Saga’s Captain Kim Tanner said that he is excited about planning the Spirit of Adventure’s 25-night Mystery Cruise, which sails from Portsmouth on October 26.

According to the captain, the only people aside from himself who will know where the ship will be sailing will be the navigator on The Bridge and the Explore Ashore (excursions) manager. The rest of the team will be told on a need-to-know basis.

“I love a bit of the unknown; I requested a 25-night sailing, which gives me a lot of flex to take the ship almost anywhere,” Tanner said in Saga’s blog post.

“We have so much up our sleeves for this sailing, and I can share that celebrity chef Phil Vickery will be onboard, putting on cooking demonstrations and sharing cooking tips. He’s a lot of fun.”

According to the captain, there will be a half-day surprise tour at every port.

“I will keep guests guessing every day, and they genuinely won’t know if we’re heading to port until we start tying up the ship, so there will be about 900-plus guests not only wondering about the destination but what they can do when they get off the ship,” Tanner said.

“Luckily, we are used to running free-of-charge included tours in every port, so we are already capable of pre-planning for this sort of event.”

Tanner said that when planning a mystery cruise, factors include a budget for fuel, port fees and taxes. More factors to consider are ports where they can reliably take on fuel and provisions, plus exchange crew and guest entertainers.

There have already been some huge challenges.

“Times have changed since the pandemic, so keeping the port calls confidential has been problematic,” he added.

So, what should guests pack for 25 nights?

“October is the first clue! It could be nice, or it could be pretty cold, wet and windy,” Tanner said.

Tanner also highlighted Saga’s grand voyage to South America in January 2027 that promises “spectacular scenery and many unforgettable experiences.”