ACCESSIBLE BALCONY CABINS - AURORA v SAGA

[TigerB]

This is a question for anyone who has stayed in an accessible balcony cabin on Aurora and either of the SAGA ships, Spirit of Discovery or Spirit of Adventure...

 

We are looking at a future cruise on Spirit of Discovery, and would probably select the standard accessible cabin, which I understand to be 350sq/ft.  I am comparing the cruise with a similar cruise onboard Aurora.

How does the accessible balcony cabin on the SAGA ship compare to the equivalent on Aurora?

[Selbourne]

Not been on Saga but have stayed in most of the accessible balcony cabins on Aurora if you have any specific questions about those?

 

P.S. What did you think of the Winter 2025 Saga cruises released yesterday? We were underwhelmed. Thought the Northern Lights one was a possible until we looked at the detailed itinerary timings to find that there’s only one overnight in port (which is far better for seeing the lights than being at sea). 

[TigerB]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Not been on Saga but have stayed in most of the accessible balcony cabins on Aurora if you have any specific questions about those?

 

P.S. What did you think of the Winter 2025 Saga cruises released yesterday? We were underwhelmed. Thought the Northern Lights one was a possible until we looked at the detailed itinerary timings to find that there’s only one overnight in port (which is far better for seeing the lights than being at sea). 

 

As it happens, it was the Northern Lights one that we would have been interested in. We've not looked at it in detail; I intend to do that in the next couple of days, and compare it to the one just released on Aurora. 

I really need to know in my own mind the pros and cons of both, so I can justify the hefty price tag of a Saga cruise.  It's probably a moot point anyway, as it wasn't that long ago that I pre-registered, so expect to be lower down in the pecking order for that season when they call, and will either get a smaller discount or miss out on the accessible cabins.

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 

As it happens, it was the Northern Lights one that we would have been interested in. We've not looked at it in detail; I intend to do that in the next couple of days, and compare it to the one just released on Aurora. 

I really need to know in my own mind the pros and cons of both, so I can justify the hefty price tag of a Saga cruise.  It's probably a moot point anyway, as it wasn't that long ago that I pre-registered, so expect to be lower down in the pecking order for that season when they call, and will either get a smaller discount or miss out on the accessible cabins.

Same dilemma here. I have no doubt that the Saga ships will offer a better overall cruise experience than P&O and their ships are very new, unlike Aurora, but @Dermotsgirl recent and extremely helpful thread comparing the two lines have given us pause for thought. 
 

My wife cannot drink much alcohol, so that aspect is wasted on her. Also, the drinks say ‘house wines’, whereas we tend not to order those through choice. The transfers to the port would be shared (not keen on that) and we are unsure how suitable the vehicle would be. The included excursions are pretty basic and we may not even be able to do them. We aren’t bothered about free WiFi as we can access emails etc free of charge in all ports. We like speciality restaurants, but it sounds as though they re ‘rationed’ on Saga. Finally, the tables for two sound less than ideal and they have a funny system for seating. 
 

I’m sure that many of these concerns would turn out to be OK, but at two to three times the price per night that we now pay for P&O my expectations would be sky high. We are happy to pay more for a better experience, as we did with Cunard, and if we didn’t have all the accessibility issues I would try Saga in a heartbeat, but I am beginning to wonder if it might be an anti-climax for us. 

[TigerB]

14 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Same dilemma here. I have no doubt that the Saga ships will offer a better overall cruise experience than P&O and their ships are very new, unlike Aurora, but @Dermotsgirl recent and extremely helpful thread comparing the two lines have given us pause for thought. 
 

My wife cannot drink much alcohol, so that aspect is wasted on her. Also, the drinks say ‘house wines’, whereas we tend not to order those through choice. The transfers to the port would be shared (not keen on that) and we are unsure how suitable the vehicle would be. The included excursions are pretty basic and we may not even be able to do them. We aren’t bothered about free WiFi as we can access emails etc free of charge in all ports. We like speciality restaurants, but it sounds as though they re ‘rationed’ on Saga. Finally, the tables for two sound less than ideal and they have a funny system for seating. 
 

I’m sure that many of these concerns would turn out to be OK, but at two to three times the price per night that we now pay for P&O my expectations would be sky high. We are happy to pay more for a better experience, as we did with Cunard, and if we didn’t have all the accessibility issues I would try Saga in a heartbeat, but I am beginning to wonder if it might be an anti-climax for us. 

 

Thanks for the reply.  I had meant to read her review, but got side-tracked with other things; I will do that later. 

 

Like you, and for the very same reasons, the included drinks and wi-fi aren't a big draw for us. And looking at the seating plans for the restaurants, the locations of two-person tables don't really appeal.   I didn't know that about the included excursions, but I did read the small print about if transport isn't suitable then tough!  I am though reassured by our recent Fjords cruise, when we had an issue with the charges for booked accessible trips, and the Shore Experience & Loyalty Manager said that all of Norway's buses/coaches have to be wheelchair accessible. 

We live just beyond the 250 mile maximum for shared transport, but when I pre-registered back in March, I was told they would cover us for that.  When I spoke about a suitable vehicle, I was told that they would be probably provide a WAV, so that would be for our exclusive use.  To be fair though, our lass's travel chair folds up easily enough, and she would father sit on a comfy car seat than in her chair for a five hour journey.  That could mean we would be back to sharing, which neither of us would relish.

 

But, before I talk myself out of it, I'll have a read of Dermotsgirl's review, and look properly at both the cruises - Saga and Aurora.

 

Having read your previous reports, we do though really fancy trying Cunard.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Same dilemma here. I have no doubt that the Saga ships will offer a better overall cruise experience than P&O and their ships are very new, unlike Aurora, but @Dermotsgirl recent and extremely helpful thread comparing the two lines have given us pause for thought. 
 

My wife cannot drink much alcohol, so that aspect is wasted on her. Also, the drinks say ‘house wines’, whereas we tend not to order those through choice. The transfers to the port would be shared (not keen on that) and we are unsure how suitable the vehicle would be. The included excursions are pretty basic and we may not even be able to do them. We aren’t bothered about free WiFi as we can access emails etc free of charge in all ports. We like speciality restaurants, but it sounds as though they re ‘rationed’ on Saga. Finally, the tables for two sound less than ideal and they have a funny system for seating. 
 

I’m sure that many of these concerns would turn out to be OK, but at two to three times the price per night that we now pay for P&O my expectations would be sky high. We are happy to pay more for a better experience, as we did with Cunard, and if we didn’t have all the accessibility issues I would try Saga in a heartbeat, but I am beginning to wonder if it might be an anti-climax for us. 

Different ship but still accessible question, Selbourne did I understand correctly that you had a

de-luxe accessible balcony cabin on Iona, I cannot see any on the deck plans can you advise the cabin number please.

[Selbourne]

26 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Different ship but still accessible question, Selbourne did I understand correctly that you had a

de-luxe accessible balcony cabin on Iona, I cannot see any on the deck plans can you advise the cabin number please.

Yes we did John. There are only four of them, all on the hump on deck 10. They are numbered 10.423, 10.427, 10.433 and 10.437. We had 10.437 as our daughter was next to us in 10.431 (non-accessible), but 10.433 would be my first choice as it’s at the widest point so will have a marginally bigger balcony, although ours was good. Any other questions just shout. They are excellent cabins. 

Edited October 11, 2023 by Selbourne

[Host Sharon]

You also need to take into account, re accessability, that as the Saga ships are new, the whole ship is easily accessible, with automatic deck doors, unlike Aurora. There is also more space in the dining rooms to manoever a wheelchair or walker. 

[nosapphire]

@Dermotsgirl has given a very accurate, interesting and balanced report on her experiences, well worth reading.

Just to respond to two postersabove  about the Saga included wines.

The house wine is the wine that is found in the upper-middle shelf at many supermarkets with a choice of red,white,rose, and usually more than one brand of each available.

Don't like one, try another.Certainly not premium wine, but perfectly acceptable to most.

(Personally, as we only drink wine at dinner, I could happily forgo the included wines anyway).

Soft drinks, including soda waters, are also included, and I think some alcohol free wines/beers.

Small bottles of water to take ashore are provided at the gangway on port days (regardless of whether on a tour or independent).

There has heen some lively discussion on the Saga board about the coffee, mainly it being all machine coffee (albeit the type of machine that grinds the beans fresh for each cup) and is quite polarised between those dismayed about no barista-style coffee and those that find it pretty good coffee.

Don't forget that also included is 24 hour room service, including the dinner menu at dinner time (although in anything except a top suite, you'd probably have to order the entire meal to arrive at once, not course-by-course).

As for the car, you can have private transport for a rather exorbitant cost of (currently) £3.70 for each mile over the 75 mile range (each way). Let Saga know in advance if there are special requirements for transport - they use a big variety of vehicles. If you drive yourself, parking is included, and they make all the arrangements for you.

The speciality restaurants are rationed only to make sure that everybody on board has the opportunity to book; if this was not done, some people would pre-book early on for several nights making it very hard to fit in other passengers. As the cruise goes along, booking becomes easier.

The "funny system" for seating came about when the standard for most cruise lines was a single MDR with two fixed dinner sittings , usually 18:30 and 21:00.

Saga started off with the premise that they would never have two-sittings for dinner; all passengers would be able to sit down together in the MDR.

This worked well in the days with much smaller ships, a single dining room, a single dining time, and passengers who all expected to share a table of either 6 or 8.

The ships got bigger, people expected extra dining venues, flexibility, and tables for 2, so it became more of a juggling game to manage all the different requirements yet still be able to offer a single dining time.

It still works very well for those happy to share, as they get taken straight in; the ones waiting for a table are those (including me) who want a table for 2.

Sometimes, I do rather miss the whole-ship-sitting-down-together-ar-the-same-time situation, as it did give a great feeling of cohesion.

(Although the Saga adverts "dine wherever and whenever you like" do irritate me greatly, as it puts a spin on it that does not quite match up to the reality).

 

 

 

[Denarius]

4 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

Thanks for the reply.  I had meant to read her review, but got side-tracked with other things; I will do that later. 

 

Like you, and for the very same reasons, the included drinks and wi-fi aren't a big draw for us. And looking at the seating plans for the restaurants, the locations of two-person tables don't really appeal.   I didn't know that about the included excursions, but I did read the small print about if transport isn't suitable then tough!  I am though reassured by our recent Fjords cruise, when we had an issue with the charges for booked accessible trips, and the Shore Experience & Loyalty Manager said that all of Norway's buses/coaches have to be wheelchair accessible. 

We live just beyond the 250 mile maximum for shared transport, but when I pre-registered back in March, I was told they would cover us for that.  When I spoke about a suitable vehicle, I was told that they would be probably provide a WAV, so that would be for our exclusive use.  To be fair though, our lass's travel chair folds up easily enough, and she would father sit on a comfy car seat than in her chair for a five hour journey.  That could mean we would be back to sharing, which neither of us would relish.

 

But, before I talk myself out of it, I'll have a read of Dermotsgirl's review, and look properly at both the cruises - Saga and Aurora.

 

Having read your previous reports, we do though really fancy trying Cunard.

AS well as the Dermotsgirl review, suggest that you read the blog on the Saga board by NorbertsNeice, who is currently reporting live from the Spirit of Adventure. Pics (incl menus) are particularly good.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Denarius

[Selbourne]

21 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

@Dermotsgirl has given a very accurate, interesting and balanced report on her experiences, well worth reading.

Just to respond to two postersabove  about the Saga included wines.

The house wine is the wine that is found in the upper-middle shelf at many supermarkets with a choice of red,white,rose, and usually more than one brand of each available.

Don't like one, try another.Certainly not premium wine, but perfectly acceptable to most.

(Personally, as we only drink wine at dinner, I could happily forgo the included wines anyway).

Soft drinks, including soda waters, are also included, and I think some alcohol free wines/beers.

Small bottles of water to take ashore are provided at the gangway on port days (regardless of whether on a tour or independent).

There has heen some lively discussion on the Saga board about the coffee, mainly it being all machine coffee (albeit the type of machine that grinds the beans fresh for each cup) and is quite polarised between those dismayed about no barista-style coffee and those that find it pretty good coffee.

Don't forget that also included is 24 hour room service, including the dinner menu at dinner time (although in anything except a top suite, you'd probably have to order the entire meal to arrive at once, not course-by-course).

As for the car, you can have private transport for a rather exorbitant cost of (currently) £3.70 for each mile over the 75 mile range (each way). Let Saga know in advance if there are special requirements for transport - they use a big variety of vehicles. If you drive yourself, parking is included, and they make all the arrangements for you.

The speciality restaurants are rationed only to make sure that everybody on board has the opportunity to book; if this was not done, some people would pre-book early on for several nights making it very hard to fit in other passengers. As the cruise goes along, booking becomes easier.

The "funny system" for seating came about when the standard for most cruise lines was a single MDR with two fixed dinner sittings , usually 18:30 and 21:00.

Saga started off with the premise that they would never have two-sittings for dinner; all passengers would be able to sit down together in the MDR.

This worked well in the days with much smaller ships, a single dining room, a single dining time, and passengers who all expected to share a table of either 6 or 8.

The ships got bigger, people expected extra dining venues, flexibility, and tables for 2, so it became more of a juggling game to manage all the different requirements yet still be able to offer a single dining time.

It still works very well for those happy to share, as they get taken straight in; the ones waiting for a table are those (including me) who want a table for 2.

Sometimes, I do rather miss the whole-ship-sitting-down-together-ar-the-same-time situation, as it did give a great feeling of cohesion.

(Although the Saga adverts "dine wherever and whenever you like" do irritate me greatly, as it puts a spin on it that does not quite match up to the reality).

 

 

 

Thank you for explaining all of that. I found it extremely interesting. 
 

We don’t choose expensive wines, but we tend to only drink Australian, South American and Californian wines through choice, which aren’t always the house wines. We also wouldn’t want to feel restricted to the same few included wines all cruise. We never use room service. 
 

Yes we were quoted for a private transfer. Eye watering cost 😂 For us, the journey to and from the port is as much about ease of access to the vehicle, short notice toilet stops etc. Much easier if we drive ourselves in our own car, which would be fine for Portsmouth but a pain in the proverbial if it’s Dover!
 

We obviously would have to try the dining to see how it works for us, but the Cunard Club setup sounds as though it would suit us perfectly and we are trying that twice next year. Price wise it’s between P&O and Saga, which may be the happy medium for us, although we are still happy with P&O - at the right price. If we can get the right Saga cruise at the right price we shall give them a go. 

[nosapphire]

32 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We don’t choose expensive wines, but we tend to only drink Australian, South American and Californian wines through choice, which aren’t always the house wines. We also wouldn’t want to feel restricted to the same few included wines all cruise.

All 3 nations, plus NZ, much in evidence as Saga house wines (we drink the same at home).

Seems to depend who did the shopping, as there seems to be a different selection ship to ship, cruise to cruise, and sometimes dinner to dinner.(We were very happy last time to spot some Barefoot wines coming round).

All 2025 cruises will, apparently, be from Portsmouth.

 

[Dermotsgirl]

21 hours ago, nosapphire said:

@Dermotsgirl has given a very accurate, interesting and balanced report on her experiences, well worth reading.

Just to respond to two postersabove  about the Saga included wines.

The house wine is the wine that is found in the upper-middle shelf at many supermarkets with a choice of red,white,rose, and usually more than one brand of each available.

Don't like one, try another.Certainly not premium wine, but perfectly acceptable to most.

(Personally, as we only drink wine at dinner, I could happily forgo the included wines anyway).

Soft drinks, including soda waters, are also included, and I think some alcohol free wines/beers.

Small bottles of water to take ashore are provided at the gangway on port days (regardless of whether on a tour or independent).

There has heen some lively discussion on the Saga board about the coffee, mainly it being all machine coffee (albeit the type of machine that grinds the beans fresh for each cup) and is quite polarised between those dismayed about no barista-style coffee and those that find it pretty good coffee.

Don't forget that also included is 24 hour room service, including the dinner menu at dinner time (although in anything except a top suite, you'd probably have to order the entire meal to arrive at once, not course-by-course).

As for the car, you can have private transport for a rather exorbitant cost of (currently) £3.70 for each mile over the 75 mile range (each way). Let Saga know in advance if there are special requirements for transport - they use a big variety of vehicles. If you drive yourself, parking is included, and they make all the arrangements for you.

The speciality restaurants are rationed only to make sure that everybody on board has the opportunity to book; if this was not done, some people would pre-book early on for several nights making it very hard to fit in other passengers. As the cruise goes along, booking becomes easier.

The "funny system" for seating came about when the standard for most cruise lines was a single MDR with two fixed dinner sittings , usually 18:30 and 21:00.

Saga started off with the premise that they would never have two-sittings for dinner; all passengers would be able to sit down together in the MDR.

This worked well in the days with much smaller ships, a single dining room, a single dining time, and passengers who all expected to share a table of either 6 or 8.

The ships got bigger, people expected extra dining venues, flexibility, and tables for 2, so it became more of a juggling game to manage all the different requirements yet still be able to offer a single dining time.

It still works very well for those happy to share, as they get taken straight in; the ones waiting for a table are those (including me) who want a table for 2.

Sometimes, I do rather miss the whole-ship-sitting-down-together-ar-the-same-time situation, as it did give a great feeling of cohesion.

(Although the Saga adverts "dine wherever and whenever you like" do irritate me greatly, as it puts a spin on it that does not quite match up to the reality).

 

 

 

I think I bought into the whole idea of 'dine wherever and whenever you like, with who you like', and honestly expected that I could rock up to either the MDR or the Grill at any time during opening hours and get a decent table for two, which I now know isn't entirely the case.  There was one occasion, on the first formal night when we'd attended the welcome reception, but left slightly early to avoid the rush of everyone leaving at the same time. When we got to the MDR, there wasn't a single table for two left. I asked if we could come back later, but the lady on the podium couldn't suggest a time, and there was no way of contacting me when a table was available. In the end we went to the Grill but I did feel a bit disappointed that night.  However, I've learned from my experiences, so hopefully it'll be better next time.

 

We found the included wines to be very decent, and different labels were offered throughout the cruise. Our preference is New World wine, and I think most of the wines were from new world regions. 

 

I like my coffee, and liked the self service bean to cup machine in the library, and made good use of this service and thought it was very nice. However, I was quite surprised there wasn't a proper barista coffee service in the Living Room.

 

I thought the bottles of water at the gangway was a nice touch, and the self service ice cream machine in the pool area.  Plus the big  jars of boiled sweets.

 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

20 hours ago, Selbourne said:

If we can get the right Saga cruise at the right price we shall give them a go. 

Even though I did have a few issues with Saga, I'm really glad we had already booked another cruise with them, and I'm looking forward to next May when we sail with Saga again, armed with our insight from our previous experiences.  

 

After that, my feeling is we will probably have more short breaks than long holidays (for 'reasons' I won't go into here!)

 

We'd probably give consider Britannia Club on Cunard for a week, and I'm also back to wondering if I'd give Iona a try. 

[Selbourne]

36 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Even though I did have a few issues with Saga, I'm really glad we had already booked another cruise with them, and I'm looking forward to next May when we sail with Saga again, armed with our insight from our previous experiences.  

 

After that, my feeling is we will probably have more short breaks than long holidays (for 'reasons' I won't go into here!)

 

We'd probably give consider Britannia Club on Cunard for a week, and I'm also back to wondering if I'd give Iona a try. 

We are in Britannia Club with Cunard for 2 weeks in May, when you are back with Saga, so we can compare notes afterwards! We have 2 x 14 nighters on Ventura between now and then, so will have experienced 3 different P&O ships and 2 different Cunard ones since the re-start. It is currently our intention, all being well, to use both lines going forward. As to whether Saga will come into the mix only time will tell. We were underwhelmed with their latest releases. I was keen to do the Northern Lights cruise with them, but they don’t spend as many nights in port as P&O do, which is pretty essential for the best viewing opportunities 🙄

[Dermotsgirl]

56 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We are in Britannia Club with Cunard for 2 weeks in May, when you are back with Saga, so we can compare notes afterwards! We have 2 x 14 nighters on Ventura between now and then, so will have experienced 3 different P&O ships and 2 different Cunard ones since the re-start. It is currently our intention, all being well, to use both lines going forward. As to whether Saga will come into the mix only time will tell. We were underwhelmed with their latest releases. I was keen to do the Northern Lights cruise with them, but they don’t spend as many nights in port as P&O do, which is pretty essential for the best viewing opportunities 🙄

I haven’t looked at any other cruises with Saga after May. I would consider them again if the itinerary was right (and the price!). But we’ll probably go elsewhere if we decide to do another cruise, and look at Saga again in a couple of years 

[TigerB]

@Dermotsgirl, I've finally gotten around to reading your review, and have found it very useful; thanks!👍

 

We too are averse to table sharing and the bank of two-seaters that are so close to each other that you can practically taste the food of the couple next to you.

 

Although I am still looking at the pros and cons of SAGA v P&O for the particular Northern Lights cruises we are considering, I think your review has been instrumental in swaying it for us.  When they call to see if we want to book, I'll probably decline, but will also pre-register for the winter season of 2028; I would feel more at ease spending so much money if it was for a really special occasion, like my 60th.

[Denarius]

2 hours ago, TigerB said:

@Dermotsgirl, I've finally gotten around to reading your review, and have found it very useful; thanks!👍

 

We too are averse to table sharing and the bank of two-seaters that are so close to each other that you can practically taste the food of the couple next to you.

 

Although I am still looking at the pros and cons of SAGA v P&O for the particular Northern Lights cruises we are considering, I think your review has been instrumental in swaying it for us.  When they call to see if we want to book, I'll probably decline, but will also pre-register for the winter season of 2028; I would feel more at ease spending so much money if it was for a really special occasion, like my 60th.

I think that it is very much a matter of horses for courses. In my experience Saga very much harks back to the older days of cruising when an ocean cruise was very much seen as a sociable holiday and interaction with your fellow passengers in the lounges and on shared tables at dinner was very much a part of it. Indeed, this onboard camaraderie appears to be one of the reasons why many people especially solo travellers sail with Saga. As one of the latter I welcome the abundance of shared tables, but accept that others may prefer to avoid them. But only they can decide whether relative unavailability of tables for two is of sufficient importance to them to put them off booking with them.

[Selbourne]

19 minutes ago, Denarius said:

I think that it is very much a matter of horses for courses. In my experience Saga very much harks back to the older days of cruising when an ocean cruise was very much seen as a sociable holiday and interaction with your fellow passengers in the lounges and on shared tables at dinner was very much a part of it. Indeed, this onboard camaraderie appears to be one of the reasons why many people especially solo travellers sail with Saga. As one of the latter I welcome the abundance of shared tables, but accept that others may prefer to avoid them. But only they can decide whether relative unavailability of tables for two is of sufficient importance to them to put them off booking with them.

That’s an interesting perspective and makes a lot of sense. I think where I am still struggling is the price premium. Whilst we can afford it, I always like to feel that I am getting good value. I would enjoy the included drinks (as long as choice isn’t restricted) but my wife drinks very little alcohol these days. I’m sure that the food would be better than P&O and being very modern ships the accessibility features would be appreciated. However, I hadn’t considered that there might be some areas where they weren’t as good as P&O. We have never struggled to get a table for 2 with P&O and we rarely get the banquette style - almost always a proper table for two (and sometimes a 4 top for sole use). We always enjoy chatting to other cruisers, but less so at meals nowadays. My wife’s worsening disability means that I sometimes have to cut things up for her which she feels very embarrassed about. She also cannot talk whilst eating without choking. For these reasons, a table for 2 that is not up close and personal to another table for 2 is absolutely essential for us. It sounds as though this might be a little harder to achieve on Saga?

[Dermotsgirl]

3 hours ago, TigerB said:

@Dermotsgirl, I've finally gotten around to reading your review, and have found it very useful; thanks!👍

 

We too are averse to table sharing and the bank of two-seaters that are so close to each other that you can practically taste the food of the couple next to you.

 

Although I am still looking at the pros and cons of SAGA v P&O for the particular Northern Lights cruises we are considering, I think your review has been instrumental in swaying it for us.  When they call to see if we want to book, I'll probably decline, but will also pre-register for the winter season of 2028; I would feel more at ease spending so much money if it was for a really special occasion, like my 60th.

Yes, I totally understand, it is a lot of money, and I personally am not comfortable with paying Saga prices for every cruise that I might do in the future.

 

I'm hoping that, when I go back on Spirit of Adventure  in May, I'll be able to report back with hints and tips on how I improved my table for 2 experience 

[TigerB]

30 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Yes, I totally understand, it is a lot of money, and I personally am not comfortable with paying Saga prices for every cruise that I might do in the future.

 

I'm hoping that, when I go back on Spirit of Adventure  in May, I'll be able to report back with hints and tips on how I improved my table for 2 experience 

 

I'll look forward to that.

 

I take onboard the comments of @Denarius and others, and it's not just the table for two situation that gives me pause for thought. I feel we would definitely try the product, and that is why we have subscribed to the pre-registration scheme for the upcoming four seasons.  But I've only been retired for a little over a year, and there are plenty of things we want to do before our lass gets fed up of me, and sends me back to work; so, we are doing those things that are higher up on our bucket list, mixed in with cheaper P&O cruises. Perhaps though, we will wait until my 60th, so we can justify the cost. I don't want to blow my lump sum too soon!🤭

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

That’s an interesting perspective and makes a lot of sense. I think where I am still struggling is the price premium. Whilst we can afford it, I always like to feel that I am getting good value. I would enjoy the included drinks (as long as choice isn’t restricted) but my wife drinks very little alcohol these days. I’m sure that the food would be better than P&O and being very modern ships the accessibility features would be appreciated. However, I hadn’t considered that there might be some areas where they weren’t as good as P&O. We have never struggled to get a table for 2 with P&O and we rarely get the banquette style - almost always a proper table for two (and sometimes a 4 top for sole use). We always enjoy chatting to other cruisers, but less so at meals nowadays. My wife’s worsening disability means that I sometimes have to cut things up for her which she feels very embarrassed about. She also cannot talk whilst eating without choking. For these reasons, a table for 2 that is not up close and personal to another table for 2 is absolutely essential for us. It sounds as though this might be a little harder to achieve on Saga?

I also have to cut up most meat dishes for my wife, however maybe she is more thick skinned than yours, but this does not concern her, and in fact we have never noticed any table companions taking exception to this.  Personally I find that it is easier for me to do this when sitting next to her on a shared 6 or 8 top, than it is when seated opposite her on a 2 top, and we often now ask the waiter to cut up her meat, which they always seem more than willing to do.

Edited October 13, 2023 by terrierjohn

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

I also have to cut up most meat dishes for my wife, however maybe she is more thick skinned than yours, but this does not concern her, and in fact we have never noticed any table companions taking exception to this.  Personally I find that it is easier for me to do this when sitting next to her on a shared 6 or 8 top, than it is when seated opposite her on a 2 top, and we often now ask the waiter to cut up her meat, which they always seem more than willing to do.

Again, a great perspective John and could be extremely pertinent given a rash booking I have made today which I might post about later when I get over the shock 😂 

[TigerB]

13 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Again, a great perspective John and could be extremely pertinent given a rash booking I have made today which I might post about later when I get over the shock 😂 

 

Intriguing!

Have you gone a fair bit over you £200/night threshold?🤫

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

Intriguing!

Have you gone a fair bit over you £200/night threshold?🤫

Nope. I’ll do a separate thread as it’s a bit of a story 🤣