Experiences

Spirit of the Danube – designing the second addition to our fleet

Spirit of the Danube sailing past the Parliament Building in Budapest, Hungary

Spirit of the Danube, our second purpose-built river cruise ship, was constructed at the Vahali Shipyards in Serbia in 2022 and set sail on her inaugural cruise later that year.

To bring our vision for our new ship to life, we collaborated with specialist interior design and architect company, Cubik 3, and took design cues from Spirit of the Danube’s sister ship, Spirit of the Rhine.

The design concept

Our boutique river cruise ships are designed to be similar in lay out, but with their own individual identity reflecting the scenery they would be cruising through.

In all our concepts, we are guided by the cruising area of the respective ship. The influences from the region the ship will cruise through are characterised by their landscapes, cities and culture. This results in a design guideline that runs through the entire ship. Colours and patterns from nature have also been incorporated into our designs, sometimes more and sometimes less subtly, sometimes in an extremely abstract way.

Jochen Hagen Dipl. - Ing., (FH) Interior Architecture at Cubik 3

Elegant décor throughout

A Deluxe Cabin with French Balcony on Spirit of the Danube

Migratory birds form part of the decor in the cabins

Spirit of the Danube’s interior design incorporates Art Nouveau style, which was centred in Vienna and Budapest. It also features a wildlife theme based on the birdlife of the Danube Delta, incorporating pink and green hues and migratory bird designs throughout. This is particularly apparent in the ship’s lobby and the specially designed wallpaper and carpet within the cabins.

The Delta Restaurant on Spirit of the Danube

In the Belvedere Lounge we have included glass dividing walls with beautiful peacock designs that give the space an intimate feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer a splendid view of the passing scenery, as well as providing plenty of natural light. There is a custom-made light installation above the dance floor. The ship’s specialty Delta restaurant has a folklore theme and features pendant lights by Brokis Lighting and three-dimensional wallpaper by Arte.

The layout and furnishings are practical, yet comfortable, so guests can rest and be ready for a new day exploring their destination.

Lorraine Friend, Head of River Hotel Operations

Specially commissioned artwork

The lobby on Spirit of the Danube

Knowing that our guests have a great appreciation of art and culture, we took the decision to display specially commissioned artwork on board all our river cruise ships. In the lobby of Spirit of the Danube you can see a stunning mosaic representing the river and the places of interest that run along it, created by artist Ann Bubis. While the ship’s corridors showcase hand-cut paper artwork by Andrew Malon.

We have some unique art installations throughout the ship, which bring the theme of the ship to life.

Lorraine Friend, Head of River Hotel Operations

Find out more about river cruises with Saga.

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