I’m enjoying an Easter cruise through the Greek islands. We were in Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos, yesterday; today it’s Kos, and tomorrow is Rhodes. Still to come, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini.
The weather could be better – it’s been cool and windy and there were showers this morning – but so far it has been a relaxing break.The only concern is the future of the ship I am sailing on; the plucky Spirit of Adventure is to be taken out of service in just over a year’s time.
Operators Saga, abandoning the unequal struggle to keep the Adventure brand totally separate from their other ships, have announced that soon after Saga Sapphire enters service next March, Saga Pearl II will be re-named Quest for Adventure and replace Spirit.
Good news in many ways – the ship carries about 100 more passengers and has better, newer facilities, having benefitted from a £20 million makeover little more than 12 months ago. And ironic, because the original plan when Saga acquired the ship was to name it Quest for Adventure, and have it sailing alongside Spirit.
The reinvigorated Spirit of Adventure brand will be absorbed into Saga Cruises, and passengers will gain by having travel insurance and UK travel from home to departure port or airport included in the fare. A limited number of excursions per cruise will be included, however, whereas there are now sometimes two or more at every port of call.
Spirit of Adventure’s final cruise departs from Aqaba on May 1 2012 as the ship returns from a winter sailing to Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and India. The ship will arrive in Limassol, Cyprus, on May 8 to be paid off, and there has not yet been an announcement about its future.
Quest for Adventure’s maiden voyage will be an eight-night cruise from Southampton to Ireland, the Isle of Man and Tobermory on the isle of Mull, sailing on May 6.
After a summer of cruises from Dover – around the UK, to Norway, the Baltic and the Gulf of Bothnia – the ship heads for Iceland on August 18 and will then spend the autumn based in north-west Canada before sailing south to central America.
In October 2012 the ship will return to Cuba, where I was on board her (as Saga Pearl II) only last month.
More details at www.spiritofadventure.co.uk
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
I think articles, as abuve, need dating. .
Check out the final Spirit cruise.