Sally Gunnell christens Ambassador Cruise Line’s ship Ambience

She was the once the fastest woman in the world but Sally Gunnell (OBE no less!) likes to take her time when it comes to travelling – and there’s nothing hurried about cruising.

‘I just love the slow pace on the water,’ she said. ‘It means you can relax on board and get to explore destinations in style.’

So it’s no surprise that the only female British athlete to have won Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles is the godmother of Ambience, the first ship from Ambassador Cruise Line, the first British cruise line to launch for more than a decade.

Sally, 55, who held the four major track titles simultaneously, and stormed to victory to win gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics for the 400m hurdles, re-named the ship at a special ceremony at London Tilbury on 19 April.

The Olympian who now is a wellness advocate for the over 50s, said: ‘I’m delighted to be godmother to Ambience. Within a year, Ambassador has firmly established itself in the cruise industry and has a collection of brand values that resonate with me. From community and wellbeing, to being sustainable and ethical, we’re all responsible for the seas we sail on.

‘This dedication from the off demonstrates that Ambassador is a responsible cruise line and one that I’m extremely honoured to be working with.’

The mother-of-two broke the world record for the 400m hurdles in 1993 with a time of 52.74 seconds and was in the all-time top 10 until this year. The time is still the current British record.

Ambassador offers premium value no-fly cruises from Tilbury to a range of destinations, including Norway, Greenland, the Arctic, Iceland, the Caribbean, Canaries and Cuba, and is aimed at the 50-plus traveller.

Previously, Ambience was called Regal Princess when it debuted in 1991 before joining the P&O Australia fleet and sailing as Pacific Dawn. The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was the ship’s godmother.