Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience will not be visiting Cuba on her current itinerary, the 40-night “Jewels of the Caribbean Sea” sailing that departed Tilbury, UK on Friday, January 30, 2026.

The news comes as the British ship has already reached the Caribbean, just days after the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued an advisory against all but essential travel to Cuba.

“We can confirm that Ambience will no longer proceed with its scheduled call to Havana, Cuba, on Monday 16 February 2026 during the 40-night Jewels of the Caribbean Sea itinerary,” the cruise line posted on social media. “The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our primary consideration.”

The warning was updated on Wednesday, February 11, just five days before the cruise ship was to have called on the capital of Cuba for a full-day visit from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The FCDO’s advisory is based on unreliable infrastructure and resources in Cuba that have resulted in extensive power outages and erosion of emergency services.

“These conditions significantly affect the ability of visitors to access reliable transport, medical care, communications, and basic services,” the advisory explains.

This could present difficulties should guests have any emergency while visiting Havana, as well as affect how the ship may be supplied in port. Power outages in Havana occur on a near daily basis, occasionally lasting 12 hours or longer.

The US Department of State has a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” advisory for Cuba, citing both crime and unreliable electrical power as significant concerns. US law continues to prohibit tourist travel to Cuba.

Cruise Hive has previously noted the impact such travel advisories have on ship itineraries, such as calls to Labadee, Haiti being cancelled, or what guests should be aware of when visiting destinations in Mexico under elevated warning levels.

New Port Visits Added

Because Ambience will no longer be visiting Cuba, Ambassador Cruise Line has managed to add two new port visits to the ship’s immersive Caribbean itinerary. Now, Ambience will be visiting Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe on Saturday, February 14, followed by Basseterre, St. Kitts on Sunday, February 15.

As a special note, while the 70,285-gross-ton ship is in Guadeloupe for her unexpected Valentine’s Day visit, she will be joining another ship in the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet, Renaissance. Fleet meetup opportunities are always a unique and memorable occasion for guests.

“We will be trying to get the ships photographed together,” the cruise line said. “We love a ship meet up!”

Without the call to Havana, on Monday, February 16, Ambience will spend the day at sea instead. This means that the following day, Tuesday, February 17, will also be a day at sea before the ship’s next port visit to Grand Cayman on Wednesday.

For the remaining three weeks of the cruise, Ambience has a wide range of stunning Caribbean ports to visit, including destinations in Jamaica, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, and the Grenadines.

“The rest of the schedule will continue as planned,” the cruise line confirmed.

The final port visit before the ship turns back toward the UK is scheduled to be Basseterre, St. Kitts on Saturday, February 28. Since Ambience will now be visiting that port two weeks earlier, it is unclear whether that visit may be cancelled or swapped for a different destination.

If it stays on the itinerary, guests will have the unique opportunity of visiting St. Kitts twice, enjoying a second chance to try another shore excursion or visit a favorite spot on the beautiful island.

Cruise Ship Drops Cuba Port Visit Following UK Travel Warning