Saga Cruises announced its new cruise ship will be named the Spirit of Discovery.

The new ship will carry less than 1,000 passengers, according to Saga, retaining the intimacy and personal touch for which Saga is renowned and will have more than 100 cabins for solo travellers, 20% of the ships capacity.

Robin Shaw, chief executive, Saga Cruises, said:  “We have great pleasure in announcing our new ship will be named the Spirit of Discovery. In September 2015 we announced that we were to build our first cruise ship – we’re still on a high from that news. With the design nearing completion, today’s announcement is the next step on this exciting journey.

“The name “Spirit of Discovery” evokes the adventurous nature and new experiences that cruise customers desire. Key to the whole design process has been our customer insight. We know they want to experience new things in a luxurious, small ship environment. Our new ship’s itineraries will take customers to fresh, new destinations and will include more overnight stays in key ports.”