Ambassador Cruise Line is entering the German market with the former Oceania Sirena.

The UK company said in a statement it acquired the ship from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. It will be leased back to Oceania Cruises through spring 2028.

The 670-passenger vessel will be renamed the Ambella before joining the company’s new Ambassador Kreuzfahrten brand.

From summer 2028, the 30,200-ton ship will offer a new adults-only experience tailored for the German market, Ambassador said.

Germany joins the company’s existing markets of the UK, served by its Ambassador brand, and France, served by the recently acquired CFC brand which has recently been renamed Ambassador Croisière.

Following the ship’s summer season, the vessel will be chartered to the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), better known as Semester at Sea, which will operate it for the fall 2028 and spring 2029 semesters before Ambassador takes it back for summer 2029. This split arrangement is expected to continue long term.

Ambassador said its German-speaking product will be sophisticated, noting that it will offer personalized service and upscale dining onboard a mid-sized vessel.

Ambassador said that the new brand is aimed at “discerning German couples, experienced cruise passengers and river cruise enthusiasts looking to discover ocean cruising.”

The ship’s maiden Ambassador season, which opens for bookings in November, will include 11 cruises from Bremerhaven and Kiel plus two repositioning voyages.

Running between May and September 2028, the deployment will feature destination-focused itineraries to the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe, in addition to select voyages to Southern Europe.

The itineraries are said to take advantage of the Ambella’s smaller size to access ports less suitable for larger cruise ships.

Ambassador said that the new operation allows it to tap into Europe’s largest source market for cruises, marking the latest step in what it called its “rapid yet carefully managed growth.”

The company noted that the move is part of its strategy to become a leading European cruise line in the 50+ market segment, offering high-quality travel at affordable prices.

“The acquisition of the Oceania Sirena, its future launch as the Ambella, and the launch of Ambassador Kreuzfahrten represent a significant milestone in our journey to establish Ambassador as Europe’s leading cruise provider for affordable quality in the silver segment,” said CEO Christian Verhounig.

“When we launched Ambassador in 2021, we recognized a clear market gap for an affordable, high-quality cruise experience that is authentic, welcoming and accessible. We set out to combine the traditions of classic cruising with the standards and expectations of today’s guests, and this philosophy remains fundamental to our success,” he added.

The Ambella was originally built for Renaissance Cruises and entered service in 2000 as the fourth ship in the company’s R-class series.

As reported by Cruise Industry News, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings sold the ship earlier this year. A buyer at the time was not named.