Spirit of the Danube
Saga has announced that the newest addition to its river cruise fleet will be the Spirit of the Danube. The Spirit of the Danube will join its sister ship The Spirit of the Rhine from 2022.
A keel laying ceremony is took place 10th February in Vahali’s shipyard in Serbia. This marks the official start of the construction of the ship. As per tradition, a lucky penny will be laid and will become embedded into the first piece of hull marking the start of construction.
Commenting on the news, Saga Holidays CEO Chris Simmonds said: “Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on redefining river cruise range to provide a Saga designed experience for our guests. Spirit of the Danube joining the fleet marks an exciting milestone in this journey and we cannot wait until she joins her sister ship Spirit of the Rhine next year. Guests will be able to enjoy a range of first-class facilities and we cannot wait to show everything our latest ship has to offer.”
The design for the 190-passenger vessel will be inspired by the culture and nature found along the Danube. Facilities include a lounge, library, bar and two restaurants. We had the opportunity to take a glimpse at the initial design concepts. We have to say, we think that guests are in for a real treat!
Nature meets culture
There’s a softness to the interior design that feels restful. Even the luxe touches of wood and gold, which contribute to the elevated boutique feel, are tempered. The metals are burnished, giving that real sense of history and place. The wicker work and lattice wood bridge the themes of nature meeting culture and bohemian style.
The colour palate is grown up pastels, muted and gorgeous. They spring to life in standout pieces such as the crane designs that currently rest above cabin headboards. The palette slides through cloudy greys and dusky jewel tones to the lush greens of public spaces. Here guests can really feel that they are on the tree-lined banks of the Danube.
We also feel a real sense of place from the tiling featured on some walls and floors. Pattern and tiling has been having a real moment in contemporary domestic and hospitality interiors. We’re excited to see a glimpse of it here aboard the Spirit of the Danube.
The freshness of the design is well tempered with a classic feel as befits Saga’s status as the leading provider of products and services for people over 50. These conceptual designs are correct at the time of publication. However, they are subject to change as Saga develops the detail of the ship.
The addition of the new ship comes as Saga announced that it would be mandatory for all guests to be fully vaccinated before travelling with the company. This decision was taken with the health and safety of customers as the number one priority. The new vaccination policy will be in addition to the detailed arrangements we have already put in place for when operations can restart.
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