Saga Cruises - Spirit of Adventure at sea and docked at San Sebastian pic credits: Saga Cruises and Gilly & Mike Pickup
Gilly Pickup sails south to find some winter sun ...
Funchal airport’s short runway in its mountainous Atlantic setting is a tricky one for airline pilots who have to undergo additional training to land there, but affords glorious views for passengers. What’s more, it was especially cheering to see full wattage sunshine after leaving behind wintry weather at home. I flew into Madeira’s capital to join Saga’s Spirit of Adventure, although other guests who boarded in Portsmouth were already on their fourth night when I arrived.
After being ushered on board by smiling crew members it wasn’t long before I unpacked and checked out my cabin. I was impressed by the large walk in dressing room together with plenty of storage facilities and roomy bathroom. That kind of attention to detail is a big plus point. Another is that all 554 cabins from standard to suite have private balconies. Design wise, this vessel is a real breath of fresh sea air with boutique hotel type interior and a swish art collection comprising bold coloured paintings and rich textiles, focussing on craft techniques.
The 10-deck, 999 passenger Spirit of Adventure, en route for a handful of Atlantic outposts including several Canary Islands and two lesser known islands of Cape Verde, is geared to the British over-fifties market, that’s probably why there is no casino, go-karts, games arcade or climbing wall onboard. In other words, no gimmicks. There is, however, a fitness centre with range of hi-tech equipment, digital golf simulator and array of traditional deck games. There’s really no excuse for not working off the calories. I must say though I found it more satisfactory to count the miles on the wraparound promenade that encircles the ship (four laps is one mile). Don’t forget too that since food features highly ships you need to do something to work up an appetite. If all that sounds like too much hard work - after all, you are on holiday – the spa, a many-splendoured area, might fit the bill. Besides regular treatments, it offers the temptation of a hydrotherapy pool, infrared sauna and steam room. For a different kind of relaxation, the library has a self-service coffee station and lots of comfy sofas to sink into.
As mentioned, food is always a big thing on cruises and let’s face it, it’s no mean feat feeding up to 999 guests. Processes are in place so that surplus food doesn’t go to waste so food not used to serve guests is eaten by crew wherever possible. If there is still some left, the company has relationships with several charities so that it can be donated to the needy when calling at ports.
The main Dining Room was designed with crenelated glass divides while The Grill, a more relaxed dining area, is also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, there are three speciality restaurants with no supplementary charges - Khukuri, first Nepalese themed restaurant at sea, Amalfi, as the name suggests is Italian while the Supper Club is also a cabaret style entertainment venue and cocktail bar. Drinks on board are included in Saga’s cruise price, as is insurance, door-to-door transport, wi-fi, gratuities and some shore excursions.
A daily programme of activities is delivered to cabins and while I was onboard these included beginner’s Spanish lessons, bridge, quizzes, dance classes, wellbeing seminars and jewellery making sessions. Guest speaker lectures and Q and A sessions seem to be popular too, one with tennis champion and sports broadcaster Sue Barker went down very well. Also sailing with us were a four strong team from the ORCA marine conservation charity. They collect scientific data on whales, dolphins and porpoises and when wildlife is spotted, give a commentary over the PA system, telling guests where to look and what they’re seeing. Years of data gathered has led to better protection for these marine animals and Saga supports this by offering places to members on certain cruises.
That evening, Adventure set sail for Santa Cruz on the island of La Palma, a UNESCO listed biosphere reserve and one of the world’s top spots for star gazing. Despite being the island's main cruise port, Santa Cruz has a sleepy charm. After a mosey round and poking my nose in various shops, it was time to make tracks back to my floating home before we continued to the archipelago’s second smallest island, La Gomera and its capital San Sebastian. The port itself is really too industrial to be pretty, though a spread of opal fruit coloured houses sprinkled across the hillsides add an interesting dimension. On a short guided tour, I learned that this was Christopher Columbus’s last port of call in 1492 before he set off for the Americas. I was also told that locals still communicate across ravines by using Silbo, a whistled language indigenous to the island and documented since Roman times. If you go, do visit UNESCO listed Garajonay National Park, Europe’s oldest primeval forest. A guided shore excursion is probably the best option for tackling this ancient ecosystem.
A couple of sea days followed as we sailed towards Cape Verde, the group of ten islands lying off the West African coast. We called at Praia, capital of the island of Santiago which as it gets more rainfall than the other islands has a greater diversity of flora and fauna. So much to see and do but time was marching on and another overnight sailing saw us wake up in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. Heavy traffic, crowded streets, fishermen selling their wares. multiple shops and bars give it a metropolitan feel with strong African vibe. Two more sea days then while the ship made its steady way back to the elegant city with yacht-clogged marina that is Santa Cruz de Tenerife and then Arrecife in Lanzarote, adored by sun worshippers and oenophiles who rate it highly thanks to the Malvasia grape which grows in volcanic ash.
To sum up, this lovely vessel is just the ticket for people who find bigger ships impersonal and are looking for a comfortable cruise offering friendly, socks pulled up service, superb common areas and the feel-good factor in spades. A shipshape sort of ship, in fact.
Factbox:
14-night Escape to the Canaries cruise departs Portsmouth 7 Nov 2025. Price from £3,325 pp including insurance.
www.saga.co.uk, Tel 0808 258 2520 Please mention Holiday and Cruise Magazine
Gilly Pickup February 2024