The latest addition to the Saga Cruises ocean fleet, Spirit of Adventure, has arrived in the UK.

She joins her sister, Spirit of Discovery, in Tilbury, where she will lay up for the winter before welcoming her first guests for her inaugural cruise on a February 5th sailing to the Canary Islands.

Saga received delivery of Spirit of Adventure from shipbuilder Meyer Werft at the end of September.

The purpose build boutique cruise ship has 554 all balcony cabins and can accommodate 999 passengers.

Nigel Blanks, managing director of Saga Cruises, said: “We are absolutely thrilled Spirit of Adventure has arrived in the UK to join her sister, Spirit of Discovery, in Tilbury.

“Over the past two years, we have focused on creating a boutique cruising experience for our guests that is not available elsewhere on the market.

“With Spirit of Adventure joining our fleet, we now have more choice for our guests with two unique ships that will help make unforgettable memories for those who join us onboard.

“We cannot wait for her to welcome her first guests next year to see everything she has to offer.”

CAA

At the same time, Saga has announced that it has entered into a trust accounting arrangement with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Under that arrangement, payments for all flight-based holidays requiring an ATOL will be held in a CAA approved trust account controlled and administered by an independent trustee.

The operation of the trust provides Saga customers with additional reassurance when booking their trip as money held in the trust account is generally only transferred to Saga once the customer has returned from their holiday.

This change will apply to all Saga holidays inclusive of flights.

Holidays without a flight, such as coach travel are not covered by the trust and continue to be financially protected by the ABTA bond.

The trust will run alongside existing financial protection arrangements for flight-based holidays which remain ATOL protected.

Chris Simmonds, managing director of Saga Holidays, said: “With continued restrictions on international travel, we know how important it is to our customers when booking a holiday that their money is safe.

“That is why holding payments for our flight-based holidays in an independent trust gives our customers that extra peace of mind.”

Saga is a provider of products and services primarily tailored for customers over the age of 50 in the UK.