Tourism

What is the Spirit of Discovery cruise ship and when does it visit Gibraltar?

The cruise ship Spirit of Discovery
Photo: Wolfgang Fricke, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Spirit of Discovery is a Saga Cruises ship for up to 987 guests, built in 2019 and sold to British travellers aged 50 and over. Its upcoming visits to Gibraltar, with times and expected passengers, are listed on this page.

Upcoming visits to Gibraltar

  • Wednesday 21 October 2026, in port 08:00–17:00, about 1,000 passengers expected

    Also in port: World Traveller.

  • Tuesday 10 November 2026, in port 08:00–17:00, about 1,000 passengers expected

    Also in port: Europa. Combined: about 1,408 passengers where known.

  • Monday 8 February 2027, in port 08:00–17:00, about 1,000 passengers expected

  • Saturday 13 March 2027, in port 08:00–17:00, about 1,000 passengers expected

  • Tuesday 19 October 2027, in port 08:00–17:00, about 1,000 passengers expected

    Also in port: AIDAsol.

From the Port of Gibraltar schedule, last checked 15 October 2026.

Detailed answer

Spirit of Discovery was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and made its first voyage in July 2019. Saga gives a gross tonnage of 58,250, a length of 236 metres, a maximum of 987 guests and 540 crew. Every cabin has a balcony, the speciality restaurants are free, drinks are included, and Saga offers a chauffeur service to the port from home. Saga describes the style as boutique cruising.

How busy will town be?

The upcoming visits listed on this page show the passengers expected on each call and any other ships in port the same day. Town is busiest when several ships are in at once or a large ship arrives at a weekend. A ship carrying a few hundred passengers makes little difference on its own.

Can you sail on it from nearby?

Not easily. Its 2026 to 2027 cruises are round trips from Portsmouth or Dover, so joining it means travelling to the south of England.