A closer look at Saga’s newest ship ‘Spirit of Adventure’ following her naming ceremony in Portsmouth

Saga Cruises’ newest ship was named yesterday in Portsmouth and what a glorious day it was. Spirit of Adventure is now at your service, quite literally, as she’s a ship designed and built to offer a luxurious cruise experience from start to finish. Her naming ceremony was quite different to the one her sister, Spirit of Discovery, received in Dover back in 2019, but it was a naming ceremony nonetheless, and she’s welcomed to the fleet as a new member of the family.

It was a traditional bottle smashing ceremony at Portsmouth International Port and she was named by the recently retired Head of the Royal Navy Medical Service, Commodore Inga J. Kennedy, in recognition of the countless hours of service given by medical professionals during the pandemic.

The new ship was the first to be named at Portsmouth, thanks to the city’s investment in the extension of the port’s main cruise berth, which enables them to manage larger ships.

Given her recent arrival, we thought now was a great time to really introduce you to what you can expect from this wonderful ship. Saga provides a cruise experience like no other, we know, we’ve tried it, and we’re excited for when our time comes to step aboard and sample everything she has to offer. Welcome to the NoFlyCruises introduction to Spirit of Adventure.

Dining onboard Spirit of Adventure

Spirit of Adventure has a fantastic choice of restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day. In total, she has five restaurants, including three free-to-dine speciality restaurants. While onboard, all food and drink, including alcoholic beverages, are complimentary.

The Dining Room is Spirit of Adventure’s main restaurant, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It boasts the very finest in both British and International cuisine from a team of expert chefs, often using freshly sourced local ingredients from the ports visited throughout a cruise.

The Grill offers a more relaxed and social dining experience. Indulge in the same dinner menu as The Dining Room on formal evenings or visit for a sumptuous buffet breakfast and bespoke lunchtime menu.

The Dining Room and The Grill, which also offers alfresco dining on the adjoining Verandah, offer single seat dining so guests can arrive at any time and can keep their table for the duration of the evening. The Verandah offers the same dining choices with beautiful views across the ocean. And, in good weather, it’s the place to enjoy barbecues out on deck.

Khukuri House is the first ever Nepalese restaurant at sea! Inspired by the Ghurka heritage in Saga’s hometown of Folkestone, Khukuri House features dishes with a combination of flavours and cooking styles from Nepal.

Guests can enjoy delicacies from our very own onboard tandoor oven. Amalfi is our Italian speciality restaurant, offering delicious Mediterranean dishes. The menu is supplemented with locally sourced fish and meats purchased in port that day, each given an Italian twist.

Finally, our Supper Club offers cabaret style evening entertainment that guests can enjoy while dining. It is one of four bars on board Spirit of Adventure, offering a mix of international dining, entertainment, and dancing. The Supper Club aims to offer an intimate and exciting jazz club with its own ambience.

Facilities on board Spirit of Adventure 

From the minute guests step onboard Spirit of Adventure and are greeted by the ship’s crew lined-up to welcome them, everything is geared towards a luxurious, boutique time at sea.

Spirit of Adventure was designed to resemble a high-end London hotel on the seas more than a cruise ship. The décor, the layout, some clever architectural techniques and above all a commitment to space combine to make life onboard Adventure always feel luxurious and modern. And a big part of the experience onboard is enjoying all the facilities she has to offer.

THE SPA

Open daily from 09:00 to 19:00, the spa is a popular part of life onboard. Guests are greeted by a gold curved reception desk, bespoke wall of art and relaxed seating before being escorted inside. Once in the spa, a team of 10 fully trained therapists offer a range of luxurious Elemis treatments and skincare regimes in six treatment rooms and a nail bar.

Massages are a popular treatment, especially ones focused on the feet after a day of strolling around the promenade deck or between the different spaces on the ship. Adventure’s acupuncture specialist is also increasingly popular, while the hair salon sees plenty of custom in the afternoon as guests prepare for dinner and dancing in the evening.

HYDROTHERAPY POOL AND THE LIDO

The Spa also contains a luxurious 200-foot hydrotherapy pool, two saunas (one infra-red and one traditional hot stone) and a steam room. A relaxation room featuring quartz beds is available for guests to enjoy either before or after a spa treatment or time in the pool and sauna. Changing rooms serve all these facilities and offer luxury, Spirit of Adventure monogrammed robes for guests to wear. The lido is the main outside space on board and is complete with the ship’s funnel. As well as a generously sized swimming pool, there are twin hot tubs and plenty of sun loungers and shaded areas for guests to enjoy.

THE PLAYHOUSE

Most theatres on board cruise ships suffer from a fundamental design flaw. The size of the space presents a problem for a ship’s structural design unless a series of columns are included to reinforce its strength. Determined to avoid columns that would obstruct the view of guests, Saga pushed Spirit of Adventure’s designers to create a better solution. Thanks to this, the whole 444-seat theatre was constructed in a special reinforced box and features no supporting columns and completely unobstructed views of the stage. There are two performances daily every evening featuring a range of famous shows and world class performances.

THE GYM AND STUDIO

An increasingly popular part of the ship as customers look to remain active while at sea, Spirit of Adventure’s gym features the latest equipment from Technogym including running machines, rowing machines, cross trainers, resistance machines and free weights. Even more importantly it offers stunning views from the 10th deck of the ship and gives guests a view of the Britannia Lounge below. A consultation service helps guests plan their exercise regime while onboard and can be timed around meals and meal plans as well. As well as the gym, a fully equipped studio offers a range of classes daily. Our onboard fitness instructors provide classes on yoga, pilates, dance and wellness routines. We also cater for guests with a range of physical abilities, for example through our “sit and be fit” class, designed to be done while sitting down.

THE SHOP

Life onboard wouldn’t be complete without the chance to buy a memento of your journey. Spirit of Adventure’s shop sells a wide array of clothing, jewellery, perfume, confectionary, and gifts for people of all ages. It also has a supply of sundries for guests onboard. Our top tip is keeping an eye out for special sales that take place during some voyages and offer discounts on certain items of stock.

SPORTS AND GAMES

Spirit of Adventure offers a mixture of traditional games and popular pursuits onboard. Shuffleboard and other traditional games are available on Spirit of Adventure’s Sun deck and offer a stunning view out to sea while playing. Meanwhile a state-of-the-art golf simulator called The Bunker is available for anyone looking to work on their handicap. Finally, for anyone looking simply to enjoy a stroll, it takes approximately four laps of Spirit of Adventure’s promenade, which runs right around the ship, to clock up a one mile walk.

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