The latest addition to the Saga ocean cruise fleet, Spirit of Adventure, was handed over earlier in Emden, Germany, by shipbuilder Meyer Werft.

Spirit of Adventure is the second purpose-built boutique cruise ship for the brand, joining Spirit of Discovery which became part of the Saga Cruise fleet with much fanfare in July last year.

Spirit of Adventure has 554 all balcony cabins and can accommodate 999 passengers with a tonnage of 58,250 GT.

She will soon set sail for the UK with her inaugural cruise now scheduled to leave on the February 5th, for the Canary Islands.

Nigel Blanks, managing director of Saga Cruises, said: “This is a really exciting day for us as Spirit of Adventure officially becomes part of the Saga Cruises family.

“Over the past 18 months, we have been focused on creating a British boutique cruising experience for our guests that is not available elsewhere on the market and Spirit of Adventure is an important milestone in this plan.

“While she shares some similarities with her sister ship, Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure is unique in her own right with distinctive design features and characteristics.”

He added: “Though the inaugural cruise will take place a little later than we had originally planned due to the ongoing restrictions on travel, we cannot wait to welcome guests onboard and see all she has to offer.

“Having recently visited the ship in Germany, I can assure you, she is worth the wait!”

Saga had previously hoped to launch Spirit of Adventure in the UK over the summer.