Spirit of Discovery (2019)

Spirit of Discovery is a 58,250 GT cruise ship operating for Saga Cruises. Built by Meyer Werft, the ship was delivered on 24 June 2019[1] and began operations on 10 July 2019.[2] She is Saga Cruises' first ever new-build ship and the largest ship to ever sail for Saga.[3][4]

For other ships with the same name, see Spirit of Discovery.

Spirit of Discovery
Spirit of Discovery in Oslo, August 2019
History
United Kingdom
Name: Spirit of Discovery
Owner: Saga Group
Operator: Saga Cruises
Port of registry: London,  United Kingdom
Ordered: 1 October 2015
Builder:
Yard number: 714
Laid down: 28 June 2018
Launched: 12 May 2019
Sponsored by: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Christened: 5 July 2019
In service: 2019–present
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics
Tonnage: 58,250 GT
Length: 236 m (774 ft)
Decks: 10 passenger decks
Capacity: 999 passengers
Crew: 523

History
Spirit of Discovery at Meyer Werft, May 2019

Construction and debut

In October 2015, Saga Cruises, which had previously purchased secondhand vessels, ordered its first new build[5] from Meyer Werft for a scheduled 2019 delivery.[5] The order also came with an option for an identical sister ship delivered in 2021.[5]

On 29 March 2017, the ship's name was announced as Spirit of Discovery.[6][4] On 1 March 2018, the first steel was cut for Spirit of Discovery at Meyer Werft.[7] Construction officially began with her keel-laying and coin ceremony on 28 June 2018.[8] On 12 May 2019, she was floated out[9] and later completed her conveyance across the river Ems on 26 May 2019 to begin her sea trials in the North Sea.[10]

Spirit of Discovery was officially delivered to Saga Cruises on 24 June 2019[1] before its arrival into the United Kingdom on 28 June.[1] Shortly after her delivery, she incurred an incident when she collided with bollards at the Great Sea Lock upon leaving Emden on the evening of 24 June.[11] She only sustained several superficial abrasions and scratches, but the bollards received significant damage.[11] On 5 July 2019, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall christened Spirit of Discovery at the Port of Dover, making her the first ship to be christened in Dover in more than a decade.[1][12] The ship sailed her maiden voyage on 10 July, which circumnavigated the United Kingdom and included calls in Ireland.[12]

Operational career

Throughout her inaugural season, Spirit of Discovery sailed throughout Northern Europe, Spain, and the Mediterranean.[13][14] In January 2021, the ship will sail her longest voyage, a circumnavigation of South America.[15]

Design and specifications

Describing how Saga retained its brand's experience with the debut of Spirit of Discovery, David Pickett, newbuild director of Saga, explains:

Our ship is of quite an unusual size in the modern marketplace. There are not many ships of 999-passenger capacity. It was the right size for us, as the Saga experience is typified by small ship style, high standards of customer service and a friendly ship where there is a strong relationship between customers and crew. The ship is 236 m long, 100 m less than mega ships. We have a high crew to passenger ratio. Saga Cruises is a premium brand.[16]

Spirit of Discovery also houses several specialty restaurants, a theater, and fitness and wellness facilities, features not included on older vessels in the fleet.[16] Additionally, Saga designed Spirit of Discovery for an all-inclusive cruising experience, in which the cost of the cruise covers expenses incurred from beverages, gratuities, specialty dining, room service, internet access, and local chauffeur services.[17] Spirit of Discovery also offers 100 passenger cabins designed for solo travelers and employs 523 crew members.[7][18]

Saga partnered with Siemens to employ Siemens SISHIP SiPODs for the ship's propulsion and power distribution systems.[16] The ship is powered by four, nine-cylinder 32/44 common rail MAN engines equipped with selective catalytic reduction, each producing 5,400 kW, for a total of 21,600 kW.[16] To better recover waste heat, the ship is also equipped with a centralised heating water system that reduces pump power by 65 kW to save 200 MWh per annum.[16] Spirit of Discovery is built to Polar Code.[19]

References
  1. "Garden party naming for Saga's newly delivered Spirit of Discovery". Seatrade Cruise News. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  2. Staff, C. I. N. (5 July 2019). "Saga's New Spirit of Discovery Christened". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  3. "Saga Cruises' Spirit of Discovery Begins Sea Trials, Starts Journey to Dover". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  4. "Saga Release Name Of Their New Build, 'Spirit Of Discovery'". Cruisemarsh. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  5. "Saga orders newbuild". Riviera Maritime Media. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  6. "Saga Cruises announces name of new ship arriving in 2019". Seatrade Cruise News. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  7. "Saga Cruises Cuts Steel for New Spirit of Discovery Ship, Shares Cabin Details, Talks Future Plans". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  8. "Keel Laid for Saga Newbuild Spirit of Discovery". Cruise Cotterill. 1 July 2018.
  9. Staff, C. I. N. (12 May 2019). "Saga Newbuild Spirit of Discovery Floated Out". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  10. "Spirit of Discovery completes conveyance across the Ems river". SAFETY4SEA. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  11. "Cruise ship collision after delivery ceremony, Emden". FleetMon.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. "Saga's New Spirit of Discovery Christened". Cruise Industry News. 5 July 2019.
  13. Bond, Mary (24 September 2018). "Saga's Spirit of Discovery will be named at Port of Dover". Seatrade Cruise News.
  14. "Saga Cruises Cuts Steel for New Spirit of Discovery Ship, Shares Cabin Details, Talks Future Plans". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  15. "Saga Announces Seven New Sailings in 2021". Cruise Industry News. 7 October 2019.
  16. "The innovations behind Saga's Spirit of Discovery". Riviera Maritime Media.
  17. Spencer, Kerry (28 February 2019). "Saga Cruises' New Ship to Go All-Inclusive from Winter 2019 Sailings". Cruise Critic.
  18. "The coolest new hotel opening? It's on board a ship". The Telegraph. 22 February 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  19. "The Motorship | Cruise demand fuels German newbuilding". www.motorship.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
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