A cruise liner belonging to Saga Cruises is being repaired in Portland Harbour after her final voyage.

The Saga Pearl II is being withdrawn from service by the Saga group following an eight-week trip to Africa.

She left Portsmouth on February 16 and returned on April 11, before heading to Portland for repairs by her new owners, who are yet to be named.

A spokesman for Portland Harbour Authority said: “She arrived on Friday for a week during which time the new owners will carry out a re-fit.”

The brightly coloured Saga Pearl II attracted attention last August when she crashed into four luxury yachts at Dartmouth while being captained by the harbourmaster.

A Saga spokesman said the yachts suffered only ‘superficial damage’ as a result of the accident, and nobody was hurt.

Saga Pearl II was built in 1981 in the Bahamas.

The 538 foot, 18,627-ton, 602-passenger cruise ship embarked on her first voyage for Saga Holidays in March 2010.

She was renamed ‘Quest for Adventure’ in May 2012 but was changed back to ‘Saga Pearl II’ in November 2013.

Due to her small size, she is said to offer passengers a relaxed and intimate ambience onboard.

Restaurants include a main dining room and a verandah restaurant offering an al fresco; buffet-style breakfast and lunch, and a waiter-served dinner.

Saga will replace the Saga Pearl II with the Saga Spirit of Discovery, a new 57,600GT, 236m ship that will make her inaugural visit to Portland Port on July 20.

Portland Port has the second largest man-made harbour in the world, and due to the harbour’s unique sheltered location in the English Channel, it is said to be an ideal choice for shipping companies looking to carry out damage or re-classification work.

Since the departure of the Royal Navy from Portland in 1996, the port has developed into a thriving facility where its natural and man made features make it a popular choice for all vessels.

The port has witnessed remarkable growth within the cruise industry, receiving an award from Cruise Insight Magazine for ‘Most Improved Cruise Destination’ in 2012 and in 2014 it became the leading cruise destination in the south west of the UK.