Spirit of Adventure Review

Saga Cruises took delivery of Spirit of Adventure from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, in October 2020.

The follow up to Saga's 2019 new build, Spirit of Discovery, the 999-passenger ship will make its debut in July of 2021. Spirit of Adventure was originally due to launch in August 2020, but the date had to be pushed back because of uncertainty around global travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Geared to the British over-fifty market, there is no casino, games arcade or climbing wall on Spirit of Adventure. Instead, passengers can expect an upmarket interior and spacious venues, with the 58,250-gross-ton ship styled on a luxury boutique hotel.

In recent years Saga Cruises has become the most inclusive cruise line in the UK with a growing list of extras -- including up to six shore excursions from 2021 -- included in the cost of a cruise.

Inclusions:

• Drinks (alcohol and soft drinks), excluding premium brands

• Gratuities

• All meals, including three speciality venues and afternoon tea

• Up to six shore excursions, depending on the length of sailing

• Wi-Fi

• Chauffeur service within a 250-mile radius from the departure port on ex-UK sailings

• Travel insurance

Spirit of Adventure caters well to solo travellers, with 100 single cabins, dedicated singles programming and organised singles excursion meet ups.

Cabins

Spirit of Adventure accommodates 999 passengers across 554 all-balcony cabins in Standard, Deluxe and Suite categories.

Like on Spirit of Discovery, cabins are located on A-E decks (E Deck = Deck 7 and A Deck = 11).

Entry-level Standard accommodation starts at 215 square feet and features a twin/king-size bed, bedside tables, writing desk/dressing table, coffee table, chairs, safe, marble bathrooms with shower, hairdryer, complimentary toiletries, robe and slippers, British plug sockets with USB outlets, a TV, mini-bar, tea and coffee-making facilities.

Daily bottled water and turndown service is provided and 24-hour room service is included.

Deluxe accommodations comes in at 279 square feet and feature the addition of walk-in wardrobes, more outdoor space and fresh fruit baskets.

Suites range from 462 to 855 square feet, with added amenities including butler service, bathroom with shower and whirlpool bath, separate guest bathroom to larger suites, daily newspaper and selection of magazines, continental breakfast morning wake-up tray, in-cabin dining experience from all ship restaurants, espresso machine, in-cabin afternoon tea service, fresh flowers and customised mini bar.

Laundrettes are available on Deck B and D.

Spirit of Adventure offers 100 single cabins and 10 wheelchair-accessible cabins.

Dining

There are seven dining options, including three new-to-the-line venues, on Spirit of Adventure.

The Dining Room is the ship's main dining room, offering a more formal breakfast, lunch and dinner service, with The Grill and adjoining Verandah offering buffet service, with waiter service for drinks.

Both venues offer the same menu, which is contemporary British fare, plus regular classics such as roast dinner.

Afternoon tea is served daily in The Dining Room.

The British seaside-themed Lido Bar serves casual daytime food, such as fish and chips and ice cream.

The three speciality restaurants are all free. They include the Nepalese venue Khukuri House, Italian restaurant Amalfi and The Supper Club (The Club by Jools Holland on Spirit of Discovery), which features cabaret and jazz alongside dinner.

All passengers get the chance to dine at each one at least once per sailing.

Round-the-clock room service is also available.

Complimentary drinks, including soft drinks, wine or beer, are served with meals in all restaurants.

Activities

The 444-seat Playhouse theatre will offer cinema screenings, live music performances and full-scale productions, with matinee shows on sea days.

There are five bars and lounges on board with selected wines, house-branded spirits, cocktails containing house-branded spirits, draught beer and lager, non-alcoholic cocktails, all mixers and soft drinks included. Premium drinks are extra.

Britannia Lounge, overlooking the bow, offers enrichment activities during the day, such as guest speaker talks, trivia, classes and demonstrations. In the evening, there’s live entertainment, such as music and dancing.

The Living Room is a social hub located in the centre of the ship at the atrium. It's the place to grab a coffee, cake or cocktail from the bar counter. There’s also light entertainment, such as a pianist, in the evening.

The North Cape Bar stretches the width of the ship with a central cocktail bar and windows overlooking the wraparound promenade, with live music and dancing in the evening.

The Supper Club serves dinner, but is also open for passengers who've eaten elsewhere to call by for drinks and live music.

The Terrace, offering an alfresco bar, is located on the Promenade Deck.

The Lido is the main space outside. It’s themed on the British seaside and features a swimming pool, two hot tubs, ample sunbathing space and a bar area.

A sports court (The Courts) is available for basketball. There's also a table tennis and a deck games area for shuffleboard and deck quoits at The Fairway and a golf simulator at The Bunker.

There's a fitness centre and a programme of classes offering yoga and aerobics.

Four laps of the Promenade Deck = one mile (1.6km).

Spirit of Adventure is home to a luxury 5,382 square feet spa with a hair and beauty salon, six treatment rooms, hydrotherapy pool, steam room and infrared sauna.

Treatments range from Kerastase hair treatments to Elemis facials, Shellac manicures and acupuncture.

There is a dedicated art gallery, The Gallery.

The Ward Room is a space for lectures and interactive learning sessions. It’s also where the professional photographer is located.

The Shop stocks clothes, fine jewellery and watches, plus fragrances, skincare and cosmetics.

There’s also a Craft Room, Card Room and Library.

Guest services include Saga World sales desk for future cruise bookings, Explore Ashore destination desk for information on ports and excursions and the reception desk.

Spirit of Adventure is strictly for the over fifties and therefore there are no kids or family facilities on board.

*Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural cruise is a 16-night Baltic Sea sailing, departing May 4, 2021, from Dover. (This is subject to change due to the on-going global Covid-19 pandemic.) *