Ambassador Cruise Line has chosen former British athlete Sally Gunnell OBE as Godmother for first ship, Ambience.

She will rename the ship at a special ceremony at London Tilbury on 19 April.

Ambassador is the first British cruise line to launch in the UK in over a decade. Sailing from Tilbury, the no-fly itineraries are aimed to provide a premium-value, authentic cruise experience predominantly aimed at the 50-plus traveller.

Sally was born in Chigwell, Essex and is the only British woman to hold four major track titles simultaneously – Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth.

Since retiring from international athletics, the 55-year-old mother of three has become an advocate for health and well-being for the over 50s.

Ambience will enter service on 20 April, with a maiden voyage to Hamburg, followed by a further 31 sailings calling at over 90 different ports.

Itineraries will include the British Isles, the Norwegian Fjords, Greenland, the Arctic and Iceland, plus several short break cruises.

For the winter months, a range of exploration style voyages will sail to the Canaries, Cuba, the Caribbean, Cape Verde and Scandinavia.