What it’s really like sailing on a 70s-themed adults-only cruise

We’re sat at the Angel Bar, named – as the menu proudly confirms – in honour of the Angel of the North. For this particular North Easterner, it feels like a welcome home. We’re sipping on a purple concoction of vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, lime and lavender syrup – the signature Ambassador Cruise Line cocktail.

I’m onboard Ambassador Ambition, which accommodates up to 1,400 guests across 14 decks, with onboard amenities including multiple restaurants, bars, a spa, pool and theatre – and we’re about to set sail on our two-night Back to the 70s cruise.

I wasn’t born during the 70s – or even the 80s, for that matter. But I did grow up with the decade playing out in our kitchen, whether drifting from the radio or blasting from my dad’s recently discovered obsession with YouTube Premium. So the prospect of seeing Odyssey and The Real Thing live – without the concert ticket prices or sweaty standing venues – was one I’d been looking forward to.

Surveying the tables around us in the Angel Bar, they are predominantly made up of large multi-gen groups in 70s costumes, already making the most of Ambassador’s drinks packages. Ambassador tends to attract an older, largely British crowd but themed sailings like this one do draw a wider age range, with plenty of groups spanning three generations.

Then in walks Steven Collazo, vocalist from Odyssey, who retrieves a drink from the bar and begins chatting and taking pictures with guests. It’s a nice bonus for guests who probably didn’t think they’d be having a casual chit-chat with the band they’d come to see.

After wrapping up his conversations, he heads to The Palladium theatre and we follow suit. The performance begins, and as you’d expect, they perform their iconic disco anthems, including Inside Out, Native New Yorker and Going Back to My Roots. It’s a great evening of singing and dancing and ends with a late-night disco of (you guessed it) 70s music.

– READ MORE: Bruges Port Guide –

The next morning, we are led off the ship onto a bus with an enthusiastic tour guide named Jerome, who spits facts about the port of Zeebrugge, including how it merged with the Port of Antwerp in 2022 and how it transports three million cars annually.

As we travel closer to Bruges, Jerome talks about the underground beer pipeline that transports Brugse Zot beer from the historic De Halve Maan brewery in the city centre to a bottling plant on the outskirts. It can move enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles per hour, with a one-way journey taking approximately one hour. The project was partially funded by supporters who donated money in exchange for a “lifetime supply of beer” (specifically, a bottle of Brugse Zot per day for life). Not a bad deal if you ask me.

We’ve opted for the ‘Bruges on your own’ tour, which essentially just means Ambassador has taken care of our transport to and from Bruges… plus a few interesting facts along the way. We set out on our mission to discover the big three – Belgian waffles, chocolate and beer.

We start by ticking off the waffles, as it is currently 10:30 am and Bruges is a bit of a ghost town at this time. We stumble upon a two-storey waffle house aptly named ‘Mr Waffles’ and grab a table at the window overlooking the canal. We order two waffles: strawberries and Nutella, and cherries, cream and Nutella. My partner takes his chocolate mission one step further and orders a rum hot chocolate, stating: “When in Bruges”…

From our window seat, Bruges starts to come alive as the river cruise excursions start to fill the streets. Across the canal, we spot a drinks terrace now dotted with people and make a mental note to return once we’ve wandered around the city.

Bruges is incredibly compact. Within the space of an hour (or less), we feel like we’ve wandered around all of it and decide it’s time to reward ourselves with a beer, so we head back to that aforementioned terrace.

The terrace is actually the 2be Bar and Shop – a 15th-century mayor’s house, featuring a beer wall where tourists stand and snap pictures. Our first beer is Brugse Zot (the pipeline beer Jerome mentioned) and comes in a huge pint glass about the size of my head. We sit here for a while in the sun and before we know it, our drinks are gone. For round two, we opt for La Corne beer, arriving in a horn-shaped glass with a stand. It’s equally delicious as the first.

As we head back to our meeting spot to return to the ship, we tick off our final mission and head to one of the many chocolatiers that line Bruges’ streets. With two relatively strong beers clouding our judgment, we spent about 35 euros on chocolate which has since proved a delicious post-cruise treat.

– READ MORE: How to sail as a solo traveller with Ambassador Cruise Line –

During our cruise, we had the opportunity to try the included and speciality dining. Our included à la carte dinner was at the Holyrood Restaurant and was a pleasant experience. I chose the potato and leek cream soup, sea bass with crushed potatoes, pumpkin puree, broccoli florets and Mornay sauce and an Eton Mess to finish.

On the second night, we ate at Saffron, one of the speciality restaurants, which offers authentic Indian and South Asian cuisine. The restaurant was on the quieter side with only a couple of tables occupied – perhaps not that popular with this particular set of party-loving guests. The tamarind and chilli prawns cooked in Kerala spices and coconut were a real highlight.

And just like that, our short break was over. We made port in Portsmouth and jumped on a train back to London. Two nights had been the perfect taster: enough time to enjoy the entertainment, explore a new port and properly unwind but just short enough to leave you wanting more.

Thinking of sailing with Ambassador? If you’re based in the South of England, it’s worth knowing that Ambassador now sails directly from Portsmouth, making it one of the most hassle-free ways to start a cruise holiday. Itineraries departing from Portsmouth include destinations ranging from Normandy and the Spanish coast to the Atlantic. Prices currently start from £169pp.

For more information, visit: www.ambassadorcruiseline.com