Saga Magazine’s Editorial Director, Louise Robinson, christened the Spirit of the Moselle as godmother of the ship before it set sail on its maiden voyage.

“I was immensely proud to play the role of godmother and christen Saga’s elegant new river cruiser, Spirit of the Moselle, in a moving ceremony in Amsterdam last week,” Robinson said in a Saga blog post.

“The following day was equally exciting with the arrival of our first guests for Spirit of the Moselle’s inaugural cruise,” she added.

The Spirit of the Moselle is 135 meters long and carries 172 guests. According to the blog post, the ship features four passenger decks, specialty dining, a splash pool, and 92 cabins, 73 of which have French balconies.

According to Saga, the ship’s lounge area is separated into three spaces: the main bar, a Parisian-style café area with a self-service tea and coffee station, and a library.

The specialty Beilstein restaurant incorporates woods and aged oak barrels in homage to the wine towns of the region, replicating the timber-clad architecture of the Moselle.

Cabins are equipped with a flat-screen television, a Bluetooth speaker with USB port, tea and coffee-making facilities, a small fridge, a hairdryer, a telephone, a safe, a seating area, bathrobes and slippers.

According to Robinson, the maiden voyage was an eight-day cruise through the Netherlands and Germany featuring Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Cologne.

Another itinerary on offer will be Gems of the Main River. The seven-night sailing includes Nuremberg, a full day in Bamberg, a walking tour of Bavarian Schweinfurt and a full day in Würzburg with an excursion to visit the Residence Palace and a guided walking tour of the historic center.

Highlights include exploring the Wertheim market square and Miltenberg’s old town.