Bringing Soda Pop, Liquor on Board

[PRINSENDAM]

Sail 7

 

Difficult question!!!! The ships are vastly different but I will try to compare.

 

In January both SAGA RUBY and PRINSENDAM are setting out on a 'grand voyage'. RUBY does a 110 night world cruise and PRINSENDAM is making a 108 night Circle the Sun' cruise.

 

 

So.. length of cruise being approximately the same, when comparing rather nice C grade cabins on the RUBY with C grades on the PRINSENDAM.... the C grades on the RUBY are slightly superior but each are without balcony....

 

RUBY... the 110 night cruise is $35,000

 

PRINSENDAM the 108 night cruise is $31,308

 

SAGA RUBY is the former VISTAFJORD/CARONIA from Cunard. Completely refurbished this year. She is well known as a high quality ship.

 

 

 

RUBY is a few grand more but the cruise price includes all gratuities.

Drink prices are lower. Shore excursions are roughly 30% cheaper on average.

RUBY as no casino.... big saving there! ;)

RUBY ....single sitting dining room.

 

 

The management philisophy is that the passengers pay enough for the cruise so they should not be hit with high prices for the extras.

 

It is all very interesting because it does work and the cruise experience with Saga is First Class... as it is with HAL!

 

What you do need to remember is that with SAGA, roughly some 98% of the passengers are British and they do have the age restriction... you must be over 50!

 

Ruth and I are joining SAGA RUBY in San Francisco in March for a 21 day segment of her world cruise.... San Francisco to Bermuda. Usually we do a segment in the SAGA ROSE ex SAGAFJORD but this year we are switching to the 'new' ship to tie in a few other cruises. Before the RUBY we do STATENDAM in January followed by maiden voyage of NOORDAM and then Hawaiii on AMSTERDAM.

 

 

 

Stephen

[RuthC]

...with SAGA, roughly some 98% of the passengers are British and they do have the age restriction... you must be over 50!

Besides everything else you wrote about her, these are two really great selling points, IMHO.

[peaches from georgia]

What's not to like? Sounds great to me. :D

[PRINSENDAM]

Besides everything else you wrote about her, these are two really great selling points, IMHO.

 

 

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have to say that for the most part the passengers I've sailed with on eight Saga cruises are a great crowd. They take cruising seriously!

 

We have become friends with one American couple who cruise with Saga. They had never cruised and their first cruise was a world cruise in 1998 on board the Saga Rose. Now they come back every year just for the world cruise. As yet they have never sailed with anyone else although I have been sending them some HAL brochures to see if they might give 'us' a try. ;) Anyhow, every year this couple take two suites on top deck... one on port side, one on starboard side with doors opposite to each other. They have one suite set up as an office with computer, sat link etc and because they have two balconies, one on each side, they can enjoy the sun or the view as it pleases.

 

Age limit 50... but you see no walkers or wheelchairs. "Casual" in the dining room for most passengers means jacket & tie minimum!!!! Formal is very formal... as it should be. Smoking... bare minimum. Entertainment... on any other ship I rarely go to shows but on the Saga Rose I wouldn't dream of missing a show. Evening entertainment is usually a classical concert or recital in the forward lounge starting around 9 pm then at 10 pm the main show will start in the ballroom followed by dancing. The stage is small so the shows are not that big but the ballroom can accommodate almost all passengers so nearly everyone attends. It is all very social. Up in the disco... nightly quiz with one of the cruise staff then music and party until the wee hours.

 

The food on board is excellent. The Chef is French and the foos is typically British but done with French flair... it works. The Captain and officers are mostly British with a few other Europeans in various ranks. For the rest of the crew.... 100% Fillippino. Same crew year after year. When Saga first started out the guys wore typical modern stewards uniforms... then about three years ago all that changed. They went back to the old standard white tunics with silver buttons and twisted cord epaulettes. You know, the kind you used to see forty years ago. The stewardesses who attend the cabins wear starched grey dresses with white aprons. It is all very much 'old style'. The passengers like it.

 

I would never give up sailing with HAL but I do enjoy every minute with Saga.

 

Stephen

[sail7seas]

Stephen.....I think I died and went to heaven.

 

Where do we sign up?

 

Thank you so much for your description.

 

If only we had the time.........:) and the money to afford two suites opposite eachother.

 

How wonderful for you to be looking forward to sailing again with your friends for the 21 day segment.

 

Three weeks on that ship really is something very special to look forward to.

 

Enjoy!! (...and please share some reports about it when you return. Please!!! I'd love to hear a daily diary from someone fortunate to be doing the full WC.

)