david05

49 minutes ago, tiggertom said:

How do you get this information? Is it via MySaga or do they post it to you? We have had no information or tickets for this cruise.

You don't get any tickets. Car details are usually received by post along with luggage labels a week before departure but you can usually find the provisional pick up time a bit before then in MySaga.

Track and trace also on tenders when used.

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

On the Eastern Mediterranean,  ex black sea,  there are  approximately 190 double and 30 single cabins still on sale , 410 passengers. I dont know if there are also cabins put aside for quarantine. Saga now gives passengers max at 987 on web site , dont know why its down from 999.

The rear of deck D is, or at least was, closed off for quarantine passengers. As for numbers it certainly looks as if there will be plenty of room, even if occupancy rises a little as there may be some on the guarantee basis who have yet to be allocated a cabin. Let's hope we all test negative at the port so we can get on board!

Interesting the reduction on maximum passenger numbers and I don't know why either.

For choice we have dinner in Grill, not the MDR, and (along with a significant number of others) we do dress up on formal nights. Quite often those in smart casual are seated elsewhere in the Grill. However, even in the MDR, formal wear for some people is not as formal as on some other cruise lines and can verge on smart casual.

36 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Still 60% occupancy. 

 

The question is whether they make a bigger loss not running it.  Still have to pay for crew, keep ship ticking over, etc. Bur zero income.  Fingers crossed

Also a potential public relations disaster if they cancel at the last minute having already mucked everyone up once with the delay in announcing the change of itinerary.

9 hours ago, smokey57 said:

I had an email from Saga today which really took the biscuit:

"Exciting news! We’ve launched a new cruise sailing around the Eastern Mediterranean, departing next month on May 21, 20‍22. .... reserve your cabin now."
They clearly don't realise that we were booked on the original cruise and cancelled that 4 days ago.

This email was also received by those booked on it! 😀

10 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

If I recollect correctly, on the SoD (same layout as SoA) the Club restaurant is on a tier above, and open to,  the main dining room; apparently there were some complaints from people in the middle of the main dining room about the piano music drifting down from the Club above them.

These may be the complaints referred to, rather then anything from people actually in the Supper Club.

Our table was at the back of the MDR, so the music was very faint - but I suppose if you were in the middle it would have been more noticeable.

On the SOA the Supper Club is not open to the MDR (one of the few differences between the two ships).

54 minutes ago, Holcha said:

Please accept my most heartfelt apologies for overstepping the mark with regards to comments.  Have no fear, I shall not comment nor post on this thread again.

Please do keep us informed of changes. Is mask wearing required in the Brittania lounge at the present time?

Interesting that mask wearing is enforced in The Living Room if not actually eating or drinking. Not what is suggested in the recent letter about our forthcoming cruise so will see if it changes.

19 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

They have dropped guarantee price to £6600 , which is 30% off full price. As there are no bad standard cabins on SOA anyone who bought at  disount of 25% off or less may consider cancelling and  rebooking. 

Of course if you didn't book the cheapest grade of standard cabin there maybe even more incentive to cancel and rebook, but maybe not. The guarantee price is now more than 35% off the full fare of the standard cabin we booked (C deck towards the back). However, we choose where our cabin is because we like to be around that area and would not wish to risk being at the front of the ship, as we don't particularly like that location, so we are happy to stay with what we have on any cruise even if the guarantee would be a cheaper option.

Just received a letter from Saga about our forthcoming cruise. In brief, mask wearing when walking between enclosed spaces around the ship, including lifts. Also in the theatre, fairway, craft and card rooms. All of course subject to review. No seating available at the bar. Supposedly no books in the library.

We are fortunate that the revised itinerary still has 5 ports which are new to us and a couple that we have not visited for many, many years. So whilst we agree that Saga should have dealt with this much better it is still a cruise which is attractive to us. The number of cabins available continues to increase and I cannot see there will be much uptake given the prices on offer, except for the guarantee price. So the ship may feel even more spacious than usual.

48 minutes ago, Truro001 said:

I suppose that I must be rather old fashioned in that when I pay good money for a service I expect to receive that service. I am afraid that do not agree with the idea that I should be chasing Saga to do the job I have paid them to do.  I am a follower of the old adage that if the service is not forthcoming I will take my custom elsewhere - and I will.

Well if you didn't book via an agent then yes Saga should be or by now should have been in touch. However, sometimes mistakes can be made and it seems a shame not to try and sort it out by ringing Saga yourself but that's your choice. However, if nothing happens what will you do given that they have your money?

1 hour ago, Truro001 said:

Well, they got that wrong as well. The website was updated and I still haven’t anything from Saga about the changes or the options available to me. In fact our travel agent has been advertising the new itinerary since yesterday morning. I can’t help but think that Saga’s agents know considerably less than their customers with regard to what is happening with this cruise. 

Did you book through your travel agent? If so, I would have thought that they should have been in touch with you to let you know your options. However, as Windsurfboy suggested why not ring Saga (often you get the option of a call back if you are likely to have to wait for sometime to speak to someone).

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Can I  confirm  you were offered private car for Black sea replacement  eastern Mediterranean cruise. I'm not sure if we are shared or private. 

Have you looked in MySaga under UK Travel? I think it should show if it is a private car or a shared car.

Revised cruise is now on the website. 152 double cabins and 22 singles available at the present time.

The only time prices tend to drop is when they introduce a guarantee fare, when you don't get to choose your cabin. So there is a real incentive to book early.

29 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

The distance selling regulations do not apply to travel so I wouldn't plan on cancelling once you have agreed to the new itinerary.

Saga have however told me that, even if you have agreed, you do have at least a couple of days to change your mind before you are committed.

You don't have to make an immediate decision. If you say yes to the new itinerary now but change your mind over the weekend that's also fine you just have to ring them back early next week.

Thank you. It saved a few minutes on the phone when Saga contacted me. Apparently the  excursions are currently not likely to be on MySaga until 5/6 May as they still have some to sort out. Disappointing that there is no reduction in the price - justified on the grounds that there are 2 extra ports and one extra included excursion.

42 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Lucky  , I can login , but its temporarily lost my booking

I can't see mine under "Your holidays" but when I look under "MySaga Overview" the booked cruises magically appear.

10 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I think they will be hoping passengers will just be happy to have a cruise and roll over onto a "cheaper" med cruise for the same money.

 

 

Going by previous experience, I would expect Saga to offer some form of compensation for such a major change, such as a 5% refund on the cruise cost but we shall see.

I couldn't get in over the long weekend but I had no problem today and the excursions are not yet showing (for the Black Sea cruise).

35 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

1 hour ago, Froxfield said:

Expand  

In fairness every other cruise line sailing from the UK that isn't in the Carnival stable insisted on a paid for test from the restart last year. P&O and Cunard have been extremely generous on the testing front for a long time and their onboard testing charges are much cheaper than the likes of RCI and Celebrity.

Saga provided tests at the port and on board without charge and, as far as I am aware, this is still the case.

Saga really seem to have gone over the top with the no independent exploring. As others have said it is difficult to see how this helps to control the spread of covid. You will often have much less contact with other people if you go it alone. It is also a myth that going on an organised excursion means you are kept in a bubble because, unless it is a panoramic tour, you do mix with locals to a greater or lesser degree. I remember last summer a Saga excursion to the Titanic exhibition where it was heaving with maskless visitors and no way could those on the Saga excursion keep in a bubble.