Spirit of Discovery Royal Godmother Revealed

HRH Duchess of Cornwall. Source: Kelvin Boyes

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to Name Saga’s New Cruise Ship Spirit of Discovery

Saga announced today that it is delighted to confirm HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as the Godmother of its newly built boutique cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery.

Cruise Ships traditionally appoint a Godmother as it is thought to bring good luck and protection to the vessel. The Godmother, which is an honorary title, attends her ship's ceremonial launch and naming ceremony, to bless and officially name the ship, usually by breaking a sacrificial bottle of champagne over the bow of the ship.

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 Naming Ceremony

The Spirit of Discovery naming ceremony will take place in Dover, Kent, on 5 July 2019. She will be the first cruise ship to be named at the Port of Dover for over a decade, and the first to be docked at Dover Western Docks following the £250m redevelopment of the area.

British Workmanship

Before the naming ceremony, HRH will be given a tour of the ship. In building Spirit of Discovery, classic and contemporary materials and furnishings have been combined to create a luxurious environment. The interior design showcases British style and excellence, with all the architectural and interior design created by UK based agency SMC.

Spirit of Discovery Art

Art is an important aspect of any Saga cruise, be it excursions to famous galleries or art appreciation classes.

The 1,000 plus pieces of art on board Spirit of Discovery will include 400 original pieces commissioned from British based artists and artisans.

British Food & Wine

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.

A host of independent British suppliers, including Hush Heath, will serve their produce to guests onboard the ship.

THE SILVER LINE CHARITY

The Duchess of Cornwall and Saga share a common link in their support for The Silver Line, a charity founded by TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen after she experienced intense loneliness following the death of her husband. HRH is the patron of the charity and The Silver Line is Saga’s first national charity partner.

The Silver Line Helpline provides three functions to support older people:

• a sign-posting service to link them into the many, varied services that exist around the country;

• a befriending service to combat loneliness;

• a means of empowering those who may be suffering abuse and neglect, if appropriate to transfer them to specialist services to protect them from harm.

Since their national launch in November 2013, The Silver Line Helpline has received over 2 million calls. Over two-thirds of these calls were made overnight or at weekends when no other helpline is available for older people who may be lonely, isolated or confused.

Sophie Andrews, CEO, The Silver Line, said: “Our team is absolutely delighted to see this coming together of our Patron and our charity partner, Saga. The Silver Line helpline receives more than 10,500 calls every week from vulnerable and isolated older people, many of whom have nowhere else to turn which demonstrates the depth of loneliness felt by huge numbers of the UK’s older population.

British Pride

Saga has shown its firm commitment to Britain as 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.

*Read more in my post “Saga Cruises - Proud to Fly the Flag”

Discover More

If you wish to find out more about cruises available on Saga’s Spirit of Discovery click here or to book phone 0808 278 5773.

View the Spirit of Discovery brochure here

To find out more about The Silver Line click here

Source:

Saga UK/Embolden

Saga’s Spirit of Discovery - Godmother Revealed