Ladycommonsense

On 1/15/2024 at 9:14 AM, Kohima said:

You need a safety briefing, involving watching a video, before taking out an e bike. We booked e bikes in Funchal, having been told by Explore Ashore that there was a cycle path. However, investigating on foot in advance, we couldn’t see clear evidence of a cycle path on either the busy road or pavement, so decided against taking out the bikes. 
It would be helpful if the ships developed a safe cycling guide to suitable ports. Cycling on busy roads on the “wrong side”  of the road doesn’t seem like a good idea.

I would suggest that if someone needs to be told which side of the road to cycle on, they shouldn’t really be on a cycle.

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Must of been a nightmare cruise to have witnessed all this on P&O

I witnessed the same on P&O so many times I lost count ….. the sad thing is that I let it go on for so long before I made the chance to Saga and I am soooo glad that I did. 

On 12/7/2023 at 1:58 AM, Brummijam said:

Who does them when you are not on a cruise.?

What on earth had that got to do with it? I am asking what the quality of the onboard laundry service is like🙄

I would be interested to know what your feelings are about the standard of service provided by the laundry on both ships. I’m thinking particularly about my husband’s shirts. He has some rather nice bespoke shirts and is rather particular about the way they are finished and ironed. Everything else about Saga ticks all our boxes but I  just wonder what you seasoned travellers think of the laundry service. Thank you in advance of your answers.

13 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

When we were on a Saga cruise during the advance registration calls, we returned to our cabin one day to find a copy of the e-brochure and a message to go to the Saga future cruise desk during opening hours if we wanted to make a booking (which we did). There were quite a few people on board who had "received the call" as it were.

We may have slipped a few places back in the queue, but certainly did not have to wait until our return to book.

It is probably the same system now (hope so, as we will possibly get the 2025 call while we are on a cruise...).

(Just think of the outcry if people on a Saga cruise of 30plus nights had to wait until their return)

Oh super!!  Thank you for putting my mind at rest - much appreciated!!

5 minutes ago, FatBoy20 said:

Saga should if know you are on a Cruise as the Rep has your details on Computer in front of them when they make the phone call this is because they will ask you to confirm details they already have during any booking process (contact details etc). They will just reschedule the call for your return. Bear in mind you will get an E-Mail Brochure (with no prices) & follow up call depending on where you are on the pre-register list. 

Thank you for this - I did think as much. Therefore, if they call on let us say the first day a 14-night cruise, we will then have to wait until the end of the cruise for a further call and by that time many others will have been called ahead of us and could have booked the cabins we want.  Is that a correct analysis of the scenario?

We have recently returned from our first Saga cruise after having researched it very thoroughly following 40 years with P&O. It was the best decision we've ever made, we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and have booked several more to take us through 2024. We have taken the advice on this site and have pre-registered for 2025 and 2026. We understand that we will be getting a ‘phone call when the new brochure for 2025 is out and obviously we will be in a queue along with others who have pre-registered. However we have a bit of a dilemma and I wonder if anyone can help please. Does anyone know what will happen if Saga rings us when we are actually on a cruise - we could either be at sea and unable to take the call on the mobile as it would probably cost as much as the cruise (joke!), or we could be on land abroad and not have a telephone signal. My husband did ring Saga to ask them yesterday but they weren't too helpful. They seem to have not come across this before which I found difficult to believe as so many of you are regular cruisers with them. Look forward to your helpful responses as always.

52 minutes ago, LondonLad60 said:

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. As it's your first Saga cruise, perhaps you would like to write a review when you return? I'm sure many on here would like to know your thoughts on Saga. 

Absolutely I will👍

13 hours ago, david05 said:

9.30 pm except for formal nights when the show starts at 9.45 pm. Enjoy your cruise.

Thank you very much 😊

My final question before we embarck Spirit of Adventure on Monday as newbies ……may we please ask what time does the show in the theatre start as we want to fit it in with what time we dine. So sorry if this been covered so many times before, but as I said we are newbies in fact, we are very very keen newbies 😜

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

Dover is a lovely old terminal. Was Saga's home port, and more than once treated to a Spitfire flypast as the ship sailed.

I thought it a shame that Tilbury is not used more often, while the location itself may not be the most appealing, the terminal has a lot of history and more could be made of it.

Our Saga cruise embarkation/disembarkation ran like clockwork at Tilbury.

Thank you for replying, looking forward to it now👍

9 hours ago, FatBoy20 said:

The Terminal Saga use at Dover is in the old Dover Marine Railway Station. The Taxi drop off is at the end of the building & you enter the Terminal. Approx a 50 metre walk inside brings you to the escalator/lift to the upper floor to go through Security. You then check in & walk to the air bridge to the Ship (all under cover). The Air Bridge exits usually at Deck 5 (The Living Room) & then you are escorted to your Cabin. Hope this helps.

Super, thank you so much this is just what I wanted to hear👍

Really simple question, promise Saga newby …. We are eagerly looking forward to our first Saga cruise departing Dover 28 August then doing the back to back the following cruise around GB. Can anyone please tell me what the embarkation arrangements are in as much as how does one actually get onto the ship in Dover. We are used to getting on an air bridge and walking uphill to embark, but as the Saga ships are so small and this is Dover, we are wondering if we will have to actually walk up steps/the gang way to get onto the ship. If this is the case, we will obviously have to limit the amount of hand luggage we carry.

Husband and I simply cannot dance, but we have always enjoyed going to the dancing lessons on P&O cruises. Does Saga do anything similar? And by that I don’t mean line dancing or exercising,  I’m I talking waltz, cha-cha-cha, tango ….. all that type of stuff.

On 7/27/2023 at 8:45 AM, twotravellersLondon said:

 

Surely tipping is what SAGA is trying to avoid because like most forward-looking businesses the company is looking to forge co-operative effective team working in all areas of their ships. 

 

We believe that SAGA already pay above average industry rates, provide education for staff's children, health care for their families and have one of the most advance social-care support packages in the world for cruise crew. SAGA is one of the very few cruise line where partners can work on the same ship.

 

Why pay a steward more for doing the job but not the supervisor who trained him and ensures that he keeps everything tip-top and why not the bed-changer who helps him out?... or indeed the laundry department who supplies him with the fresh towels and linen or the deck crew who wash the balcony windows... somehow doesn't seem fair on the rest of the crew who contribute to his extra-earnings. Why tip a butler for nicely delivering the canapés and forget about the commis-chef who made them or the specialist chef who designed them.

 

Tips can very easily leave to a member of staff earning more than his manager or his manager's manager.

 

On some cruise-lines, tips created animosity and resentment in those staff who don't get them, leave those staff who do get them subject to peer pressure to share and make crew discipline more difficult. In some countries where we stayed in 5* hotels, staff are banned from taking tips because it's considered as a form of corruption. On a cruise ship... staff quickly assess which passenger may or may not tip... the mess grapevine shares information on regular cruisers... cruise-lines often find that those who are reckoned as "tippers'" are nurtured by some staff but to the disadvantage of other clients. 

 

We often leave a thank-you card, have sometimes given a little financial gift by way of a "thank-you" for exceptional service and... on special high-days and holidays may give a little surprise... like small a bag of chocolate Easter eggs... something that, if the member of staff wants to, s/he can share with friends and work team. 

 

However... tipping is a very personal thing... it's acceptance varies hugely from country to country and culture to culture. In the wider context... we find it a difficult call... and that's why we like the fact that... "tips" can be included onto the cost of a Fred Olsen and Ambassador cruise and are included in the cruise-price on Marella Cruises, P&O Cruises and on SAGA.

 

What a totally excellent reply ….. I agree with all you say!!

15 hours ago, Denarius said:

Just an observation.

I was born into what was then described as a working class family; both my parents were cotton mill workers. I ended up as an executive director of a financial institution. My father wore overalls to work everyday. He loved to wear a suit collar and tie; to him this meant that he was at leisure. I wore a suit collar and tie to work every day; to me these were working clothes and when not at work I chose to dress much more casually.

Perhaps this explains to some extent why more upmarket cruise lines tend to have more relaxed dress codes.

Indeed it may well explain it. However the explanation may also be that as all the cruise lines are so desperate to attract passengers now, that they relax their rules to attract the people who have no standards.

16 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I completely disagree,  as someone who would be very happily wear a tuxedo most nights, I am a strong believer in proper dress at dinner and in the evening.

 

However shorts and T shirt at breakfast or lunch are completely acceptable not only by the Saga dress code , but also by most passengers. If  Saga banned these then there would be a rush for other lines. A shirt and tie at breakfast went out 50 years ago, and rightly so.

This is not an argument as it's nice to know that you would happily wear tuxedo. I have to say I don't agree with your statement that; 'A shirt and tie at breakfast went out 50 years ago, and rightly so.' ...... I wonder why you say 'rightly so' though, if that is what some people of a certain genre want to wear, then how fabulous to know they get up in the morning and make a massive effort to look great.

15 hours ago, nosapphire said:

On an earlier thread n this board, someone spent some time name-dropping all the brand name clothing that he possessed but was not acceptable for dinner attire.  Not 100% sure, but think it was the same person who sneered at the passengers wearing formal attire from M&S (no idea if he pulled their clothes off to look at the label or not).

Seems that some people would like the dining room to be accessed by label - the higher the cost of your clothes, the more acceptable you should be.

Sad.

Or annoying - take your pick..

 

 

Sad. Annoying. And obnoxious!

20 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

On another line's board on cruise critic the subject of dress code has exercised many posters these past few days. My take is that it's too much trouble for some/many. I think that's sad. The race to the bottom is getting swifter. 

 

One contributor even suggested that his ripped designer jeans cost far more than most people's tuxedos and should therefore be permitted on formal nights. 

 

Just shows - you can't buy class or good taste. 

What a super expression; 'The race to the bottom is getting swifter.' ..... and oh so true. The story of the kings new clothes comes to mind when reading that some stupid person seems to have paid a great deal of money to buy ripped jeans. He/she/they/it have clearly also never bought a quality tuxedo.

Another question as a Saga newbie, but this one isn’t actually about Saga it’s about Dover. Our first Saga cruise is rapidly approaching and it is a back to back out of Dover. We’ve never sailed out of Denver before. In fact, I think I’ve only been to the place once in my life. Can anyone give us any ideas about what might be a good thing to do on the turnaround day in Dover please.

I think you’re missing the point as to why so many people choose Saga, and that is because thankfully they have stuck to some traditions that people really want to experience. As you say, there are plenty of other lines out there that accommodate casual, i.e. sloppy dress and a lot of us don’t want to be in that category. I am early 60s and absolutely love the fact that people still wear shirts, ties and jackets and don’t feel the need to dress up in denim overalls to go to dinner and wear shorts to breakfast just because they’re on holiday. If people want to wear shorts for breakfast and jeans and T-shirts, then perhaps choose NCL or MSC or a land based holiday.

On 7/21/2023 at 2:15 PM, Davio40 said:

I wouldn't wear t-shirts or shorts at dinner but see no problem with designer jeans and a jacket which I often wear to dinner either at home or on the usual cruise lines on which we travel i.e. Azamara, Oceania and Silversea - resort casual/smart casual at dinner is perfectly acceptable. Shorts and t-shirts for breakfast and/or lunch should not be an issue for any cruise line, Saga included. I am sure that over time as the next generation of cruisers come along i.e. my age group (late 50s/early 60s) Saga will probably do away with the formal night dress code and the no jeans after 6pm rule, as the demographic will change and most cruisers would have experienced the more relaxed yet smart casual feel of the other lines and would want Saga to follow to suit. Saga will in time need to adapt in order to remain competitive.

On 7/20/2023 at 8:49 PM, Scorpio41 said:

You’ll probably need the shoe horn to get in the dressing gowns. 😱 Bigger ones are available just ask the cabin steward. 

Fortunately I am 'small' 😇

43 minutes ago, hjg20 said:

Ha, I nearly wrote, pack more shoes and then I thought I don't know you and you might not get the joke!!

Joke?  The business of shoes is a very serious business I'll have you know - and it is certainly no joke!!  ........ er well not when you have as many pairs as me 🤣

Just now, hjg20 said:

Yes they are supplied in all grades - plus an umbrella, binoculars, shoe horn and clothes brush

Yippee - thank you!  That means less to carry and more shoes to get into the case 🤣

Our first Saga cruise is rapidly approaching so this is a quick question please. I usually cruise P&O in a suite so am used to getting a nice bathrobe and slippers - do Saga provide these I wonder for a standard balcony cabin? If not, no problem, we'll take our own.