Tag Archives: Spirit of Adventure

Former FTI Berlin Sets Sail to Malaysia

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Former FTI Berlin Sets Sail to Malaysia

The former FTI Berlin recently set sail for its new home in Malaysia after spending several months in Ningde, China.

Acquired by the Berlin Capital Group in late 2024, the 1980-built vessel is being prepared to offer short casino cruises out of Penang.

The company’s plans initially called for a March 2025 startup, which was later postponed due to delays in the ship’s refit.

Renamed the Berlin Oceanis, the 9,570-ton vessel departed from the port of Ningde on May 24, 2025.

Sailing under the flag of Comoros, the ship is now expected to arrive at its new homeport on June 2, 2025.

According to a series of updates shared by the new owner, most of the public areas onboard the vessel were renovated during refurbishment in China.

In a video shared in early March, the company marked the demolition of venues on deck five, which made room for new spaces.

“This phase has been one of the most time-consuming parts of the transformation, but now that it’s done, everything will start moving much faster,” the Berlin Capital Group said.

“With this major milestone behind us, we’re looking forward to smoother progress,” the company added.

Additional details about the ship’s first voyages and commissioning were still to be announced at press time.

Originally built for Germany-based Peter Deilmann, the Berlin Oceanis was last operated by FTI Cruises.

With its owners shutting down cruise operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vessel was sold to Dreamliner Cruises in late 2020.

Renamed Dream Goddess, the ship was to undergo a major refurbishment and be converted into a mega yacht.

However, the project did not proceed, and the former Berlin remained docked at a Greek port for nearly five years.

In addition to Peter Deilmann and FTI Cruises, the vessel also sailed for Saga Cruises and other brands.

Saga Looking Into ‘Partnership’ for Cruise Business

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Saga has confirmed its looking into potential partnerships for its ocean cruises business based on reports in British media.

“We are looking at how we can offer more cruises to more guests in the future,” Saga Cruises CEO Nigel Blanks said in a statement shared on social media.

“This comes on the back of exceptional demand for our boutique ocean cruise offer,” he continued noting that the Spirit of Discovery and the Spirit of Adventure are operating “close to capacity.”

“With this in mind, we have been looking into the possibility of entering a partnership arrangement for our ocean cruise business as the best way to support further growth,” Blanks said.

The move would also create value for the company’s shareholders, he noted, pointing out to Saga’s “unique business, with a strong brand and committed team.”

“We are still in the early stages of the process of exploring opportunities,” Blanks said, noting that transactions of this nature “usually take months rather than days or weeks.”

Earlier this month, Sky News reported that Saga was looking into a range of potential options for its cruise operations, which included selling a stake in the business.

According to Sky News, the debt-challenged tour operator was working with advisers and also considered selling its two cruise vessels or offloading the entire business under a licensing arrangement.

After initially entering the cruise business with second-hand vessels, Saga Cruises took delivery of two new cruise ships in 2019 and 2020.

Sailing from different ports in the United Kingdom on a year-round basis, the Spirit of Discovery and the Spirit of Adventure were built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Designed to offer a boutique cruise experience, the 55,000-ton sister ships can accommodate up to 999 guests in double occupancy.

Saga Adds Four More Celebrity Faces to Their Entertainment Line-Up

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Saga Cruises has added four more celebrity faces to its onboard entertainment line-up in the coming months.

 TV stars Jennie Bond, Charlie Dimmock, John Craven and Dr. Sian Williams are the latest celebrities to join Saga sailings to give talks and answer guests’ questions on their specialist areas.

Journalist and broadcaster, Jennie Bond is known as a presenter on two of the BBC’s most popular shows, Cash in the Attic and Rip Off Britain, among others. She will deliver a talk and Q&A session on Saga’s 14-night Winter Sun in the Canaries voyage departing onboard the Spirit of Discovery from Portsmouth on December 7, 2023. Prices for the cruise start from £2,826 per person.

Presenter and editor John Craven OBE, best known for John Craven’s Newsround, will talk to guests about his broadcasting career on the 14-night Canary Island Medley cruise departing from Portsmouth onboard the Spirit of Adventure on December 4, 2023. Prices start from £2,737 per person. 

 Dr Sian Williams, a registered Counselling Psychologist, will be ​​a guest on the Highlights of Spain and the Balearics cruise on the Spirit of Adventure, departing Dover on September 24, 2023.

Nigel Blanks, CEO of Saga Cruises, said: “We’ve been really focusing on our entertainment program and securing high-quality celebrities to talk on subjects we know our guests will enjoy from life behind the lens, to the royals and gardening. These latest speakers deliver exactly that, and we anticipate a full house for their sessions.”