HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to name Spirit of Discovery

Saga has announced HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as the Godmother of Spirit of Discovery. The naming ceremony will take place in Dover, Kent, on 5 July 2019.

Spirit of Discovery will be the first cruise ship to be named at the Port of Dover for over a decade and be the first to dock at Dover Western Docks following the £250m redevelopment of the area.

Before the naming ceremony, HRH will be given a tour of the ship. The 1,000 plus pieces of art on board will include 400 original pieces commissioned from British based artists and artisans. Hush Heath, an independent wine producer from Kent, will provide a jeroboam of their sparkling wine for the naming ceremony that has been specially blended for Spirit of Discovery.

The Duchess of Cornwall and Saga both support The Silver Line, a charity founded by TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen. HRH is the patron of the charity and The Silver Line is Saga’s first national charity partner.

Lance Batchelor, Group CEO of Saga, said:

I am delighted that The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to be Godmother of the Spirit of Discovery. The launch of our new ship is a key moment in both the history and future of Saga. Carrying fewer than 1,000 passengers, she is a boutique ship that offers our customers and members the highest standards of accommodation, furnishings, cuisine and entertainment. I am immensely proud of what we have created with shipyard Meyer Werft.

Spirit of Discovery has been registered in the UK and will proudly display London as her port of registry on her stern. Her sister ship, Spirit of Adventure, will also fly the Red Ensign when she launches in 2020.