The ship was handed over at the yard in Emden, Germany, by shipbuilder Meyer Werft. Spirit of Adventure had been scheduled to offer cruises this summer, but will now not undertake an inaugural voyage until next February, when it will head to the Canary Islands.

The vessel joins sister ship Spirit of Discovery, which became part of the Saga Cruise fleet in July 2019. 

Spirit of Adventure has 554 all-balcony cabins and can accommodate 999 passengers. 

Saga Cruises managing director Nigel Blanks 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. 

“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.”