Spirit of Discovery opens the 2026 cruise season
On Friday, March 20, 2026, the luxury cruise ship Spirit of Discovery sailed into the port of Rijeka, marking the earliest ever start of the cruise season in Rijeka.
During the season, 31 arrivals of large cruise ships are expected (a total of 36 calls), including six vessels that will be berthed in Rijeka for the first time (maiden call). The cruise ship Spirit of Discovery was launched in 2019 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg on the River Ems. It is 236 meters long, has a crew of 540, and can accommodate up to 987 passengers, most of whom arrived in Rijeka from the United Kingdom. The ship entered the port of Rijeka on Friday, was moored at the breakwater, and is scheduled to depart on Sunday.
A special welcome includes organisation by representatives of the Rijeka Tourist Board, the Kvarner Tourist Board, the City of Rijeka, and the Port of Rijeka Authority, during which guests will be warmly welcomed, wished a pleasant stay, and invited to explore Rijeka and its surroundings.
The operator of the Spirit of Discovery is Saga Cruises, and the voyage is titled “Captain Franko’s Homecoming Cruise.” A special feature of this journey is that it was designed by the ship’s captain, Franko Papić from Bakar, as a birthday cruise.
