Britain’s newest cruise ship made her inaugural call to Portland Port. The long-awaited new Spirit class from Saga Cruises, Spirit of Discovery, was officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall on Friday 5 July at Dover, before setting sail around Britain on 10 July.
The ship has been specifically designed for the UK market, with Saga focusing on the fact they are a British cruise line and see this as a great way to show off their first new boutique cruise ship.
Spirit of Discovery’s maiden voyage will be a British first, cruising around the British Isles on a British-flagged ship. Her visit to Portland is seen as a major coup for the Port, securing an inaugural visit within a maiden journey from such a renowned and world recognised British brand.
To ensure all the cruise visitors received a warm and memorable welcome, Spirit of Discovery was escorted into Portland Harbour by the tug, Rufus Castle, spraying its water cannons, and once alongside The Dorset Wrecks, a sea shanty group, performed for the arrival.
As the passengers disembarked they were given a complimentary gift from Portland Port as a keepsake; and as with all inaugural cruise calls a Portland stone plaque was presented to the Captain in commemoration of the visit.
Alongside Spirit of Discovery, the Port was also very proud to welcome back Disney Magic, a special ship that always generates huge interest.
This was her fourth visit to Portland and again this displays the great relationship Portland Port have developed with Disney since her first call back in 2017.
Having two such prestigious ships in at once has understandably attracted a lot of attention for both the port and the local area, and the Port are also very pleased to be able to welcome both ships’ back again later this season.
