Ambassador Cruise Line to Fit Shore Power on Renaissance by 2027
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Ambassador Cruise Line has signed a contract with EnerMoves to install a shore power connection system aboard the cruise ship Renaissance. According to sources, work on the project has already begun, while final installation and commissioning of the system are scheduled as part of the vessel's dry dock planned for October/November 2027.
Technical challenges of the retrofit
Sources agree that retrofitting systems to synchronize the connection and power transfer between ship and shore presents particular challenges on existing vessels. EnerMoves was selected for its approach to managing the interface between onboard systems and land-based electrical supplies.
Plan for the rest of the fleet
The Renaissance project is the first in a program that envisions similar installations on the operator's other two ships. A second contract with EnerMoves is planned to equip the Ambience during its dry dock scheduled for November/December 2027, while the Ambition will receive an equivalent installation in autumn 2028. Splash Cruise specified that this second contract is planned but has not yet been confirmed.
Regulatory framework and the vessel's background
The program comes as European cruise operators prepare for stricter emissions requirements under FuelEU Maritime, which from January 2030 will generally require passenger ships over 5,000 gt to use shore power or zero-emission alternatives while berthed at major EU ports covered by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, with certain exemptions. The Renaissance, 55,575 gt and formerly known as Holland America Line's Maasdam, joined Ambassador's fleet following the British operator's merger with France's Compagnie Française de Croisières in January 2025, and earlier that year had undergone a €15 million refit at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, which included work described at the time as preparatory for future shore power connection.
Ambassador noted that the addition of shore power represents the latest step in its commitment to improving the environmental performance of its ships, and that these upgrades allow vessels to be adapted to modern environmental standards without resorting to newbuilds. The company also noted that its ships are already equipped with advanced food waste and wastewater treatment systems, as well as IMO Tier III (SCR) exhaust emissions control technology.
