Saga Cruises has officially welcomed new ship Spirit of Adventure to its fleet.

The brand new ship was handed over to the cruise line in Emden, Germany, by shipbuilder Meyer Werft.

Spirit of Adventure is the newest addition to the Saga Cruises fleet, which now consists of two purpose-built boutique cruise ships.

The first, Spirit of Discovery, was launched last year and made a huge impact in the cruise industry.

Spirit of Discovery was the Saga’s first purpose-built cruise ship, championing modern luxury and accommodating guests in all-balcony cabins.

Like Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure also has all-balcony suites and can accommodate 999 passengers. The ship has a tonnage of 58,000 GT.

Following a delay due to Covid-19 and ongoing travel uncertainty, Spirit of Adventure will sail her inaugural cruise on 5 February 2-21 around the Canary Islands.

Managing Director of Saga Cruises, Nigel Blanks, said:

“This is a really exciting day for us as Spirit of Adventure officially becomes part of the Saga Cruises family. Over the past 18 months, we have been focused on creating a British boutique cruising experience for our guests that is not available elsewhere on the market and Spirit of Adventure is an important milestone in this plan.

“While she shares some similarities with her sister ship, Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure is unique in her own right with distinctive design features and characteristics.

“Though the inaugural cruise will take place a little later than we had originally planned due to the ongoing restrictions on travel, we cannot wait to welcome guests onboard and see all she has to offer. Having recently visited the ship in Germany, I can assure you, she is worth the wait!”

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Saga Cruises has enhanced its health and safety protocols to protect both passengers and crew.

New measures include reduced capacity, pre-departure testing both at home and before boarding, increased medical staff and facilities and enhancements to air conditioning – which provides fresh air throughout the ships.