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Dover welcomes Saga’s Spirit of Discovery for the first time this season for the start of 20 Saga turnrounds

20 June 2024

This weekend sees Spirit of Discovery return to Dover for the first time in 2024, joining her sister Spirit of Adventure in operating their summer season of 20 cruises departing from the Port.

Saga cruises from Dover this year will visit beautiful islands, bustling cities, majestic fjords and much more.

Dover has a special relationship with Spirit of Discovery, the first of Saga’s new boutique cruise ships, as it became her first UK homeport in 2019 when she was officially christened by the then Duchess of Cornwall, now Her Majesty the Queen, in a landmark celebration in the Port.

With excellent transport links by road and rail being only an hour from London, and its unrivalled location for cruising to Northern Europe and beyond, Dover is a popular choice for turnaround calls for world leading cruise lines and ships of varying sizes.

Peter Wright, Head of Cruise at the Port of Dover said: “It’s a pleasure to see Saga Cruises’ season here already in full swing – we look forward to welcoming back the wonderful Spirit of Discovery at the end of the week. We are proud to host thousands of Saga’s guests here in Dover every year, as they begin their holiday of a lifetime with iconic views and a convenient, hassle-free experience from wherever they are in the UK.”

Nigel Blanks, CEO of Saga Cruise said: “We are delighted to be back in Dover this year, as we know it’s a port our guests love and is one of the best places to start their holiday from. 2024 has been Saga’s fastest selling season ever, and highlights departing from Dover include our Scandinavian Islands cruise in August and the Classical Greece to Ancient Egypt sailing this September.”

The Port of Dover Cruise team are renowned for their excellent customer service, being named as Cruise Critic’s Best UK Departure Port for 2023.

With the height of the 2024 season still to come, the Dover team invites travel agents, the media and anyone across the industry to get in touch or arrange a visit to experience Dover as a cruise port and destination.