Duchess of Cornwall to be godmother of new Saga ship

Saga has revealed that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will be the godmother of its first newbuild ship, The Spirit of Discovery.

The ship will be named in Dover on July 5, 2019, the first ship to do so for more than 10 years.

Saga and the Duchess of Cornwall both support the charity Silver Line, which was founded by Dame Esther Rantzen after she experienced intense loneliness following the death of her husband. The Silver Line is Saga’s first charity partner and the duchess is the patron to the charity.

Lance Batchelor, group CEO of Saga, said: “I am delighted that The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to be Godmother of the Spirit of Discovery. The launch of our new ship is a key moment in both the history and future of Saga. Carrying fewer than 1,000 passengers, she is a boutique ship that offers our customers and members the highest standards of accommodation, furnishings, cuisine and entertainment. I am immensely proud of what we have created with shipyard Meyer Werft.” 

Sophie Andrews, CEO, The Silver Line, said: “Our team is absolutely delighted to see this coming together of our patron and our charity partner, Saga. The Silver Line helpline receives more than 10,500 calls every week from vulnerable and isolated older people, many of whom have nowhere else to turn which demonstrates the depth of loneliness felt by huge numbers of the UK’s older population.”

The Spirit of Discovery will be one of the few cruise ships to be registered in the UK, and will show London as its port of registry.