Upgrading shared transport to private transport

[Tothesunset]

One of the major selling points for us is the door to door transport. On our only Saga cruise (so far) we had a people carrier and a merc E class to ourselves in the post-covid period. It was an ideal way to start and end the trip. 

 

I have no real issue with sharing transport as long as it is comfortable for the 3hr+ journey to and from the port; certainly beats self-drive or relying on the vagaries of public transport especially as we would have to change trains in London - never a rewarding experience. 

 

Our next trip is in May where we will be using the shared transport. We are 3 hrs from Dover on a good day and I'm happy that someone else drives. However, I have one reservation: I can suffer from uncontrollable claustrophobia in certain circumstances one of which is being in a vehicle where I don't have a door - I simply could not sit in the rear seats if there is no adjacent door. I know it's pathetic but can't help it. (By claustrophobia I mean the real thing - not just not liking something. On the very rare, and now non-existent, times I've been confined as described I get panic attacks, hyperventilation, tachycardia, sweating, the lot.) 

[Denarius]

16 hours ago, nosapphire said:

Pure logic would say that has to be correct. The vehicles have to carry both Saga and Titan customers, and now Saga have larger ships, and are extending the "VIP" (ho,ho,ho) car service to river cruises, there is no way that their own fleet can cover everybody. Certainly on the few times we have used Saga transport they have not been Saga/Titan branded vehicles.

We usually drive ourselves, and there is invariably a long line of Addison Lee people carriers at the port dropping off Saga passengers.

 

 

I have only sailed on a Saga ocean cruise 3 times, all within the last year, so I cannot comment on earlier times. In each case my pre cruise literature clearly stated that Saga use local private hire drivers, and on no occasion have I been transported in a Saga branded vehicle. The vehicles have been variable. On two occasions I have been carried in a fairly new Mercedes saloon. On one occasion in a smart people carrier with pristine leather seating. And in one case in an elderly local taxi which did not have electric windows! But all did their job of getting me to the ship on time.

[Denarius]

2 hours ago, lincslady said:

It sounds as though this pat of a Saga cruise has taken a downturn.  It is several years since I did one (sadly) but on some 10 or so cruises we always had a Titan vehicle and driver; never more than four people on board, and always facing forwards  with two on the back seat and two in front - a bit less comfortable, so it was good to be on first and have the back seat.  And all good or great and very polite and helpful drivers, except one who was a bit brusque.

 

Saga need to get back to this situation, or will lose a lot of trade.

On a recent trip down to Portsmouth there were 4 of us - two solos plus a couple - in a shared people carrier. It was a modern vehicle with pristine leather seating and was set up with the two rows of passenger seats facing one another as pictured. There was plenty of space between the seats and we did not feel cramped, although it is fair to record that none of us were particularly large. The driver told us that it could be reconfigured as two rows of seats coach style if we wished - it would take him a few minutes to do it - but in his experience passengers tended to favour the face to face configuration in that it facilitated conversation. We agreed. On the way back we were carried in an older people carrier with both rows of seats facing forward; I do not know whether it could be reconfigured as the driver never offered to do it. We all agreed that the face to face set up was better in that it avoided talking to the back of someones head. But as they say, one man's meat is another man's poison.

[Windsurfboy]

My one issue is leg room, if I have to sit with legs bent for more than half an hour get real pain. So the issue with face to face is distance apart, and where to put legs and not annoy others. 

[Jammy Bun]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

My one issue is leg room, if I have to sit with legs bent for more than half an hour get real pain. So the issue with face to face is distance apart, and where to put legs and not annoy others. 

Nowhere to put your iPad, no way of seeing where you are, constant anxiety about invading others’ space, impossible to snooze in an upright position.  It was like travelling backwards on a train in a standard carriage, but without the benefit of having a table and being occasionally able to walk around. We did the journey down to Portsmouth in one of the Saga/Titan vehicles, which was bad enough, but never imagined that we’d be even more uncomfortable on the way back.  

[Scorpio41]

How do they cope with all the luggage with a car share?

 

[Windsurfboy]

They assume 1 case each . My advice is always tell them more, they will have to ensure plenty of space.

[david05]

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

They assume 1 case each . My advice is always tell them more, they will have to ensure plenty of space.

Even though we always have a private transfer we let Saga know the number of bags but it doesn't always work out. Our last trip to Southampton the driver had to perch one bag on the front seat and I was a little concerned that if he had to turn abruptly for any reason it might land up on him. Fortunately all was well. For shared transport it does rely on those you are sharing with to let Saga know if they are taking extra bags, otherwise if you are last to be picked up you may find that there is insufficient room. I did hear that this happened to one couple and Saga had to hurriedly arrange another car.

Edited March 18, 2023 by david05

[twotravellersLondon]

On 3/18/2023 at 11:30 AM, david05 said:

Even though we always have a private transfer we let Saga know the number of bags but it doesn't always work out.

 

On our last seven SAGA cruises we've asked for a private transfer and SAGA obliged each time. The last time we had a bit of a problem fitting in all of the luggage on the way back... but we've let SAGA know about the potential problem.

[maesteggirl]

Do you mean without extra charge?