Ambassador Cruise Line acquires Oceania Sirena for German expansion

Ambassador Cruise Line has acquired the Oceania Sirena from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to facilitate its expansion into the German market. The 30,200-ton vessel, which carries 670 passengers, will be renamed Ambella and will operate under the new brand Ambassador Kreuzfahrten.

Under a leaseback agreement, the ship will remain with Oceania Cruises until spring 2028. Starting in summer 2028, Ambella will offer an adults-only, German-language cruise experience departing from Bremerhaven and Kiel, focusing on Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, and Southern Europe. Bookings for the inaugural season are expected to open in November 2026.

In addition to commercial cruises, Ambassador has entered a long-term partnership with the Institute for Shipboard Education. During the winter months, the vessel will be chartered to Semester at Sea to serve as a floating campus, a model the company intends to maintain long-term.

This move follows Ambassador’s recent integration of the French operator Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC), which has been rebranded as Ambassador Croisières. CEO Christian Verhounig stated the expansion is a key step in the company’s ambition to become a leading European cruise operator for the over-50s market.