Ambassador Cruise Line food: Everything you need to know about dining onboard

Ambassador Cruise Line food aims to please all palates across a raft of onboard restaurants, from included to speciality restaurants.

Here’s everything you need to know about dining on board an Ambassador cruise, whether you’re after dining times, formal night dress codes or vegetarian offerings.

Ambassador dining

Is food included with Ambassador?

Yes, food is included on Ambassador cruises – your fare covers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as afternoon teas and late-night snacks, so there’s no need to go hungry or rack up extra costs if you don’t wish to.

Does Ambience cruise ship have a buffet?

Yes, Ambassador’s flagship Ambience has a buffet called Borough Market [below, left] – also found on sister ship Ambition – for those after casual dining. Ambassador serves buffet cruise ship food from all over the world, from pasta to pad Thai, to satiate all seafarers, whether you’ve got a sweet tooth, are trying to be healthy or love sampling a wide range of flavours.

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Ambassador restaurants

How many restaurants are on Ambience cruise ship?

Ambience boasts four restaurants and five dining experiences.

Ambassador included restaurants

Included restaurants onboard Ambience are buffet venue Borough Market and main dining room restaurant Buckingham.

In Buckingham restaurant, breakfast and lunch are generally served on an open seating basis while dinner is spread across two sittings, catering for early birds and late diners accordingly.

For lunch, Buckingham serves soups, sandwiches and mains such as paella, vegetable tempura and cottage pie plus desserts, tea and coffee.

If you dine in Buckingham the menu comprises such appetisers as stilton cream cheese mousse and smoked salmon rose along with salads and soups, such mains as braised lamb leg steak with rosemary butter sauce and lemon sole meunière, and desserts along the lines of classic crème brûlé, seasonal fruits and cheeses with crackers. And of course you’re guaranteed a classic cruise treat at the end of your sailing when the Baked Alaska Parade comes out!

What’s more, you can have as many or as few courses as you like, so it’s still possible to watch the waistline as you ride the waves.

Wines can be added on as extra or, if you have a drinks package, simply pick what you fancy and get boozing!

–  READ MORE: What’s onboard Ambassador flagship Ambience? –

Ambassador speciality restaurants

Buckingham is also where you’ll find Chef’s Table [above, left], a VIP multi-course dining experience tucked away. This speciality dining option is specially created and hosted by the Executive Chef. The tasting menu, curated by the chef himself, is inspired by his travels at sea, with each dish elevated by carefully selected wine or non-alcoholic pairings.

The experience even includes a tour of the Galley so you can see what’s behind the scenes of cruise food! The Chef’s Table on both Ambassador ships now also offers vegetarian and vegan set menus.

Two speciality restaurants are on board Ambience – Saffron [below, left] and Sea & Grass [below, right]. Saffron is Ambassador’s South Asian dining venue – with great views off the back of the ship! Choose between two menus, each featuring a variety of starters and desserts plus an expanded main course selection, allowing guests to immerse themselves in a unique multi-sensory culinary experience with each visit.

Guests can start their three-course menu with sharing platters of Indian-inspired delights like Hariyali Jhinga and Fish Amritsari followed by the option of a delicious Royal Indian Maharaja Thali for the main course, with vegan alternatives available. For dessert, tuck into Carrot Halwa Trifle and other tasty choices across the Ambassador cruise food menu – all inspired by regional dishes of India.

As of summer 2024, there’s also a new ‘Dine Under the Stars’ experience that offers guests the opportunity to enjoy steak and lobster ‘Surf “N” Turf’ out on deck.

Lastly, Sea & Grass – Sailawaze’s favourite restaurant on board! –  offers dishes taking inspiration from throughout Europe. Here you can relish a tasting journey across seven mouth-watering courses with (very reasonably priced) wine pairing an added extra. Smoked bay scallops, goat cheese mousse, grilled black Angus beef rib eye, and crispy pork belly all grace the menu in Sea & Grass, followed by sweet deserts and a cheese course. Best bring your stretchy trousers to this Ambassador restaurant!

Ambition cruise ship restaurants

Ambassador’s second ship Ambition has very similar cruise ship food options to flagship Ambience, with buffet Borough Market and the main restaurant, Holyrood, included in your cruise fare.

Chef’s Table and Saffron can also be found on Ambition but in the place of Sea & Grass, there’s Lupino’s, serving dishes inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. Exclusively available here is Mateus Rosé, the favourite wine of a valued Ambassador colleague after whom the restaurant is named. For every purchase, £5 will be donated to Michelle’s chosen charity, the RSPCA.

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Is there room service on Ambassador?

Yes, Ambassador’s new room service is the perfect choice for guests who prefer to dine in the comfort of their cabin. A full menu is available throughout the day (Daytime Bites from 11am to 11pm) and night (Nighttime Nibbles from 11pm to 7am).

Guests can enjoy a variety of Ambassador classics, such as the Ambassador Club Sandwich or Classic Caesar Salad during the day, and the Vegan Chickpea & Lentil Burger or Victorian Sponge Cake at night.

Ambassador cruise ship vegetarian food

Is vegetarian food available on cruise ships?

Yes, cruise line food caters for vegetarians nowadays. Ambassador restaurants all plate up an array of tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes – with more dishes added every year.

For instance, the Ambassador cruise food menu in Ambience’s Buckingham restaurant includes such dishes as stilton cream cheese mousse for appetiser and cauliflower mac ‘n’ cheese for main (with a vegan option also available) plus salads and veggie soups. Over in Saffron there’s a wild mushroom and green pea’s lababdar on the menu for vegetarians.

Do cruises do vegan food?

Yes, cruise line food does offer vegan alternatives. Ambassador restaurants provide vegan alternatives to a selection of vegetarian meal options in the main restaurants – indeed an all-new vegan menu was announced in summer 2024.

– READ MORE: I’m a vegan and these are the best lines for vegans –

Ambassador dining FAQs

Do Ambassador cruises have formal nights?

Yes, Ambassador has formal nights. Guests can enjoy a number of formal or Ambassador nights on their cruise depending on the duration of the cruise.

As for what to wear on Ambassador formal nights, men often don a dinner jacket, although a lounge suit is perfectly acceptable, and women have the opportunity to dress elegantly and frequently choose evening gowns or cocktail dresses.

What time is dinner served on Ambassador Cruise Line?

Two dinner sittings are offered on Ambassador cruises. On sea days, these Ambassador dinner sittings typically begin at 6pm and 8.15pm.

Is tea and coffee free on Ambassador Cruises?

Yes, Borough Market is home to tea and coffee machines where passengers can help themselves to basic hot drinks day or night.

However, if you’re after premium teas and speciality coffees, you’ll need to buy the Ambassador Expedition Package.

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