ambassador cruise line refugees

Cruise And Ferry

Ambassador lines up refugee role for recently purchased cruise ship

Ambition will join Tallink-owned cruise ferry in Scotland to house Ukrainian refugees

UK-based Ambassador Cruise Line has secured a six-month contract from the Scottish government to house Ukrainian refugees in Glasgow.

The charter of the 48,100-gt Ambition (built 1999) is set to begin in September.

Ambassador bought the 1750-passenger Ambition as AidaMIRA off Carnival Corp subsidiary Aida Cruises in January with the intention of putting it into service in March 2023.

The company, in a social media statement, described the move as a “joint arrangement with the Scottish Government” and said that it was “proud” to be supporting the Scottish resettlement program for the Ukraine population.

Following this initial period, the ship will head to a shipyard to undergo refurbishing before entering cruise service for the company, which TradeWinds understands from industry sources has been pushed back several months.

Cruise ships and ferries have been chartered by several European governments to house Ukrainian refugees since the country was invaded by Russia in February.

The Scottish Government is currently housing approximately 1,700 Ukrainians in Edinburgh on board Tallink’s 40,975 cruise ferry Victoria I (built 2004).

Neil Gray, Scotland’s minister with special responsibility for refugees from Ukraine, told media on Monday that the Victoria I has been “well received” by the Ukrainians living on board, and that chartering the Ambition would “further enhance our ability to provide safe and secure accommodation for those who need it”.

Ambassador was launched in May 2021 by former CMV chief executive Christian Verhounig and other former senior CMV executives, currently operates the 70,300-gt Ambience (built 1991) from UK ports.

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Ambassador ship arrives in Glasgow to accommodate Ukrainian refugees

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Ambassador Cruise Lines’ vessel Ambition, the second cruise ship chartered in Scotland for displaced Ukrainian refugees, has arrived in Glasgow.

Ambition will be located at King George V docks on the River Clyde for six months.  

The deal was disclosed last month ahead of Amibition entering commercial passenger service from its home port of London Tilbury and six regional departure ports next spring.  

The ship can host up to 1,750 people in 714 cabins, and joins vessel Victoria I at Leith, also chartered by the Scottish government to accommodate Ukrainian families.

Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has been awarded a contract worth up to £100 million to source and provide travel-related services for displaced people from Ukraine which includes accommodation in hotels and on the two ships.

The Scottish government said it “has worked at pace with the UK Border Force and with the contractor CTM to ensure that people can move on as soon as it is safe to do so”.

Passengers will join and leave Ambition via shuttle bus services which will run 24 hours a day.

People on board the vessel will have access to restaurants, child play facilities, shops, cleaning and communal spaces.  

A Scottish government statement said: “Partners will now work to put in place measures around safeguarding, health and safety, public protection and waste management to ensure that the ship is ready to welcome people.  

“This will also include work to provide guests on board with access to appropriate support services, including healthcare and benefits support.”

More than 15,000 people have travelled from Ukraine to Scotland since Russia’s invasion in February.

Scotland’s minister with special responsibility for refugees from Ukraine, Neil Gray, said: “The Scottish government is providing accommodation that is safe and sustainable while people are waiting to be matched to suitable longer term accommodation.  

“The arrival of the MS Ambition in Glasgow is a key part of that provision which means we are providing sanctuary to more displaced people per head of population than any other part of the UK.

“We are working closely with the council and other local partners to finalise plans for how the ship will be used, with safeguarding of the people on board being the absolute priority.

“Now that the Ambition has arrived, this work will begin at pace and people will move on board once the Scottish government and Glasgow City Council are satisfied that the necessary preparations, including health and safety checks, have been satisfied.

“We do not want people spending more time in temporary accommodation, such as the cruise ships, for any longer than is absolutely necessary.  

“We continue to take significant action to increase our temporary accommodation capacity as well as boosting our matching system to maximise the number of people who can be placed with volunteer hosts who have completed the necessary safeguarding checks.”

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Ambassador Cruise Line Charters Ship to the Scottish Government

• August 16, 2022

Ambassador Cruise Line confirmed it’s chartering the Ambition to the Scottish Government. Formerly known as AIDAmira, the 1,428-guest vessel will be used to house Ukrainian refugees in the country.

“We have agreed a joint arrangement with the Scottish Government that means we can help the Scottish resettlement program for the Ukraine population, many of whom are fleeing the country,” the company sad in a prepared statement.

Currently sailing to Scotland, the cruise ship is set to arrive in Glasgow at the beginning of September, Ambassador explained.

“We are proud to be supporting such an important humanitarian cause,” it added.

Acquired by Ambassador Cruise Line in January 2022 , the Ambition was scheduled to launch service for the brand in March 2023.

While the duration of the charter agreement has not been disclosed, no changes to the inaugural timeline have been confirmed so far.

“We are still finalizing the details with the various parties concerned, but we will be communicating with guests in due course to explain this agreement and we hope you are able to understand our wishes to help with this cause,” Ambassador noted.

Docked in Montenegro for the past four months, the Ambition has been out of service since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launched in 1999 as the Mistral, the 48,200-ton vessel was built for Festival Cruises.

After the collapse of its original operators, the ship was acquired by Iberojet for further service in Europe as the Grand Mistral.

In 2007, it joined Carnival Corporation when the Spanish tour operator, along with its fleet, was acquired by the U.S.-based cruise conglomerate .

Before being sold to its current owners, the vessel also spent time sailing for Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises.

As the second ship of Ambassador, the Ambition is now set to provide departures from regional UK ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth.

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MS Ambition of Ambassador gives home and hope for refugees

Ambassador Cruise Line announced today that it will be working with the Scottish Government to support Ukrainian war refugees. As a result, there will be changes to the launch of MS Ambition, a new ship for Ambassador Cruise Line.

From September 2022, the Ambition will be in Scotland, serving as a hotel ship for the refugees. After this six-month assistance, MS Ambition will move to Rijeka, Croatia, to go into dry dock. The public areas, as well as the cabins, will undergo a soft renovation. In addition, the main engines will be modernised so that the Ambition will be one of the most sustainable ships at sea.

As things stand, therefore, all planned cruises by Ambassador Cruise Lines of new Ambition departing by 11 May 2023 have been cancelled. All later departures have not been affected by the changes so far and will go ahead as planned, the line said. Affected guests will be notified directly by Ambassador.

Ambassador Cruise Line emphasises how much it cares about supporting this humanitarian action and offers all affected customers their understanding.

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Scottish government charters ambassador cruise line’s ambition as floating accommodation for ukrainian refugees.

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Cruise ship arrives in Glasgow to host Ukrainian refugees

Cruise ship m/s ambition has been chartered for six months and is located at king george v docks on the river clyde..

The ship has the capacity to host up to 1,750 people in 714 cabins, and, as with the arrangements for the M/S Victoria I at Leith, families will be accommodated according to their needs.

I went along to watch the arrival today, you can see that video posted below.

The Scottish Government recently announced that a cruise ship will be used to house Ukrainian refugees on the River Clyde in Glasgow. The cruise ship 'Ambition' owned by UK startup company Ambassador Cruise Line was chosen and I went along to watch her arrive in Glasgow today. pic.twitter.com/sAUXpxMQGa — George Allison (@geoallison) September 1, 2022

The Scottish Government say that people on board the vessel will have access to restaurants, child play facilities, shops, cleaning and communal spaces.

“They will be free to come and go from the ship, as with any other temporary accommodation. Partners will now work to put in place measures around safeguarding, health and safety, public protection and waste management to ensure that the ship is ready to welcome people. This will also include work to provide guests on board with access to appropriate support services, including healthcare and benefits support.”

Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said:

“The Scottish Government is providing accommodation that is safe and sustainable while people are waiting to be matched to suitable longer term accommodation. The arrival of the M/S Ambition in Glasgow is a key part of that provision which means we are providing sanctuary to more displaced people per head of population than any other part of the UK. We are working closely with the council and other local partners to finalise plans for how the ship will be used, with safeguarding of the people on board being the absolute priority.

Now that the M/S Ambition has arrived, this work will begin at pace and people will move on board once the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council are satisfied that the necessary preparations, including health and safety checks, have been satisfied. We do not want people spending more time in temporary accommodation, such as the cruise ships, for any longer than is absolutely necessary. We continue to take significant action to increase our temporary accommodation capacity as well as boosting our matching system to maximise the number of people who can be placed with volunteer hosts who have completed the necessary safeguarding checks.”

Passengers will join and leave the ship via shuttle bus services which will run 24 hours a day.

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Sounds like a better idea for illegals, one stationed in the channel as a processing centre and policing hub would make more sense than sending people to Africa.

In California i think it’s illegal to refer to people as “illegals” or “aliens” and must now be called either refugees or migrants. CA is truly now a leftist, socialist state. Ugh.

Wow, imagine having to refer to groups of human beings with a dignified name. It must make it harder to think of them as cattle.

Indeed, here in the UK the Home Office and Border Force dropped the term illegals some years ago. They are now referred as Clandestines.

Refer to them what they are. Economic migrants. Whatever, it is illegal and they should be removed at the 1st opportunity if entering on a boat, dingy, back of a lorry until a case is proven to remain.

UK population now 67 million and rising quarter of a million a year. That is a city the size of Birmingham every 4 years. Throughout most of my life it was I recall 56 or 58 million.

Totally unsustainable.

DM, totally agree mate. You get my vote.

Yep, and the number of times I’ve been called “Racist” by the loony left for stating these facts. Sick to death of it, so was Nigel.

If you think about the numbers that came in from the Afghanistan withdrawal plus the number of displaced Syrians that we took in as part of our refugee program of vulnerable people (both peoples that rightly needed help) then add on the record numbers crossing the channel I’m amazed that we haven’t got tented camps set up to cope with all of this. Economic migrants should be sent straight back to their country of departure. I’m afraid the longer this continues then more extrem measures like the Rwanda program will be playing a part in our national strategy especially if …  Read more »

Totally agree mate.

I’ll never forgive Farage and Johnson for what they’ve done to our country.

Hi Emp. That’s your privilege. And I will never forgive the Labour government from 97 on to 2010 who had an open borders unlimited mass immigration policy to a, “rub the rights noses in diversity” and b, try to get elected for eternity thinking these migrants would vote for them, fuelling their fan base. As for the EU, all Farage did was give a voice to the resentment and issues building regards the EU for decades. Maybe if governments had listened and not continuously ignored people’s concerns, from everything from free movement to the other behaviour of the EU such …  Read more »

Leaving the EU was the wrong solution to a real problem. Emblematic of really poor leadership in my opinion.

The decision has weakened us, perhaps permanently.

We’re all going to be a lot poorer for the rest of our lifetimes. To keep things on topic, that means shrinking defence budgets.

You’ll notice of course, even leavers aren’t happy with the outcome.

That’s pretty infuriating. No one has won.

PS Farage didn’t just give voice to resentment, he also fuelled it.

Joining was a criminal deception, we were assured by all involved that we were only joining a common market free trade agreement. By the way the average Briton became on average 18% WORSE off when we joined the EEC as we lost access to the Commonwealth markets. almost over night the costs of foods and essential rose on average 18%. Ted Heath and Harold Wilson assured the country that the rises would be temporary. They were not. Another bunch of lies and deception by the Europhiles.

I remember when they were trying to sell it to the British public at the time saying the average saving on the weekly shop would be £5. Yeah right.

You are incorrect. When we joined the EEC that’s what we joined. The EU came later. You’re entitled to be against it but don’t distort the facts by calling it a criminal deception. Also, we are far more prosperous now than we were when we joined the EEC. And we had no option to keep the EEC arrangements only. It was the EU or nothing. We chose nothing. I suspect we will go back to being poorer. Inward investment is down, the pound has lost value and exports haven’t increased as would be expected given the price of our currency. …  Read more »

No I am correct, it was covered up in the 1970s the Daily Express and others exposed the con. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/882881/Brexit-EU-secret-document-truth-British-public

Ah, you read The Express.

You’re the one that’s been conned.

And, as Mark Twain famously said, ‘It’s easier to con a man than convince him he’s been conned.’

Oh well, its done now. Is it everything you hoped it would be?

Nup I am right, the Daily Express and others exposed the scam. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/882881/Brexit-EU-secret-document-truth-British-public

Well, you won.

Time to step back and admire your accomplishment.

Yep, as the Guardian commented this morning on our exports to the EU:

Goods exports from the UK to the EU reached £16.9bn in May, the highest level since figures started in 1997.  https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/04/it-was-a-brexit-export-champion-now-kent-brewery-has-one-eu-customer-left

Good things eventually come to those who wait.

Still plenty of adaptation to the new world to do, however. IMO it was always going to be 10 years before we see the actual results.

I think some of the issue BJ has created are going to cause UK consumer & UK company’s an issues down the line. UKCA being one of them if they ever stop kicking the can down the road. there is also big issue around business grants

I’ll never forgive Heath and Wilson for decieving us into joining the Federalist EU. We were assured it would only ever be a COMMON MARKET and nothing else. the whole EU project was based upon lies by Europhiles and federalists.

It’s not racists to want to manage immigration, I think some people get a bit over excited and start using inappropriate labels. Its only racist if you pick out a particular racial group and say, I don’t want them over here. Saying that there is to much net immigration compared to the size and national infrastructure and we need methods of control is not racist. I also don’t blame in anyway those who try to come to this county for a better life. It’s just a shame that nations that do have vast areas of land and resources are not …  Read more »

As always, a balanced post J, with sensible points. Wish there were more of your ilk. That does not stop everyone from the BBC to the Arch Bishop of Canterbury to just about every left leaning HR org going lampooning HMG for trying to do something, wanting all the immigration centres emptied and closed, while offering no solutions themselves bar open borders. It is a never ending series of mud throwing just like how they got BJ removed. I don’t blame people either. My own father was one of them. The BIG difference was he was allowed entry on condition …  Read more »

I’m inclined to agree. We have the infrastructure- so roads, power production, rail, water resources and housing for a population of around 50-55 million- seeing as successive governments have failed to reap the 1 in 10 reward for spending on infrastructure. By this I mean for every £1 spent on infrastructure you get £10 back due to efficiencies and increased productivity. The NHS certainly does not have the capacity for a population of nearly 70 million people in the UK.

Here here 👏🏻

I wish they bloody stop building houses on green field sites.

They’re poor quality, as well.

Well, I don’t want to be here, but, Brexit saw me having to leave Latvia with my Sri Lankan wife, who last month finally received residency rights! Yes, that long and with questions about how she had integrated into Latvian life – during COVID! Even though friends had already written in to support her.

Then again, she has an BSC Economics, from the Oxford of Lanka, one MSc and two MBAs, so maybe not such a bad addition to the UK, what do you think?

Funnily enough, we signed papers for both a Bangladeshi friend called Fiasal and a Romanian friend named Felix helping them remain in the UK.

And I’m still against unlimited mass immigration, yet can support those who have a right to be here, especially through marriage such as your good lady.

That does NOT apply to every other economic migrant the world over to have a free pass.

DM, WOW, I had no idea !

At least they have a functioning power grid, unlike Texas.

Until refugee status, or their asylum request is refused, they are not illegal. After all, asylum in the UK can only be applied for within the UK.

You may not like these people for a wide variety of reasons, or disagree with their requests, but they are still human. Just like you and I

I’ve never understood if “refugees” refers to people fleeing the conflict in hopes of returning home when the war is over or people that no longer want to return to their native land no matter what.

It sort of depends. refugee status gives you the right to stay for five years, temporary refugee status lasts for 2.5 years. If you have refugee status ( that’s the full five years) you can then apply for permeant residency or settlement. Those with temporary refugee status ( 2.5 years) need to wait 10 years before they can apply for settlement. So they will need to apply for refugee status 4 times. If at any time they do not have the right to settlement and the refugee status ends ( after 2.5 years) and they no longer qualify as a …  Read more »

We have had a ship in Edinburgh for a while, the Ukrainian refugees (mostly young women) are an amazing group and I have not heard a single one of them say anything but praise for both the British and Scottish governments. I personally think it’s a disgrace with the pitifully small numbers the English government is accepting and the large numbers the Scottish government is accepting without providing any proper facilities for people. Placing people on a cruise ship in the middle of a pandemic is a recipe for disaster come winter. These women and girls deserve better.

Martin wrote: “”it’s a disgrace with the pitifully small numbers the English government is accepting and the large numbers the Scottish government is accepting without providing any proper facilities for people. “” Martin as of the 30th Aug here are the figures from the UHCR of how many Ukrainians have been taken in by countries which do not border the Ukraine. (i’ll post the link in a follow up so as to be able to post the chart) https://i.postimg.cc/d3fnpF68/ukraine.jpg I dont think the British responce is a disgrace, the only people who claimed such was the media, those not in power …  Read more »

Link to the UHCHR website

Link to the Scot Gov website regards Ukraine:

You need a link to Broadmoor

Nice work as always. Shame about the Moore on.

How many refugees has Britain admitted from Isreal`s illegal and murderous wars against the West Bank and Gazza? .How many refugees from Saudi atrocities in the Yemen?How many Rohingya victims of genocide?You could count them on the fingers of one thumb!!!Britain only does what their American masters order.Wise up children.

But if you look at it you only have to look at the number of people from different conflict areas the UK has helped. Unfortunately there is always going to be a limit. Next best thing is to try and help them in country with aid, unfortunately that pot is always going to be limited. I guess you could always choose to go over yourself as a volunteer aid worker if your felt that strongly about the UK nit pulling its weight.

Job done as normal 👍

In a nutshell the UK has taken in 120000, of which Scotland has taken in just over 7286. Where England has taken in around 110000. Now if you should follow the link to the Scottish gov website, whilst they state how many Scotland has taken in (7286) they then compare themselves against the rest of the Uk per 10000 which paints the picture (for those who arn’t any good at statistics) that actually England is taking in fewer Ukrainians, when net figures state otherwise. Not only that, but the chart doesnt include the people sponsored or the total figures for …  Read more »

Wales as of the 21st of 2022, had taken in just over 4192 Ukrainians:

I think you’ve totally demolished Martin by sheer weight of facts there 👍🏻

see previous response.

Never let facts get in the way of a good old Scotland vs. England rant.

Tombstoned.

Hi Farouk your are conflating permits issued with Refugees received. The British governments own latest published figures were 135,000 authorized permits with only 85,000 actually taken up and 42,000 of these were simply letting people stay with their own families. The Scottish governments are based on numbers taken per 100,000 which is correct way to measure it. Clearly England is 10 times bigger than Scotland it should take 10 times more. Please note to Sean as well I am being critical of the Scottish Governments response as well. There are taking more refugees than the can handle to score political …  Read more »

Martin wrote:

“”Hi Farouk your are conflating permits issued with Refugees received. The British governments own latest published figures were 135,000 authorized permits with only 85,000 actually taken up “”

As of the 30th July the Uk had taken in 104000 Ukrainians Press release 100,000 Ukrainians welcomed to safety in the UK  More than 100,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme. 

As of the 30th August 2022, the Uk has received 210800 applications from the Ukraine with 180700 visas issued to ukrainians ( link )

England is 10 times bigger than Scotland it should take 10 times more.

Regards total land area England is just under twice the size of Scotland:   England: 130,279 km²   Scotland: 77,910 km²

Where are we supposed to house them with proper facilities though? We don’t have tens of thousands of empty houses we can just allocate to them.

Maybe if we didn’t have have so many illegal dingy surfing economic migrants we’d have more housing options for genuine deserving refugees like the Ukrainians (genuine cases like that I have no problem with our country throwing support at).

As it is the countries being shat on from all directions and can’t cope with it all.

As far as I can see (would welcome figures) many have gone to spare space which exist in houses across the country.

According to the English Housing Survey which I have to hand there are nine million households in England with 2 or more spare bedrooms. No reason why SWNI should be different.

The overall rate of under-occupation in England in 2020-21 was 38% with around 9.1 million households living in under-occupied homes (i.e. with two or more spare bedrooms), Annex Table 1.25 . 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1060141/2020-21_EHS_Headline_Report_revised.pdf

120,000 Ukranians came to the UK, Scotland took a few over 7000, go figure where the rest went.

Is the pandemic still going on in Edinburgh? Why?

Very nice and as a supporter of Ukraine I welcome all efforts made to make them feel welcome. I do have one question though, why can’t the SNP do the same for Scottish homeless people?

I’m guessing that it’s a budget issue. HMG will be paying the bills for this ship. They are still buttering up Ukraine, so that helps.

HMG is not giving any money for the ship. Its coming from the Scottish government budget. Even assistance to Ukraine is now being deducted from the Scottish government budget. £50 million in the last round.

And where do you think that cash comes from? Those of us in England that prop up the SNP and the useless cronies there. Scotland has been technically bankrupt for decades, Scotland has great protentional however led by WOKE fools who do not know which end of a pencil is sharp. And its the UK as a whole as this is an international matter therefore from London. Plonker

Because that would not score any political points against “westmonster”. Plus there are very few people actually close to non in Scotland that are genuinely homeless i.e. living permanently on the streets. Scotland as most places in the UK outside of London lack the migration and other social issues on the same scale. Primary problems is due to mental health and drug addiction issues, temporary accommodation is provided at scale by local authorities and charities however its obviously not ideal.

“ we are providing sanctuary to more displaced people per head of population than any other part of the UK”

Never let an opportunity to dump on the rUK, pass you by…  🙄 

Say what you like about Sturgeon and the SNP but they are a marvel of marketing and political opportunism.

And the link with defence is?? Thought this site was a defence journal?

Suppose it is sort of defence related, they being Ukrainian refugees after Russia’s invasion.

George often posts Scots centric articles. And as the site owner, he can post what he wishes, so just enjoy.  👍 

There’s a war in Ukraine mate, it’s been on the news and everything.

If that’s you reasoning behind publishing this article then your seriously pushing the defence nature that this site alludes to being, but hey It’s your ball George you can do what you want with it.

Need to house all member of Parliament on it.

You know I give up…we treat overseas nationals much better than our own people. I think we should all those who believe in asylum 10% extra tax to pay for them. I for one do not want to pay for them. I want to focus on the poor, destitute, mentally ill and elderly in the UK i.e. British people. All those bleeding heart liberals get your hand in your pocket and if you want these people pay for them yourselves. Moreover, do the same with overseas aid! Note all those fairweather left wing liberals who opened up their homes to …  Read more »

This is one really bad idea. first it will cost a fortune, as the boat will need to be crewed and managed so it’s going to cost way more than normal housing or even hotel accommodation. secondly, it’s pretty inhuman actually, a boat is not going to allow any form of normal life and will act like a prison. Whatever there will be limited access on and off, a port is no places to house a load of families with kids. It’s just going to create a getto. As for health care provisos it’s a nightmare. Super concentrating people in …  Read more »

what about that 1 billion cruise ship going to be scrapped before its used. Could the MOD not buy it and fit it out with something? turn it into a massive drone carrier or missile silo or some such? by it cheap- offer just more than the scrap value and see if HMG can get a bargain.

It’s about time we had a people’s parliament, elect 60 or so citizens from all walks of British life regardless of gender or country of origin. Elect as in jury duty method. 3 month stints in the house of commons, fully paid and guarantee their job security after service. At least an insight to what the public want would be shown to the political elite. Anyone agree?

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Ambassador delays ship launch to home ukrainian refugees.

Ambassador Cruise Line has postponed the launch on new-ship Ambition after it agreed a deal to charter the vessel to the Scottish government next month to help home Ukrainian refugees.

The vessel is currently being mobilised to be in Glasgow for the beginning of September for six months after Ambassador came to a joint arrangement with the Scottish government.

It will then go into dry dock for soft refurbishment of public areas and cabins and engine upgrades. This means its inaugural season will be delayed until mid-May 2023. It was initially due to make its debut in March 2023.

Guests on sailings up to and including 11 May 2023 on Ambition have been contacted directly regarding the changes. Guests on Ambition sailings after this date are currently unaffected. 

In an email sent to customers seen by  TTG , Ambassador said it was "adversely affected" by the war in Ukraine after Ambience’s initial launch was delayed and crew incurred "additional unforeseen personal challenges".  

"When the opportunity to work with the Scottish government to support the Ukrainian population presented itself, we felt morally obliged to accommodate such a worthwhile cause and amend some of Ambition’s initial itineraries for 2023.

"As ever, please be reassured that our guests and trade partners remain our number one priority, as do the values by which we operate our business. We look forward to supporting this humanitarian effort and being able to offer you a wonderful experience on board Ambition in the future."

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• Ambassador Cruise Line

Ambition to house refugees

By Pirateguy , August 12, 2022 in Ambassador Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-charter-second-cruise-27726582

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I have just been in contact with Ambassador's Customer Services to enquire about this. Spotted it on Saturday morning in the news and, naturally, Customer Services were not available.

The first part of the response this morning was that the Customer Services operatives had, themselves, only just found out.

The second part of the response focussed on our particular cruise which is not scheduled to depart until the middle of the year. We were told that since this is so far away that our particular cruise would not be affected.

They went on to say that anyone on earlier, or affected, cruises would be receiving an e-mail this afternoon.

However, at 12:37 today, I am still able to book a place on the inaugural cruise on-line.

yorkshirephil

This is the email Ambassador sent out:

Time will tell as to whether this is a sensible decision or not. With Ambience having a delayed maiden voyage/season and being introduced with quite a few problems, it is a brave decision by a new cruise line to delay the maiden season of the second ship...

Host Jazzbeau

I do appreciate their solidarity with Ukraine.  And hopefully the income from this 'charter' will finance renovations that avoid the problems of Ambience.  

Slava Ukraini!

I find the explanation hard to believe - unless they are hosting the refugees for free or at cost only. Perhaps I am being too cynical - but happy that the refugees have somewhere to stay.

London-Calling

The new "Ambassador" cruise line have   delayed   the maiden season of their second ship "Ambition" in 2023. Some eleven cruises are cancelled. The reason is   NOT   technical, it is somewhat surprising, to me anyway. The official statement and some comments are, here;

Ambassador’s “Ambition” Inaugural Season Delayed | Malcolm Oliver's WaterWorld (wordpress.com)

The revised Maiden Voyage is now set for 12th May from Newcastle and is 14 nights to France and Spain.

richard_london

Apparently, according to this article, the MS Victoria (the first ship chartered the Scottish government) is being chartered in a deal worth £6.7 million.  The company behind the charter would get a cut of that, so not all would go to the MS Victoria's owners.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/20581599.scottish-cruise-ship-deal-ukrainians-completed-bradford-travel-firm/

As the Ambition is a larger vessel we can assume the charter is higher than that figure. 

So I imagine that has something to do with it and it isn't an entirely benevolent gesture by Ambassador.

On 8/15/2022 at 6:25 PM, yorkshirephil said: This is the email Ambassador sent out: Dear Guest, We would like to sincerely apologise to every guest and trade partner who saw the recent announcement in the national press regarding our decision to Charter Ambition to the Scottish Government, in order to facilitate the Scottish resettlement program for the Ukraine population to support those displaced by the war in Ukraine. We are disappointed that this announcement was shared prematurely without the appropriate advance communication and consultation we had intended for our valued guests. To that end, we would like to alleviate any current concerns or unnecessary uncertainty by now providing an additional explanation. As a new brand in the cruise industry, we, ourselves, were adversely affected by the war in Ukraine. Ambience’s initial launch was delayed and many of our esteemed crew incurred additional unforeseen personal challenges. We personally felt the impact acutely and the experience heightened our interest in wanting to support those most detrimentally affected by the devastation of the war. When the opportunity to work with the Scottish government to support the Ukrainian population presented itself, we felt morally obliged to accommodate such a worthwhile cause and amend some of Ambition’s initial itineraries for 2023. We had fully intended to communicate this decision via the appropriate channels, extending the courtesy and respect to our guests and trade partners you would expect. Now, belatedly we are hopeful that despite the incongruous news, you will join us in confidence and understanding to support this humanitarian strategy. Let us explain what this will mean: • Ambition will be in Scotland from early September 2022 for 6 months and will then go into dry dock for soft refurbishment of public areas and cabins and her engine upgrades, rendering her one of the top 10% of sustainable ships afloat, like Ambience. • This means that her inaugural season will unfortunately be delayed until mid-May 2023. We are working internally to ascertain the impact of this across our scheduled itineraries and will be able to offer you, our valued guests, recompense for the inconvenience you will incur as a result of this delay. • Guests will be able to receive either a full refund or an enhanced incentive to transfer to a comparable sailing or a discount against any Ambassador sailing in 2023. If you desire a full refund, this will be offered without compromise on any Ambition sailing up to, and including 11th May 2023. Ambition cruises departing after 12th May 2022 will be operating as scheduled. Please note that in securing a full refund, any additional incentives will not be valid for future, separate re-bookings. These offers will be communicated to you by email on or before 26th August, at which time you will also be able to choose an option online for your affected sailing. Please note you will not be able to action any cancellations or transfers until you receive this email, and we will not be able to manually action this through our call centre. Please do not contact us before you have received this email. Your patience at this time is welcome. As ever, our guests remain our number one priority, as do the values by which we operate our business. We hope to be able to offer you a wonderful experience on board Ambition once we establish clarity around this realignment and fully explore all available options for your compensation offer. Kind regards, Christian Verhounig / CEO | Ambassador Cruise Line Ambassador Cruise Line Copyright 2022 Ambassador Cruise Line is a trading name of Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited. Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 13299365. Ambassador Cruise Line, Gateway House, Stonehouse Lane, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1NS.

What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬

V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

58 minutes ago, vhagues said: What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬   V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

I'm sure the refugees totally understand why your disappoint is greater than their basic needs.

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: I'm sure the refugees totally understand why your disappoint is greater than their basic needs.

not sure why you feel it necessary to shame a cc member over their disappointment in having a cruise cancelled

ambassador & scottish government made a business arrangement to the detriment of ambassador guests. there are many other alternatives for housing the refugees 

Thank you Seaknots, don’t worry, I take no notice of negative comments anyway! 👍🏻 🤣

On 8/30/2022 at 2:21 AM, vhagues said: What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬   V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

We've booked a cruise in May because there was a sailing from a regional port but I think we will be in for a disappointment.

I agree, as a new company with 2 ships and only 1 in commission and trying to build a customer base in a difficult climate Ambassador has let down thousands of people who paid deposits in good faith. 

This isn't about helping refugees it's about a better money making opportunity coming along and Ambassador are prepared to cancel on the contract with us. 

As it is there is no social housing available for people who live in Scotland so where will the 1000 + Ukrainian families go after the 6 months, they won't just be thrown off the ship after the harrowing time they've gone through. I would be surprised if any of the cruises start in May. 

I think Ambassador have made a poor decision with this plan as they have already let down and lost the trust of  regular cruisers and potential cruisers, let's face it there must be a number of cruise companies who have ships not sailing due to the current lack of crew, why haven't they offered ships as well? 

In addition, the Ambassador promo says Ambition will have a full reburshment prior to sailing, which to me means all cabins,  public areas and all the other things behind the scenes, if things don't go to plan will a refurbishment even take place or will it be the the most important, that being bringing the engines up to standard, all these things take time and if there are further delays or issues it means the paying passengers will once again let down. 

• 4 months later...

Reports in some of the Scottish Media today confirm that the contract with Ambassador for Ambition will end as planned on 31st March.

• 1 yr Host Jazzbeau locked this topic

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• Ambassador Ambition arrives in Glasgow (Scotland) to house...

Ambassador Ambition arrives in Glasgow (Scotland) to house Ukrainian refugees

A second cruise ship that will house Ukrainian refugees arrived in Glasgow-Greenock (Clydeport, Scotland) .

Ambassador Cruise Line 's MS Ambition ship has been chartered by the Government of Scotland to provide accommodation for up to 1750 people in a total of 714 cabins.

MS Ambition will offer the same facilities as the first ship, Tallink Victoria I , which is currently docked in  Leith-Edinburgh  and has 739 staterooms to house between 1600-1700 refugees.

The two vessels have been chartered in a contract worth up to GBP 100 million.

Earlier this week, minister Neil Gray said he was working to maximize all options for long-term accommodation.

Berthed at King George V docks on the River Clyde, MS Ambition will offer restaurants, shops, kids' play facilities, and communal spaces.

Mr Gray, who is the minister with special responsibility for displaced Ukrainians, said that the Scottish Government was providing accommodation that was safe and sustainable while people were waiting to be matched to suitable longer-term accommodation.

“The arrival of the MS Ambition in Glasgow is a key part of that provision which means we are providing sanctuary to more displaced people per head of population than any other part of the UK."

The super sponsor scheme of the Scottish Government was paused in August, with the minister announcing a review was ongoing to ensure the long-term sustainability.

• Ambassador Cruise Line

Ambition to house refugees

By Pirateguy , August 12, 2022 in Ambassador Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-charter-second-cruise-27726582

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I have just been in contact with Ambassador's Customer Services to enquire about this. Spotted it on Saturday morning in the news and, naturally, Customer Services were not available.

The first part of the response this morning was that the Customer Services operatives had, themselves, only just found out.

The second part of the response focussed on our particular cruise which is not scheduled to depart until the middle of the year. We were told that since this is so far away that our particular cruise would not be affected.

They went on to say that anyone on earlier, or affected, cruises would be receiving an e-mail this afternoon.

However, at 12:37 today, I am still able to book a place on the inaugural cruise on-line.

yorkshirephil

This is the email Ambassador sent out:

Time will tell as to whether this is a sensible decision or not. With Ambience having a delayed maiden voyage/season and being introduced with quite a few problems, it is a brave decision by a new cruise line to delay the maiden season of the second ship...

Host Jazzbeau

I do appreciate their solidarity with Ukraine.  And hopefully the income from this 'charter' will finance renovations that avoid the problems of Ambience.  

Slava Ukraini!

I find the explanation hard to believe - unless they are hosting the refugees for free or at cost only. Perhaps I am being too cynical - but happy that the refugees have somewhere to stay.

London-Calling

The new "Ambassador" cruise line have   delayed   the maiden season of their second ship "Ambition" in 2023. Some eleven cruises are cancelled. The reason is   NOT   technical, it is somewhat surprising, to me anyway. The official statement and some comments are, here;

Ambassador’s “Ambition” Inaugural Season Delayed | Malcolm Oliver's WaterWorld (wordpress.com)

The revised Maiden Voyage is now set for 12th May from Newcastle and is 14 nights to France and Spain.

richard_london

Apparently, according to this article, the MS Victoria (the first ship chartered the Scottish government) is being chartered in a deal worth £6.7 million.  The company behind the charter would get a cut of that, so not all would go to the MS Victoria's owners.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/20581599.scottish-cruise-ship-deal-ukrainians-completed-bradford-travel-firm/

As the Ambition is a larger vessel we can assume the charter is higher than that figure. 

So I imagine that has something to do with it and it isn't an entirely benevolent gesture by Ambassador.

On 8/15/2022 at 6:25 PM, yorkshirephil said: This is the email Ambassador sent out: Dear Guest, We would like to sincerely apologise to every guest and trade partner who saw the recent announcement in the national press regarding our decision to Charter Ambition to the Scottish Government, in order to facilitate the Scottish resettlement program for the Ukraine population to support those displaced by the war in Ukraine. We are disappointed that this announcement was shared prematurely without the appropriate advance communication and consultation we had intended for our valued guests. To that end, we would like to alleviate any current concerns or unnecessary uncertainty by now providing an additional explanation. As a new brand in the cruise industry, we, ourselves, were adversely affected by the war in Ukraine. Ambience’s initial launch was delayed and many of our esteemed crew incurred additional unforeseen personal challenges. We personally felt the impact acutely and the experience heightened our interest in wanting to support those most detrimentally affected by the devastation of the war. When the opportunity to work with the Scottish government to support the Ukrainian population presented itself, we felt morally obliged to accommodate such a worthwhile cause and amend some of Ambition’s initial itineraries for 2023. We had fully intended to communicate this decision via the appropriate channels, extending the courtesy and respect to our guests and trade partners you would expect. Now, belatedly we are hopeful that despite the incongruous news, you will join us in confidence and understanding to support this humanitarian strategy. Let us explain what this will mean: • Ambition will be in Scotland from early September 2022 for 6 months and will then go into dry dock for soft refurbishment of public areas and cabins and her engine upgrades, rendering her one of the top 10% of sustainable ships afloat, like Ambience. • This means that her inaugural season will unfortunately be delayed until mid-May 2023. We are working internally to ascertain the impact of this across our scheduled itineraries and will be able to offer you, our valued guests, recompense for the inconvenience you will incur as a result of this delay. • Guests will be able to receive either a full refund or an enhanced incentive to transfer to a comparable sailing or a discount against any Ambassador sailing in 2023. If you desire a full refund, this will be offered without compromise on any Ambition sailing up to, and including 11th May 2023. Ambition cruises departing after 12th May 2022 will be operating as scheduled. Please note that in securing a full refund, any additional incentives will not be valid for future, separate re-bookings. These offers will be communicated to you by email on or before 26th August, at which time you will also be able to choose an option online for your affected sailing. Please note you will not be able to action any cancellations or transfers until you receive this email, and we will not be able to manually action this through our call centre. Please do not contact us before you have received this email. Your patience at this time is welcome. As ever, our guests remain our number one priority, as do the values by which we operate our business. We hope to be able to offer you a wonderful experience on board Ambition once we establish clarity around this realignment and fully explore all available options for your compensation offer. Kind regards, Christian Verhounig / CEO | Ambassador Cruise Line Ambassador Cruise Line Copyright 2022 Ambassador Cruise Line is a trading name of Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited. Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 13299365. Ambassador Cruise Line, Gateway House, Stonehouse Lane, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1NS.

What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬

V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

58 minutes ago, vhagues said: What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬   V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

I'm sure the refugees totally understand why your disappoint is greater than their basic needs.

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: I'm sure the refugees totally understand why your disappoint is greater than their basic needs.

not sure why you feel it necessary to shame a cc member over their disappointment in having a cruise cancelled

ambassador & scottish government made a business arrangement to the detriment of ambassador guests. there are many other alternatives for housing the refugees 

Thank you Seaknots, don’t worry, I take no notice of negative comments anyway! 👍🏻 🤣

On 8/30/2022 at 2:21 AM, vhagues said: What I can’t understand is why Ambassador, a new British Cruise. line that wants to build up their business, and yet they think ditching fare paying passengers, who are “their number one priority” is in favour of housing refugees at anchor in the Clyde for months is a good move. I think it’s a bad business decision and I for one will be cancelling our booked cruise to the fjords. The £300pp OBC does not make me want to give them another chance! 😡 🤬   V Hagues. Dissapointed, angry and let down!

We've booked a cruise in May because there was a sailing from a regional port but I think we will be in for a disappointment.

I agree, as a new company with 2 ships and only 1 in commission and trying to build a customer base in a difficult climate Ambassador has let down thousands of people who paid deposits in good faith. 

This isn't about helping refugees it's about a better money making opportunity coming along and Ambassador are prepared to cancel on the contract with us. 

As it is there is no social housing available for people who live in Scotland so where will the 1000 + Ukrainian families go after the 6 months, they won't just be thrown off the ship after the harrowing time they've gone through. I would be surprised if any of the cruises start in May. 

I think Ambassador have made a poor decision with this plan as they have already let down and lost the trust of  regular cruisers and potential cruisers, let's face it there must be a number of cruise companies who have ships not sailing due to the current lack of crew, why haven't they offered ships as well? 

In addition, the Ambassador promo says Ambition will have a full reburshment prior to sailing, which to me means all cabins,  public areas and all the other things behind the scenes, if things don't go to plan will a refurbishment even take place or will it be the the most important, that being bringing the engines up to standard, all these things take time and if there are further delays or issues it means the paying passengers will once again let down. 

• 4 months later...

Reports in some of the Scottish Media today confirm that the contract with Ambassador for Ambition will end as planned on 31st March.

• 1 yr Host Jazzbeau locked this topic

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Carnival Cruise Line warns passengers about a dangerous mistake

C ruise passengers have all sorts of hacks to make their cabins feel bigger. Some people bring shoe bags for added storage while others swear by using magnetic clips since the walls of your stateroom are, in fact, metal.

The cruise lines have also been working to make their cabins as useful as possible. On newer ships, pretty much every available area has been turned into storage and on ships like Royal Caribbean's newest flagship, Icon of the Seas, passengers may not even discover all the storage, USB, and outlets the company has cleverly placed in even the most basic cabin.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line ships may add key Disney World technology

Cruise lines, however, are working with very limited space. The average interior cruise cabin comes in at about 160-185 square feet. That's about half the size of the average hotel room.

To make a room that size work, companies like Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line put a lot of consideration into every inch of your cabin. Sofa beds and Pullman beds (beds that pull or fold down from the ceiling or wall) are obvious solutions, but in recent years, cabins have become more useful as the cruise lines continue to get more clever.

Sometimes, however, it appears, that that cleverness can lead to problems and cruise passengers might think that something isn't what it actually is. That can lead to a dangerous situation, according to Carnival Cruise Line ( CCL ) Brand Ambassador John Heald.

Carnival cabins contain a useful item

Heald was largely absent from social media on May 25 because he was not feeling well. He did return briefly because he learned of a problem he wanted to correct.

"I have removed myself from my bed of sickness to post this and help," he wrote. "It appears somebody on another Facebook group page has been informing people that the box on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee cabins is in fact a cooler/refrigerator."

The box he's referring to is a standalone square that does not have a cord, plug, or any visible means of being powered up.

"This has resulted in people complaining that theirs is not cooling their drinks and possibly in one case their medication. They are not coolers. They are stools and they are storage units," he shared.

It's actually a clever use of space, but certainly not a place designed to keep things cold.

"Turn around the top lid and you have a side table," he added. "Thank you, just wanted to help, and a huge thanks to our brill Lead Hotel Director Pierre for bringing this to my attention."

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Carnival passengers share their disbelief

Most cruise ship cabins contain a cooler that can keep items cold that's not a full refrigerator. Passengers who need a refrigerator for medical or other reasons should contact their cruise line before their sailing.

Most of the more than 550 comments on Heald's post were surprised that people would make that particular mistake.

"Whatever takes out the human race, I think I've decided we deserve it. I can literally feel my IQ fall each time I read some of the questions/comments and requests here. I don't know how JH does this every day," Malcolm Landry wrote.

Others seemed shocked that anyone could make this mistake.

"Wow, and just how did they think it was supposed to stay cold? No plug, battery, or ice so how could it be a cooler?" added Missi Brown.

Many respondents also shared that they liked the stool/storage unit for its intended purposes.

"That was my favorite addition to the cabin...I really hope all the other ships get those...but I do hope people aren't using them as a cooler," posted Karen Deviney Racy.

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"We put our souvenirs in it! Awesome extra storage space," added Melinda Murphy Morris.

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Nikki haley signs idf bomb during visit to israel: ‘finish them’.

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Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley left some words of encouragement for the Israeli Defense Forces on a rocket shell on Monday during a visit to the Israel-Gaza border. 

“Finish them! America [loves] Israel always,” the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor wrote on the 155 mm high explosive projectile. 

The image of Haley signing the munition was shared on social media Tuesday by Danny Danon, a Likud member of the Knesset, who accompanied Haley on her trip.

“This is what my friend, the former ambassador, Nikki Haley wrote today on a shell during a visit to an artillery post on the northern border,” Dannon said . 

Stand for America PAC, the political action committee that backed Haley’s 2024 presidential campaign, noted that the rocket shell is “intended for Hamas.” 

Haley, 52, consoled Israeli citizens impacted by terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and assured them that the US remains committed to supporting the Jewish State during her Memorial Day weekend visit. 

The former White House hopeful said Tuesday that she met with one of the survivors of the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and some kidnapped.

“Like my daughter, Tali Biner is a nurse in her 20s who loves music and her friends,” Haley wrote on X. “But, her life changed forever at the Nova Music Festival.”

“For hours she hid, praying not to be next, listening to fellow concert goers beg for mercy as they were raped, genitally mutilated, and shot to death by Hamas,” she added. “When she escaped, she tried to treat victims who were butchered and left to slowly die.” 

“Now, she bravely tells her story to bear witness for the hundreds who can’t — raped, tortured, kidnapped, and murdered simply for being Israeli.” 

International pressure against Israel has been mounting as its military moves forward with a planned invasion of Rafah, one of the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza and the site of over a million civilian war refugees. 

On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike in Rafah resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people – including some sheltering in a tent camp. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called the civilian casualties a “tragic mistake,” and confirmed that the strike is under investigation.

Haley, who dropped out of the GOP primary race in March, declared last week that she would vote for former President Donald Trump on Nov. 5. 

Trump, 77, later said he believes Haley will be “on our team in some form.”

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