Saga Cruises

Has anyone gone on a Saga cruise - British cruise line - now being marketed to North Americans? :)

I haven't but I was was just looking at their home page. My DH will be 50 next year and would love to see Scandinavia. His grandparents were Swedish, too. I know the minimum age is 50, I wonder what the average age is on the ships.

We did a Saga cruise a couple of years ago - Christmas cruise to the Carrabean. Average age on that one, elderly, probably around 70. In many respects Saga cruises are good deals, though not particularly cheap. In UK there is quite a lot of help given if you have a journey to make to board i.e. in our case this was a meeting service from the train in London and escorted coach travel to Southampton.

One problem we had as very young age 68 and 63, was the number of really elderly and wheelchaired folk aboard. Please don't take this wrong, but it did make for a somewhat depressing athmosphere, not helped by the five deaths and many shore hospital admissions during the cruise.

Food and service were very good, and they do go to some interesting places.

David.

Like you I have been curious so I have decided to do a 4 night mini cruise on Saga Ruby, their newest ship, in June while we are in the UK this summer visiting our family. I will write a review and let you know how it compares to our favourites of Celebrity, Princess and Holland America.

As a long-time cruiser, I was eager to sail on the Vistafjord now Saga Ruby. The service at all levels was impeccable, the menus and food were excellent - be sure to try the wild loin of reindeer with lingonberries. The captain and staff made every effort to give us a good trip from Dover to Svalbard and throughout Norway then back to Dover. Turns out that all Norwegians are bilingual so there were no language problems. The shore excursions were good.

My lifetime memory of this cruise was the polar bears. The captain said in 6 years they had never seen one and we saw two. I watched one of the bears for 3 hours as she climbed up into the crags then bellysurfed in the snow down to the coastline. An absolute thrill to watch with the binoculars in every cabin. This cruise line is a class act.

I wish I could sail Saga in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, but, as a poster has already pointed out, there are no deals here. And, of course, in the UK there is the currency of Pound Sterling to dollar. Having said that, I am a b-i-g fan of this cruise line and highly recommend it. I use the screen name of Saga Ruby here because we named our polar bear the same. :D

We are going on Saga's new ship - Spirit of Adventure - from Sri Lanka to Singapore in November. The first cruise leaves round about now. Is anyone else booked on this ship at all during its first season?

Great review of the Saga Ruby - has anyone been on the Saga Rose - my mother [aged 81] is cruising with her in May!

Hello Saga Ruby and thank you for your review. We are now looking forward even more to our taster cruise on 10 June.

Saga Ruby

Thank you, very much, for the review! I've always wanted to sail on either ship and have only had lunch onboard the (then) Vistafjord while it was docked in Oslo (1988-ish). They only have the 2007 world cruises posted on their website, so far.

All the Brits were talking about Saga Rose for the entire two weeks as we sailed to Svalbard - they loved her. The only difference in the ships is that the Lido cafe was open-ended and our Lido cafe was completely enclosed - yay! All the Saga Rose pax were highly enthusiastic and I would not hesitate to sail on her.

One comment - I always get an inside cabin (23 cruises). Saga Ruby was fresh out of drydock and my cabin had a peculiar steel popping noise in the wall that could not be resolved. When I called that to the attention of the staff, I was immediately upgraded to a Cat D cabin that I called my bowling alley, it was so big. I was living like a queen. The inside cabins are the smallest I've even had - I could sit on the potty and brush my teeth. But no matter which cabin I was in, I was consistently and always treated like I was in the Owner's Suite. I love the service on those ships.

I did so much enjoy the brandnew flatscreen TVs with DVD slots and watched a lot of DVDs out of the Saga library (which is quite extensive and interesting). When we crossed the Arctic Circle (halfway to where we were going), all satellite transmissions went out so no TV, no Internet no nuttin'. It's not Saga, it's the placement of the satellites over our heads.

When I sailed in June, there was virtually nothing on CCritic about Saga. I'm so happy the word is getting out. And when you get back, you're flooded with lovely Royal Mail containing brochures about your next trip!

We sailed on Saga Rose, unfortunately on 9/11/01. It was not a happy cruise for the 56 Americans on board sailing from Dover on a Baltic cruise. I must say the mostly Brit crew and passengers were fantastic in comforting the Yanks on board. The Captain held a moving memorial service on the Friday following.

Our impressions of the ship: Generally an older clientele, nice intimate entertainment and dancing, good food with one seating dining. If you are used to modern American cruise ships, you will miss some of their features.

Saga Rose has no balcony cabins, the outside pool is small and the inside pool is deep in the ship and not too inviting. The fitness area is very small and also deep in the ship next to the inside pool. Many outside cabins have only portholes. No large theatre.

The Saga Rose was widely promoted in the U.S. prior to 9/11 and then they sharply reduced their American bookings. I believe they are now trying to bring them back with their newer ships. If the luxury of modern cruise ships is not important to you, Saga provides a pleasant cruise experience with good customer service.

If anybody has any questions regarding Saga Rose (formerly Sagafjord), let me know.

Everything you said about Saga Rose is correct and is exactly what I wanted. I was a Royal Viking pax until they closed down and, once you get used to single seating for dinner, you don't want to go back. Single seating makes the daily rhythm of the ship consistent, rather than broken into bits and pieces, and everybody enjoys the same shows at the same time.

Saga does limit its passengers to over 50 and Rose and Ruby were built in 1962 altho' completely and beautifully refurbished. Any ship under 30,000grt is not going to provide the facilities of the modern behemoths. On my cruise to polar North, no one was looking to spend time in the pool and Saga made the long journey memorable by dint of shore excursions, Midnight Sun buffets on deck at NordKapp, safely following leads in the water into the bay in Svalbard to let us watch and observe polar bears - no behemoth can do that. I'm in cruising for a unique itinerary, not the onboard casino.

I was looking for outstanding service and good quality food service. My usual high expectations were exceeded by Saga.

I was surprised to learn you had 56 Yanks onboard. There were 2 of us last June. It was an excellent experience to sail with a ship full of Brits. What a sad cruise it must have been for you on that date. So sorry. I'm sure the commemorative British ceremony brought you some solace.

I march to a different drummer in wanting a small ship, single seating, no seaweed massages. I love to sail and enjoy coming back to see a magnificent sailing ship tied up at a pier, not a shoebox. I sailed on the Celebrity Constellation Barcelona to San Juan in '03 which, while a beautifully appointed ship, had no sense of intimacy, more anonymity, a fractured schedule to accommodate the thousand plus pax.

I have been cruising since '57 and find that, in my case, small ships are what I want. I'm on Oceania to Cape Horn in January - another small ship. I'll never go back to the behemoths.

I encourage any potential Saga cruiser to do their research by brochure or on the Web here at Cruise Critic in order to yield a pleasurable cruise experience for everyone. Once you know your wants and wishes, booking the proper cruise for you should be easy.

I posted a detailed review of my Saga Rose cruise, not sure if it was on cruise critics Members Reviews section or Cruisereviews.com if you want to check it out.

It's Penny from the other board.....How nice you have enjoyed the Saga Ruby so much. She and her sister are still so beautiful despite their ages...1965 launching for Rose and 1973 for Ruby. As a Norwegian American I have very fond memories of Norske America Linje who built them. I crossed while growing up several times on their ships.

On a crossing on their sistership Bergensfjord when I was in college in the early 60's I had the wonderful opportunity to "meet" Sagafjord/Saga Rose when she was still just on paper and in the design process. One of the officers, who knew how much I loved the liners, showed me the drawings as apparently there were members of the design team on board studying what changes would be made to the Bergensfjord design. I, of course, couldn't imagine how they could ever improve on the beautiful Bergensfjord, but then I loved the old NAL SS Stavangerfjord with all my heart...and still do, and at that point she was 44 years old. It was a pretty exciting thing to be shown this great new ship in the very early stages...I was very flattered and so I've had a fondness for her ever since. One of the last crossings my folks made coming back from Norway was on her and they loved her too.

I would love nothing more than to return to Norway on what was originally a Norwegian ship. It was the way we went "home" in the summers to see my grandparents. Unfortunately I don't fly anymore and have been fantasizing about a crossing on the QM2, a fjord trip on the Saga Rose and another crossing back. Ahhh, the stuff dreams are made of! She is a fantastic ocean going vessel and both she and the Ruby have such classic beauty. I fear for her when 2010 rolls around.

I would imagine you have probably been reading the Captain's blogs from both ships as they are both on their World cruises. Vicarious living at it's best!! It sounds like both ships are having quite the time and some fantastic experiences. If you need the website for the blogs let me know and I'll post it for you.

I would have loved to have been on that trip you took up the coast of Norway. I have seen photos...it's just awesome!

Quite the discussion on that other thread wouldn't you say? I'm in awe of the experience and professionalism being shared in such a responsible way. Such an improvement on the speculative nonsense on the other threads.

I'll certainly be reading it everyday tho I have nothing substantive, except praise, to contribute.I'd be with you tho...grab that wet towel and then run!!!

And here is a website for some photos of Saga Rose in Los Angeles yesterday. I found it on another site. Just cut and past the link in your browser. Cheers, Penny

community.webshots.com/album/548900640MUCabf

Gosh, Penny, I didn't even know there was a Bergensfjord! And you got to see the marine architect's drawings of the "new" ship, Sagafjord -what a memory! I can read your love of ships, old ships, and sailing. Cool beans your idea of the QM2 crossings and the Fjordland cruise. As you know, I loved that cruise to Norway and Svalbard. I gotta figure out an itinerary on Rose or Ruby and go again.

One outstanding memory of that Ruby cruise was our tour bus wending its way down the Norwegian hillside outside Molde as our tour guide pointed out the "vertical gardening" which the Norwegians practice for obvious reasons. As we rounded a curve down to the pier, we suddenly saw Saga Ruby dancing in place on that cold blue water. She looked like a prima ballerina in the spotlight, lithe and lovely,and adorned with nautical flags - she was a breathtaking sight. I was so proud that she was "my" ship.

I agree about the Princess "technical" thread. I sometimes put in a reply just to kick it up on the boards but yes, I'm also learning so much from these fine firefighters who take their time to educate us all.

I've been following this thread from the beginning as I have several friends who are great Saga fans. Personally I have always objected to their age restrictions on the grounds that it is unfair to deprive younger people such as myself from enjoying such lovely ships ;) !

Anyhow, you might be interested in an article here about this ship by maritime historian Peter Knego. The first part, already posted, doesn't have too much to do with the ship herself, but according to Peter a photo tour of the ship is next.

Incidentally, the Stephen Card referenced in Peter's article is a Cruise Critic member (his username is PRINSENDAM) who is aboard SAGA RUBY right now and is one of the biggest Saga fans I know.

Howdy, Doug. Sorry about the age limitations on Saga. Oh wait, NOT!!! I'll tell ya - the median age may be high but since I intend to age gracefully, those pax set the bar quite high for my own future. They are an inspiration to me.

Example - a lady on a walker with "cataract" sunglasses is standing beside me on a heaving deck. We are both watching the tender toss in the heavy seas. And she says, "Well, I guess I'll get downstairs to go on shore." Nothing stops these people!

Stephen Card is onboard Saga now? Ohhh, I'm so envious!!!!!!!!! Keep on aging in a good way, Doug, you have a lot to look forward to! ;)

Ruby

Hello Penny/Patwell can you please post the web link/address for the Captain's blog. I would be fascinated to read it. I paid our final balance for our 10 June cruise today and just reading the brochure and documents again got my appetite whetted again. I can't wait to try Saga Ruby.

Pardon me for butting in but the link is http://www.sagacruises.co.uk/. On the right close to the top of the Web page is a smiling captain and you can link to blogs of either Rose or Ruby.

I was reading the link provided by Host Doug and was thrilled yet again to see the Ruby "parked" at the pier. What a magnificent ship!

Enjoy your cruise!

Ruby

I found this thread after doing a search on Saga. A few days ago, on the HAL board we had the usual semi-annual discussion as to whether the Prinsendam might be sold to Saga. I've been to the website and I'm fairly impressed. I don't buy balconies, I don't use the pool, and I dislike most children (except for my own grandchildren, of course) so I thought it might be a good fit.

I do have a question. I thought the prices, as posted on Saga´s website, were a bit steep. Since we are not allowed to discuss particular travel agents here, may I just ask if anyone has found any source of discounted prices. If the answer is yes, then I'll spend some quality time—just googling. Thanks, susana.

Stephen Card is onboard Saga now? Ohhh, I'm so envious!!!!!!!!!

I take it that you know him then?

I'm envious too - here I am sitting at home and he's down in Panama (or someplace warm - haven't checked the Captain's Blog yet today) aboard a beautiful ship. Clearly there is something wrong here ;) .

The passengers are in for a treat too, as Stephen will be painting while on board as part of their lecture programme - a "working holiday" for him. (I'm still envious, working holiday or not!)

Keep on aging in a good way, Doug, you have a lot to look forward to!

Not to these ships... They'll be gone before I'm old enough!

It's a pity, as in addition to being lovely ships they seem to offer the sort of cruise experience that even many under-50s (like me) wish was still available. In fact, on paper they seem pretty close to ideal.

I don't buy balconies, I don't use the pool, and I dislike most children ... so I thought it might be a good fit.

Sounds like a good fit to me! Especially if you define "children" as people under 50 ;) !

Actually, they do have balconies, and two pools (one indoor and one outdoor) on each ship, so even if you wanted those you'd still be fine.

One thing they do not have is a casino. Aside from that, these ships have just about everything one can fit in a ship of this size. PRINSENDAM is over 10,000 GT bigger and while she does have a casino, she's missing the indoor pool.

There are some differences between the two ships. ROSE has bigger standard cabins. RUBY has bigger suites (the penthouses were the biggest in the world when they were added in 1994), and has an alternative restaurant. Other than that they are very similar, aside from decor of course. The Saga web site has a great virtual tour which will show you each ship. They are both beautiful and while they are sisters there are enough differences to let each one have her own character.

PRINSENDAM would fit right in, too, except they'd have to extend the dining room back into the current Ocean Bar to restore single-seating dining (which she had as a Royal Viking/Cunard/Seabourn ship; what's now the Ocean Bar used to be part of the dining room).

may I just ask if anyone has found any source of discounted prices

They don't sell through travel agents, so I think the fare is the fare.

Their fares are not cheap but they have such a loyal following that they have no trouble filling their ships even at these relatively high fares.

Wow! This post really caught my eye as I have been perusing the Saga website and pouring over its 2006 catalogue endlessly. I love the variety of ports and love the ships. Unfortunately, I am over 20 years too young to sail either of these lovely ships. Fortunately, as a kid, I sailed on the Sagafjord to Alaska in 1986 and the Vistafjord to the Caribbean in 1987. Eventhough I was barely 10 years old, I remember the interiors of these ships intimately.

On Monday, the Saga Ruby was here in San Diego. I went to the pier to watch her sail and it was magnificent. The sound of her horn at sail-away showcased a sound that is vintage of ships from her era. And since it was an evening departure, she was all lit up and looked amazing. It was so nostalgic to see this ship that I had sailed on 19 years ago!

I guess I will continue to be stuck with only reading about these fine ships under the Saga banner. Maybe they could offer a one-time only cruise for those of us under-50! :)

Michael

Just for interest, you might like to know that Saga as a company do other things besides cruises - land-based holidays and financial services, for example, and all are restricted to the "mature" amongst us. We are about to tour the rainforests of Borneo with them.

For those of you unfortunately not quite old enough to qualify, Saga does allow a 50+ guest to be accompanied by their spouse, provided the latter is at least 40, so there is one possible route to cruising Saga before you're 50.:D

I do have a question. I thought the prices, as posted on Saga´s website, were a bit steep. Since we are not allowed to discuss particular travel agents here, may I just ask if anyone has found any source of discounted prices. If the answer is yes, then I'll spend some quality time—just googling. Thanks, susana.

Don't think Saga sells through agents, only direct with them.

David.

Hello Everyone,

We saw the Saga Rose recently at Port Adelaide in South Australia while we were on the Funchal. Saga Rose looked like a beautiful ship (just as pretty as the Funchal) and we thought we would love to cruise with her. Damn though...........we are only 44 and all the news says 'over 50'. Does anyone think we could get on??? By the way, the average age on the Funchal was 75, so we were the young ones and we got on just fine!!!!!! Gotta love this cruising.................

First Cruise (think I had better change my name now?)

Funchal (Fremantle to Fremantle 2006)