First time Saga cruiser. Chauffeur service question.

[Fox trotter]

We are looking at our first Saga cruise and have a query about the included chauffeur service.

 

The brochure states a limit of 300 miles for the free service. Is this 'as the crow flies', or the actual road distance?

 

Having checked a couple of route websites, the road distance from our home to Dover is 303 miles so we are just outside the limit. Is there an option to pay for the extra mileage?

 

 

[nosapphire]

It is the actual road distance (shortest route) - think they use AA routefinder or similar.

The mileage for 2024 is private car up to 75 miles, shared up to 300 miles.

For 2025 the shared transport is nationwide.

Yes, there is an option to pay for the excess mileage - think it is currently £2.50 per mile (just for the extra mileage).

 

[Wivvy]

With a little judicious amendment of the precise route it might be possible to shave off those 3 miles, but if not Saga may well be prepared to ignore the very small extra distance just to get a booking.  Most things in life are negotiable. 😉

[Sekhmet]

I believe the rules have changed a little (or may be changing for 2025), and the included transport is no longer distance limited. 

The Saga website FAQs has the following answer to the "Is the UK Travel Service available from anywhere?"

'Our return UK travel service is available to anyone in mainland England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands. We're not currently able to offer the service to those in the Scottish Islands, Isle of Man, Sark or the Isles of Scilly.'

Hope this helps?

 

Edited April 1 by Sekhmet

[Brummijam]

Included return chauffeur service

A chauffeur will pick you up from home and take you to the port at Dover or Portsmouth.

2024 cruises: A private chauffeur if you live up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service up to 300 miles.

2025 cruises: A private chauffeur if you live up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service nationwide

 

As a previous poster has said everything is always negotiable. Worst possible scenario is you end up paying for the few extra miles.

 

 

 

Edited April 2 by Brummijam
Spellink

[LondonLad60]

22 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

Included return chauffeur service

A chauffeur will pick you up from home and take you to the port at Dover or Portsmouth.

2024 cruises: A private chauffeur if you live up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service up to 300 miles.

2025 cruises: A private chauffeur if you live up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service nationwide

 

As a previous poster has said everything is always negotiable. Worst possible scenario is you end up paying for the few extra miles.

 

22 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

Having seen photos and read comments on previous threads regarding this subject I would always opt for paying the extra for a private car.

 

 

[Brummijam]

4 minutes ago, LondonLad60 said:

I would imagine that a private car for 300 plus miles would cost a small fortune.

Dont forget that you are paying for the transport in with the price of the cruise already.

 

 

Edited April 2 by Brummijam

[LondonLad60]

2 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

 

I quite agree that's true for anyone that lives any distance from the ports, but I am fortunate in that I live well within 75 miles of Portsmouth (and Southampton when Saga used that port) and about 100 miles from Dover, so for a private car to Dover, to me it is worth he extra cost

[Spence55]

39 minutes ago, Brummijam said:

At £3.70 a mile it’s extortionate. The transport provider allegedly gets nothing like that from Saga. We had a journey from hell in a shared MPV taking us back home from Dover, and have booked the private option since. But the latest price hike means even after the 75 mile allowance each way we’d have to pay an extra £780 for East Midlands/Portsmouth return. Given residents of Jersey and Guernsey, not even in the UK, will have included flights Saga has lost our business. I’m not going to be ripped off to subsidise residents of offshore tax havens. 

 

[Brummijam]

6 hours ago, LondonLad60 said:

I quite agree that's true for anyone that lives any distance from the ports, but I am fortunate in that I live well within 75 miles of Portsmouth (and Southampton when Saga used that port) and about 100 miles from Dover, so for a private car to Dover, to me it is worth he extra cost

Fortunately for you paying the extra cost for a private car isn’t going to break the bank, 

The original poster has a 300 mile plus journey so a private car would be astronomical. Your reply hasn’t really helped the topic being discussed.🤷🏻‍♂️

[Alcairns]

A word of warning on the travel service - you may be picked up at all hours of the day. We were picked up at 2:30 am for an 11:00 train from St Pancras. By the time we got to the vessel we were shattered and spent the first two days recovering. If we had to do it again we would have made our own way to London. 

[JMMKUK]

6 hours ago, Alcairns said:

A word of warning on the travel service - you may be picked up at all hours of the day. We were picked up at 2:30 am for an 11:00 train from St Pancras. By the time we got to the vessel we were shattered and spent the first two days recovering. If we had to do it again we would have made our own way to London. 

You can request Saga to pick you up the day before & you pay for your overnight hotel.

[Alcairns]

1 hour ago, JMMKUK said:

You can request Saga to pick you up the day before & you pay for your overnight hotel.

Thanks - we did learn this after the event. 

[arlowood]

On 4/7/2024 at 9:41 AM, Alcairns said:

A word of warning on the travel service - you may be picked up at all hours of the day. We were picked up at 2:30 am for an 11:00 train from St Pancras. By the time we got to the vessel we were shattered and spent the first two days recovering. If we had to do it again we would have made our own way to London. 

I'm guessing this aberration is uniquely linked to river cruises where you opt for Eurostar services into Europe rather than taking a flight option.

Most if not all ocean cruises depart from Dover or Portsmouth  with the sail away being around 5-6pm. Pick up times for those are usually more sensible - certainly not 2.30am

[nosapphire]

Our last river cruise was with Titan (owned by Saga).

Received pick-up time 10:10  the day prior to departure.

Queried this, and were told it was actually 22:10.

Queried why we needed to be collected the day before to make a 93 mile trip to join a coach departing at 07:00 (for Eurotunnel crossing 08:39).

Mmm.

Pick up changed to 03:35 on the day of departure.

 

The car transfer was, in the end, fine.

Less said about the rest of it, the better.

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

We had a shared transport last time, comfortable big merc 8 seater for 4 , nice company to chat to. Added 30 mins max.

 

Certainly not worth the extra £600 for private transport

[DohaBreeze]

15 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

We had a shared transport last time, comfortable big merc 8 seater for 4 , nice company to chat to. Added 30 mins max.

 

Certainly not worth the extra £600 for private transport

That's really good to hear. We made our own way last year - the day before as we were arriving and leaving from the same port. Didn't feel we could do that this year as we leave from Portsmouth and arrive back in Dover. We have a long journey from North Yorkshire and am hoping for a pleasant journey down on the day 🙂

[Bloodaxe]

3 hours ago, DohaBreeze said:

That's really good to hear. We made our own way last year - the day before as we were arriving and leaving from the same port. Didn't feel we could do that this year as we leave from Portsmouth and arrive back in Dover. We have a long journey from North Yorkshire and am hoping for a pleasant journey down on the day 🙂

 

Last year's sheared transport we were picked up in North Yorkshire at 0830, arrived in Dover by 13.30, return home very similar, great service

[unicron73]

hi

first time cruiser

going from sidmouth to dover for norway cruise

does anyone have a rough idea of journey length,pick up time and how many stops on route

my bladder will need several stops on route

thanks

[Tabicat]

21 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

We had a shared transport last time, comfortable big merc 8 seater for 4 , nice company to chat to. Added 30 mins max.

 

Certainly not worth the extra £600 for private transport

 

1 hour ago, unicron73 said:

hi

first time cruiser

going from sidmouth to dover for norway cruise

does anyone have a rough idea of journey length,pick up time and how many stops on route

my bladder will need several stops on route

thanks

 

[Tabicat]

Just now, Tabicat said:

 

 

Our last cruise involved a shared car (people carrier)  We were the first pick up and the driver told us there were two more to pick up on the way, both in the same town.  Well we got to the first one and waited for about twenty minutes before we told the driver he should phone.  He did and was told by the lady inside the house that she would be out shortly.  It was a further fifteen minutes before she emerged and then she made him undo her case as she had forgotten to pack something.  Then we had to pick up the next lady.  Luckily she was ready, but decided en route that she wanted to stop for a "comfort break" 

Next time we will pay the extra for a car to ourselves

[FatBoy20]

1 hour ago, unicron73 said:

hi

first time cruiser

going from sidmouth to dover for norway cruise

does anyone have a rough idea of journey length,pick up time and how many stops on route

my bladder will need several stops on route

thanks

Last time we left for Dover it took just over 4 hrs from Crewkerne Somerset (we were second pick up) Stop at Amesbury for Coffee & Loo (Other passengers were from Torbay). Then quick Loo Stop @ Services on M20. Our pick up was 10.00am.

[arlowood]

1 hour ago, unicron73 said:

hi

first time cruiser

going from sidmouth to dover for norway cruise

does anyone have a rough idea of journey length,pick up time and how many stops on route

my bladder will need several stops on route

thanks

Looking on Google maps it seems like a journey of around 4hrs 30mins depending on which route your driver chooses (A303, M3, M25, M20) or (A35, A31, M27, M3, M25 etc).

As for toilet stops just let your driver know how long you want to travel before you have a break. Predictable toilet stops may be a bit more difficult on the A-roads, but once you reach the motorways there will be several service areas to choose from.

[Bloodaxe]

26 minutes ago, Tabicat said:

Our last cruise involved a shared car (people carrier)  We were the first pick up and the driver told us there were two more to pick up on the way, both in the same town.  Well we got to the first one and waited for about twenty minutes before we told the driver he should phone.  He did and was told by the lady inside the house that she would be out shortly.  It was a further fifteen minutes before she emerged and then she made him undo her case as she had forgotten to pack something.  Then we had to pick up the next lady.  Luckily she was ready, but decided en route that she wanted to stop for a "comfort break" 

Next time we will pay the extra for a car to ourselves

 

Hardly Sagas fault, no accounting for some peoples actions.

Edited April 9 by Bloodaxe

[Tabicat]

Agree with you