I went on an English Channel cruise with island hopping, seawater pools and dining with the captain
GOOD evening, Miss Ruth, house Bubbles?
Yes please, I tell my lovely waiter Noor.
My seven-day cruise around the English Channel was getting off to a sparkling start — and I felt pampered from day one.
The cruise was for the over-50s and I soon discovered that you don’t have to be young to have fun.
Many of my fellow Boomers told me they return to Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience to take in “the warmest welcome at sea” again and again.
Ambassador, launched four years ago, specialises in no-fly sailings from home ports including Tilbury, Essex, just an hour’s drive from home for me.
Its Ambience ship has capacity for 1,400 passengers, so it’s smaller and less crowded than many of the mega-liners of today.
Our ports of call were all places I had on my wish list. Fowey in Cornwall, the Isles Of Scilly, Guernsey in the Channel Islands and Honfleur in France.
The food on board was exceptional. On the first night I enjoyed a special of steak and lobster for a small extra cost, served by waiter Adie.
He and Noor felt like friends by the end of the trip. After dinners, drinks in one of the many lounges or bars beckoned, or even a quiz, ending the evenings with a theatre show.
My Expedition Drinks Package took away any worries about a drinks bill at the end of the trip.
On the first day at sea I swam in the seawater pool — nippy but refreshing. But there are lots of other ways to relax too, including spa treatments. I was treated to an excellent Indian head massage.
On the first of two formal dress-up nights I was lucky enough to dine with Captain Hugh Maynard, who was great company.
For more laid-back, buffet-style meals, Borough Market serves fish and chips, roasts, curries, stir fries, salads and more.
I also loved the luxury of dining in the upmarket Sea And Grass restaurant. The seven-course tasting menu was fabulous.
Saffron is another speciality restaurant for curry fans. Worth paying a little extra for.
Our first stop was Fowey in Cornwall and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. We also passed author Daphne du Maurier’s former home in this very pretty town — no wonder Dawn French bought a house there too.
Cute puffins
The subtropical Lost Gardens are about 40 minutes from Fowey. Giant ferns, palm trees and exotic plants dominate on the 200-acre site created in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Our next stop, and my favourite of the trip, was the Isles of Scilly.
As the ship sailed past the outer, uninhabited islands, they were swathed in mist, making them look more mysterious.
Our last stop was in Honfleur in Normandy. Popular excursions included Monet’s house and gardens, the D-Day beaches and the Bayeux Tapestry.
We dropped anchor outside the harbour of the biggest island, St Mary’s. There are five inhabited islands and over 140 smaller uninhabited ones and rocks here.
We were picked up directly from the ship for a wildlife tour onboard an open-decked vessel of the St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association. Over an hour and a half we spotted Atlantic grey seals and an array of birds, including cute puffins.
Other guests had chosen a boat trip to the island of Tresco to see the spectacular subtropical gardens there. This small taste of these stunning islands — with their white, sandy beaches and clear, turquoise seas, more like the Caribbean than Cornwall — will definitely lure me back.
Next stop was Guernsey. Docking in the capital St Peter Port, I did a spot of VAT-free shopping along the town’s pretty cobbled streets.
Other passengers chose to discover the island’s wartime history or its beautiful landscape by vintage bus.
Our last stop was in Honfleur in Normandy. Popular excursions included Monet’s house and gardens, the D-Day beaches and the Bayeux Tapestry, but a simple stroll around this beautiful place is a delight.
With its timber-framed houses and pretty Old Harbour and cafes and restaurants lining the quays, it is perfect for a lunch or just a beer. Also worth a peek is the 15th-century Saint Catherine’s Church — the largest wooden church in France.
Leaving France on the last night of my cruise, I had plenty of special memories — and plans to make for my next sail-away adventure.
GO: CHANNEL CRUISE
SAILING THERE: An 11-night sailing onboard Ambassador’s Ambience for the Summertime Gardens Of The Channel Islands and Northern France cruise calls at Belle Ile en Mer in Brittany, La Pallice and the Isles of Scilly.
Prices from £1,149pp full board. Departing July 6, 2026. See ambassadorcruiseline.com.
