective covers, known as deadlights, placed over their portholes. These covers will therefore exclude natural light from the cabins affected. Such restrictions will be lifted as soon as it is practicable

For your complete security and peace of mind, there are stringent security measures in force, particularly at UK ports. All cabin baggage will be electronically screened, hand baggage may be examined, and you will be required to pass through an X-Ray arch before boarding the vessel. At embarkation, the barcode on your boarding pass will be used for gangway control purposes and will validate you as a bona fide guest. Once onboard, you will find your personalised ID cruise card in your cabin and this will be used for all onboard purchases and also, as security each time to leave and re-join the vessel.

Smoking is not permitted inside the ships. Consequently, all internal areas, comprising cabins, lounges, restaurants and other public rooms are non-smoking areas. Designated areas for smokers are available externally in selected areas of the open decks. Ambassador reserve the right to alter their smoking policy during the cruising season and should new national or international maritime legislation subsequently affect this policy, guests will be informed on board accordingly. E-cigarettes or similar are only permitted to be used in designated smoking areas.

If you have a particular dietary requirement, the following dietary options can be offered: Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free, Low Cholesterol, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan and Vegetarian Meals. If you have not done so at the time of booking, please advise any requirements no later than four weeks before departure.

Each cabin has the facility of a personal safe for your valuables and important papers. The Company is not responsible for any theft or loss of any items not kept in the safety boxes. The Company does not accept responsibility for loss or theft of cameras, video cameras, chargers and other valuable electrical items which are your responsibility at all times

Due to the stringent security measures in force, it is regretted that it is not possible to allow visitors onboard our vessels at any port of call.

A few of the commonly used terms to get you ready to set sail. Aft – the back or near the back of the ship Atrium – the central court (or centre area) of a cruise ship, usually rising through more than one story of the ship’s interior Berth – a built-in bed or bunk, as in a ship’s cabin or stateroom Bow – the very front of the ship Bridge – the navigational control centre Cabin Steward – a person whose work is to take care of the guests aboard a ship. Captain – the person in command of a ship Deck Plan – an overhead diagram of the cabins and the public rooms Disembark – to unload (passengers or goods) from a ship Dock – where your ship ‘parks’ when in port Forward – faces the front of the boat Gangway – allows you access on and off the ship Knot – a nautical mile (see Nautical below) Midship – the middle of the ship Muster – to come together or assemble aboard ship for inspection or roll call Muster Station – a specific location on ship to gather, based on stateroom assignment Nautical – of or having to do with sailors, ships, or navigation. A unit of speed of one nautical mile (6,076.12 feet or 1,852 metres) an hour: abbrev. kn or kt [to average a speed of 10 knots] Pier – a structure built out over the water and supported by pillars or piles: used as a landing place. Port – the left-hand side of a ship as one faces forward: opposed to starboard. Port – so named because the side toward the port (dock), since the steering oar (see starboard) prevented docking to the right. Port of Call – regular stopover(s) on a cruise itinerary. Purser – a ship’s officer in charge of accounts, freight, tickets, etc., esp. on a passenger vessel. Important to you – a Purser takes responsibility for all money, transactions. Port – the left hand side of the ship whilst facing forward (bow). Easy to remember since “port” and “left” each have four letters. Ship – You always cruise on a “ship”, never a “boat” Starboard – the right side of the ship whilst facing forward (bow). Stern – the very back of the ship Tender – a boat for carrying passengers to or from a ship close to shore.

You will find a 24-hour room service menu in your cabin, offering a range of drinks and snacks, both hot and cold. Room service costs will be charged to your onboard account.

In all cabins, there are beach towels for your use around the pools and open decks. If you should take them ashore, please ensure you bring these back to the ship or you may be charged for a replacement.

As a sustainable cruise line, all cruise information and documentation will be available through the ‘My Ambassador Sailing’ page on the website or through the Ambassador App. You will need an email address to be able to update your information, book destination experiences, drinks packages, car parking or coaching, as well as check-in for your cruise. Please note we do not offer any printed documentation.

Yes, Ambience has a self-service laundrette that guests can use for a small charge.

The embarkation procedures at UK ports normally commence four hours before the published sailing time. For final disembarkation, you should allow approximately 90 minutes from the scheduled arrival time before disembarkation will commence. The full embarkation procedures and timings will be confirmed with your cruise documentation, usually 72 hours before sailing.

All cabins feature 110v and 220v current and have an electrical socket to allow small appliances such as electric shavers, electric rollers and hair stylers to be used. All cabins have UK 3 pin sockets. For safety reasons, irons and water heating devices are not permitted to be used onboard.

Gratuities

For all guests an amount of £7 per person per night (£6 per person per night on cruises of 16 nights or more per night) - will be automatically added to your onboard account. For children aged 12-17 years of age, where applicable on a multi-generational sailing, an amount of £4 per person per night will be automatically added to your onboard account.

Ambience will be priced in Pound Sterling.

All service charges and gratuities are collated so a portion goes to each crew member who helps to make your cruise special. This includes our hard-working front of house team. But, also, the team who work behind the scenes on board to help deliver the Ambassador experience.

If you notice an issue that makes you think twice about our service charge, be sure to speak with one of our Guest Services Team who will try to resolve the matter before a charge adjustment becomes necessary. Even if you had a negative experience with a particular employee, seriously consider whether it warrants removing your gratuities altogether, keeping in mind that because of one crew member the whole team is affected. Of course, if you want to also reward a crew member personally in addition for excellent service, feel free to do so! 

If you purchase one of our Ambassador Drinks Packages, gratuities are also included. However, please note that the gratuity contribution cannot be removed from any of the packages.

 

All prices onboard are quoted in sterling. A cashless system is in operation for all your onboard purchases. An account is opened for you at the start of your cruise for purchasing goods and services on board. All purchases are charged to your shipboard account and a final invoice is presented at the end of the cruise itemising all charges. This can be settled by MasterCard or Visa credit cards, or by Visa debit cards. Guests who prefer to pay by cash may top-up their cruise card by visiting reception. Guests wishing to charge onboard expenditure to their credit card must register their chosen card during the embarkation process. Your card will be pre-authorized for £150. This pre-authorization will appear on your bank statement as a pending transaction until the end of your cruise. During your cruise Ambassador will top-up your pre-authorised or pending amount in line with your account activity. You can check your account balance at any time using the ALL ABOARD APP, or at the self-service kiosks located around the ship. Your account will be closed at 0300 hrs on the day of disembarkation, at which point your onboard balance will be settled automatically and any remaining pre-authorised amount will be cancelled within 24 hours. Please note any purchases made after this point must be cash only. Please allow 3-5 days for this to be reflected in your bank account.

The services of the qualified medical staff are available to you onboard in the event of ‘mal de mer’ or an emergency. It should be noted that the NHS does not cover treatment on the ship and there is a scale of charges for surgery visits and medical treatment. Such charges, which are usually claimable under your travel insurance policy, less any excess amounts, must be paid in full before your final disembarkation. Seasickness tablets are available from Reception at a nominal charge.

DUTY-FREE SALES The onboard shops are open daily when the ship is at sea, but local customs regulations do not permit the sale of duty-free goods whilst a ship is in port. It should be noted that alcohol and tobacco products purchased will only be delivered to your cabin on the last day of the cruise. If alcohol and tobacco products are purchased ashore, these will be taken from you at the gangway and stored until the last night of the cruise. Drink and tobacco may of course be purchased throughout the cruise from the ships’ bars at the listed shipboard prices.

Passport validity

If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements. Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Visas

You can travel to countries in the Schengen areafor up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training. If you are travelling to Norway and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

Compulsory vaccinations: None. At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. 

In Norway, they use the Norwegian Krone NOK.