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We’re not on this cruise, but will be very interested in your review. We haven’t been on Balmoral for a few years now. Our last cruise on her was to the Baltic including 2 days in St Petersburg, with a daytime transit of the Kiel canal. We dined in the Spey restaurant and the food was excellent. It was a very enjoyable holiday.

I agree. The Living Room serves the best coffee. The coffee available elsewhere on the ship is nowhere near as good.

Probably! After being stung last year by booking early, we have decided that unless we’re interested in a very unusual itinerary, it’s better to wait until a few weeks prior to departure in order to secure the best deal.

We were on board SoA earlier this month, and I can confirm waiter service was offered in the Grill in the evenings, except for one night when there was a special buffet.

An interesting analysis twotravellersLondon. I can’t begin to imagine how a debt of £110 million can be repaid. We are currently sailing on Saga’s ship Spirit of Adventure. Drinks, tips, WiFi, speciality restaurants plus transport from home to port are included in the price. The price we paid for a balcony cabin compares favourably with the price we paid for a Junior Suite last year on Bolette (the lowest grade of balcony cabin on Bolette and Borealis). We try to book with Saga as soon as cruises are advertised, in the knowledge that we won’t subsequently see the cruise advertised at a lower price. We have met several ex-Fred cruisers on board, who are now Saga converts, for various reasons. However Saga do not offer fly cruises at present, or departures from Northern ports, so won’t suit everyone. Fred. Olsen needs to address it’s pricing policy, otherwise I think it will struggle to survive.

£899 for 10 nights sounds like a good deal Kenny.

Thanks for posting about your dolphin watching tour. The shore excursion team should advise that it’s not suitable for passengers with mobility issues. I’m glad you managed to have a decent meal at the end of the day!

I look forward to reading your updates. I note that you have two good speakers on board - a wine expert and a former chef to the Royal Household. We will embark SofA on 22nd April, but have no information on who our speakers will be.

This is a big increase! Thank you for sharing.

When Saga contact you they will take payment for a deposit over the phone if you decide to book. We pre-registered a couple of years in advance, and were contacted 13th March 2022 to book this year’s cruise. If you pre-registered last June it’s unlikely that you will get a call before mid March, but to be on the safe side you could contact Saga and let them know your holiday dates and preferred contact number so that they can make a note on your records. Enjoy your holiday!

Sorry to hear that your cruise was cancelled. Noble Caledonia cruises outside the UK are offered for sale with included flights, so am I right in thinking that you decided to book cruise only, and make your own flight arrangements?

We received a Saga cruise brochure today, with an insert informing us that it’s still possible to pre-register for 2024. For those who have already pre-registered, Saga will be in touch ‘soon’. We won’t hold our breath!

I hope that Saga will offer a longer cruise. Perhaps not a World cruise but something similar to the South American cruise which was cancelled due to COVID. If it doesn’t sell well it could be divided into two or three sectors as fly cruises. We are still prepared to consider flying for an interesting itinerary, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones!

Thanks so much for your reply Jazzbeau, balconies are definitely preferable for warm weather cruises. I hope you enjoy your journey in Patagonia.

You only need to pre-register once per season (winter or summer, or both). You will get an e-brochure with the itineraries followed by a phone call from Saga to advise prices and discuss your requirements, and can book as many cruises as you like. You will be able to book your cruise with the best discount available at the time, before the cruises are advertised to the general public We have pre-registered up to 2027, but I know some have pre-registered beyond that!

We book direct. This enables us to access MySaga online for information on excursions, pick up times etc. If cruises are booked via a TA, Saga send all the information to them. This may mean that some of the most popular excursions are sold out by the time the info reaches the client.

Wow, six or seven cruises a year - lucky you! We have been on several cruises on Saga’s new ships, and would agree with the comments of the OP’s. My advice is to book early to get the best price, as Saga’s cruises start with a 35% discount, which reduces as cabins are sold. We are currently waiting for the release of the summer 2024 cruises, which should hopefully happen within the next few weeks.

Jazzbeau, we have sailed round Sicily on Hebridean Sky and loved it. We have another cruise booked on the ship. The Scottish Isles is on our bucket list too. I have a note to pack hat nets to avoid midges! Did you manage to find out any information about MS Monet? There are some interesting itineraries being offered around the Aegean and Adriatic which are very tempting!

Formal nights are usually held on sea days where the itinerary allows. The evening meal on those nights is extra special. There will be details of the formal nights in your cabin when you board, but we prefer to know in advance so that bookings for speciality restaurants can be made before we board.

It used to be that only afternoon tea was provided on embarkation day, but that has changed. When we were on board Bolette last summer lunch was available in The View buffet restaurant.

I understand from reading comments on another site that the 3 day excursion to Machu Picchu has been cancelled due to civil unrest in Peru.

You may be right FatBoy20. I wish Saga HQ would let staff and customers know the correct date.

Your understanding of the pre-registration process is correct Arlowood. We were in a similar position to you a couple of years ago, and worried that we would miss the call from Saga as we were due to go abroad on holiday when the calls were being made. I phoned Saga and advised them of the situation. They checked where we were in the queue, and asked me to phone back the day before we went on holiday, which I did. Fortunately, by that time our pre-registration number had been reached so we were able to book. When Saga send the ebrochure I suggest you ring and explain your situation, and they can advise when you are likely to be able to book, based on your pre-registration date.

Oh dear! That’s very late. We were hoping to hear something this month.

That’s good news. If you get the chance would you please ask them when Saga will contact people who have pre-registered for the cruises from April to December 2024?