27 June 2021, 09:00
Saga Cruises’ first round-Britain cruise since early 2020 departs later today
Sunday June 27, 2021: At 6pm tonight, Saga Cruises’ ‘Spirit of Discovery’, which originally launched in July 2019, will return to the ocean from Tilbury Docks on its first round Britain tour since the UK was locked down in March 2020. It will call first at Portsmouth on June 28, Portland on June 29, the Isles of Scilly on June 30 and Falmouth on July 1.
Nigel Blanks, CEO of Saga Cruises, said: “Our guests are so excited to be back cruising again and our crew members are all looking forward to giving them an incredible experience onboard We have a great itinerary, taking in some of the most stunning parts of the West Country. There really is no better place to see our beautiful coastline than from the sea.
“We work to the highest standards and every detail has been thought-through to respect current social distance rules from the onboard entertainment to the dining experience, spa and fitness facilities and personalised customer service. All our guests can board knowing we take their health and well-being incredibly seriously. In addition to the observance of strict safety protocols, guests must have had both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine prior to departure and all our crew onboard have also been fully vaccinated.”
Spirit of Discovery and its brand-new sister ship, Spirit of Adventure, which will leave on its inaugural cruise on July 26, are both small by today’s ship standards but clever design and the limited number of guests combine to give a real feeling of space and comfort.
Spirit of Discovery has 10 passenger decks offering 554 all-balcony cabins including 109 single balcony cabins. It features five restaurants including The Grand Dining Room, The Grill, Coast to Coast (seafood speciality), East to West (Asian fusion) and The Club by Jools (steakhouse), all of which are complementary to dine in. The South Cape Bar is the ship’s main bar, and the Living Room offers coffee and snacks as well as a full drinks service. Outdoor facilities include an observation deck, full wraparound promenade and terrace, pool, sports court and deck games.
Entertainment and wellbeing facilities include The Playhouse (a 444-seat theatre with complete unobstructed views seating, home to Saga Cruise’s resident performance company), the signature Britannia Lounge with a dance floor and live entertainment, The Library with refreshments, craft and card rooms, The Spa with hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam and treatment rooms, The Salon, a gym, shop and medical centre. The ship also features specially commissioned artwork that draw inspiration from the geography, landscapes, and palette of the British Isles.
The all-inclusive price includes a choice of complementary UK travel to and from the port including a door-to-door chauffeur service up to 250 miles each way, car parking near the port, domestic flights or standard class rail or coach travel.
There are no hidden costs on-board either. Saga Cruises come with all dining and house drinks including a selection of wines with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, on-board gratuities, fitness facilities, 24-hour room service, sightseeing tours in selected ports, entertainment (from lectures to recitals), porterage of luggage, shuttle buses to nearest town centres and travel insurance with up to £5m coronavirus cover included.
And all of this backed up by the Saga Cruise Promise - in the event that a cruise price is reduced guests will be the given the value of the difference back.
Images of Spirit of Discovery can be found here: Saga - Images & Reports and photos of the ship departing have now been added (at 8.30pm on 27 June, 2021)
For further information, please contact: sagatravel@headlandconsultancy.com.
Notes to editors
As guests would expect from Saga Cruises, a company with Lloyd’s Register’s highest health and safety award, Shield+, the health and well-being of everyone on board is of paramount importance. Covid-safe protocols include:
- All guests and crew must have both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at least 14-days before boarding the ship
- Pre-departure Covid-19 testing and full medical screening in the terminal
- A reduced number of guests on-board operating at 50% of the ship’s capacity
- Increased crew to guest ratio, to allow enhanced cleaning regimes on-board
- Private chauffeur car per household up to 250 miles
- Social distancing that feels discreet onboard the spacious ship
- Additional enhancements to the state-of-the-art air conditioning, which already provides 100% fresh air in all public areas and cabins, plus every cabin has its own private balcony
- Enhanced medical facilities with a dedicated isolation area on-board and double the onboard medical team
The ship’s schedule:
|
Date |
Destination |
Arrival time |
Departure time |
|
Sunday 27 June |
Tilbury |
18:00 |
|
|
Monday 28 June |
Portsmouth |
09:00 |
20:00 |
|
Tuesday 29 June |
Portland |
08:00 |
17:00 |
|
Wednesday 30 June |
Scilly Isles |
08:00 |
18:00 |
|
Thursday 1 July |
Falmouth |
09:00 |
20:30 |
|
Friday 2 July |
Scenic cruising |
||
|
Saturday 3 July |
Tilbury |
07:00 |
