Former British athlete Sally Gunnell OBE will be the godmother for Ambassador Cruise Line’s first ship, Ambience.
She will rename the 1,400-passenger ship at a ceremony at London Tilbury on April 19.
The start-up British cruise line will offer no-fly itineraries from the port, predominantly aimed at passengers over 50.
Gunnell 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.
Christian Verhounig, the cruise line’s chief executive, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have Sally as our first ship’s godmother. She is a wonderful advocate for the 50-plus market and her ambitious drive and dedication to achievement echoes Ambassador’s determination for expansion.
“We cannot wait to welcome Sally onboard Ambience and celebrate this monumental milestone in Ambassador’s journey so far. We are certain that our guests, crew and staff will feel as honoured as I am in having Sally as our first godmother and being part of the Ambassador family.”
Gunnell added: “I’m delighted to be godmother to Ambience, Ambassador Cruise Line’s first ship.
“I’ve a fondness for Ambassador’s homeport London Tilbury being in Essex, the county I was born and grew up in.”
Ambience will enter service on April 20 with a maiden voyage to Hamburg, followed by a further 31 sailings calling at more than 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.
Last week the cruise line was forced to delay the launch of Ambience, as the war in Ukraine has been taking its toll on a supply chain that was already seeing problems.
The maiden voyage to Hamburg, originally planned for April 6, was re-scheduled to April 20, and the first two sailings to the Norwegian fjords have been cancelled.