By
Alex Smith |
Saga Cruises is to add a new ship, Spirit of the Danube, to its river cruise fleet, with construction officially commencing as a keel laying ceremony was held in Vahali’s shipyard in Serbia.
“Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on redefining river cruise range to provide a Saga designed experience for our guests,” said Chris Simmonds, CEO of Saga Holidays. “Spirit of the Danube joining the fleet marks an exciting milestone in this journey and we cannot wait until she joins her sister ship Spirit of the Rhine next year. Guests will be able to enjoy a range of first-class facilities and we cannot wait to show everything our latest ship has to offer.”
Spirit of the Danube will have capacity for 190 passengers. Features onboard will include a lounge, library, bar and two restaurants, one of which will serve a signature dish from celebrity chef Mark Sargeant. The ship will host a range of celebrities on future cruises, including Sergeant, TV presenter and natural historian Miranda Krestovnikoff, antiques expert Eric Knowles and horticulturalist Sir Roddy Llewellyn.
The ship is scheduled for delivery from Vahali in 2022, joining Saga’s first river cruise ship Spirit of the Rhine. Its inaugural cruise will depart from Amsterdam, Netherlands, with future destinations including Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; and Tulcea, Romania. Saga has also announced that all guests will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before travelling with the company.