Spirit of Discovery blog

It was the perfect start to the cruise with a calm North Sea and an exceptional ship that is just so incredibly quiet.

On Thursday we arrived at the pilot station at 0630 and then headed into the Port of Tyne past Tynemouth and North/South Shields for the 5 mile river transit to our berth. This was only my second call into Newcastle and only my 6th docking with the new ship and with lots of Senior Saga Management on board I was very pleased to complete a successful docking with my NCD intact!

This being a Maiden call meant we had a “plaque exchange” with local Officials. Meanwhile our Guests had the chance to explore Newcastle and the surrounding areas with one tour to Hadrian’s Wall.

It continues to be a busy time with our “new baby” as we try fresh ideas and concepts to ensure our Guests have a truly memorable experience. Last night was the Captain’s Welcome Party which was held simultaneously in the Living Room and in the Britannia Lounge. Both venues are superb and lend themselves to such gatherings. The welcome dinner was held in the Grand Dining Room, which is very a very classy room and my table for 10 people sits right in the centre of it.

With everyone on board at 1730 we slipped away some 30 minutes and because the ship is so quiet many guests had no idea we had sailed!

Captain Julian Burgess