nosapphire

Seems that Saga must be changing policy/saving money. Previously, even on fully booked tours, the coaches were never totally filled; there were always about half-a-dozen empty seats on each coach, which meant that nobody got stuck next to a window pillar with limited view. Filling every single seat on a coach would be fine if the coach is just a transfer from the ship to the excursion, but doing it on a panoramic/scenic tour is a little bit mean.

Just off the Discovery (Norway) and we took the 2 included excursions, which we knew were panoramic. The one in Bergen we were hopping off and on the coach for quick walkabouts to look at things, the one in Stavangar we were able to get off once for a photo stop. We were fortunate to have good guides and good drivers for both, so they were quite interesting tours. One thing that IS a problem, whereas Saga previously never filled the coach up, there were always half a dozen empty seats, on these every seat was occupied, which meant the panorama was not as good as it should be for those who got landed with a seat by a window pillar. A full 51 seater coach is always going to have problems stopping in a position that allows everybody on the coach to even see what is being described, let alone photograph it. No idea if the paid-for excursions are also having every seat full or not. I would be quite happy for no included excursions, and no included drinks and a lower fare - but presumably included everything is what people want (or what Saga think people want) so that is what we get.

We always ask for a fixed table for two in the MDR, and while there is no guarantee of getting it, never been disappointed yet. On the recent cruise (full ship) our card said that after 7pm our table would be released to other guests, but - as above - this is not rigid, and I imagine has been put in place because of some guests having a fixed table but then deciding to eat in the Grill, or have room service, without bothering to let the dining room know. We never felt we were rushed to finish our meal and vacate the table. As far as I am aware, it is not possible to reserve a fixed table in the Grill.

Just come off the Discovery, and there is still small amounts of soot at times, but nothing unexpected or out of the ordinary; most noticed after using the outside aft staircase handrail - when arriving at the top, some marks on your hands, but I mean "some marks", not black palms. Some lounger cushions are quite badly stained with what looks like old soot, but there are always plenty of clean towels available outside to put down. Never been on a ship yet that did not sometimes have smuts on deck, so I think the last week was a pretty clean one. (Noticeable that smoke from the funnel was pale blue, not black.)

In 2018 we switched a 2020 cruise to a later (longer/more expensive) 2020 cruise without penalty and actually ended up with a better cabin grade for less than we would have paid for the same grade on the original cruise. (Of course, outside circumstances conspired so it ended up being cancelled anyway). I don't have the booking terms and conditions, but have just looked at the current terms and conditions, and see that under section 6 halfway down it states that if you wish to change the date of your cruise (which surely has to mean transfer the booking to a different cruise) standard cancellation charges will apply. So better off asking the question directly with Saga before making any decision. https://travel.saga.co.uk/-/media/acromas/sagatravel/files/booking conditions/saga ocean cruise/nhw-ap6581_cruise_2024_online_booking_conds_feb_23.pdf

Just be aware that the £2.50 per mile is to extend the shared service if you live outside the 250/300 mile range. If you live over 75 miles away and want to upgrade to a private car the cost is now £3.70 per mile each way (over the initial 75 miles). https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/ocean/the-saga-experience/inclusions.aspx

No problem with a debate about coffee, makes a change from debates about the wine (both the included and the pay-for) which had the same range of varying opinions as to the quality. Hopefully, there will be enough things that Saga do right to make your cruise enjoyable. It will be interesting to hear your opinions after the cruise (the cruise in general, not just the coffee....).

To make sure we are all talking about the same type of coffee machine - the ones on Saga or, the ones that I know of on Saga) are the "bean-to-cup" type, where there is a pod at the top filled with coffee beans and the machine grinds them when you push the button. They are not the type filled with packs of powdered coffee.

There is no such thing as a perfect cruise line, it just depends what things that people consider important. Saga was always - traditionally - a low-key, extremely comfortable line with excellent service and very good food. Until the new ships came out, Saga adverts were always rather understated, so most people generally found that they received a much better quality experience than they expected. The comfort is still there (actually, much better - anyone remember the eccentric plumbing on the Saga Rose? Or the way the "automatic" doors on the Sapphire had to be manually forced open and closed?) but at the same time the current advertising with so much emphasis on "premium" and "luxury" has given people much higher expectations - so when some things aren't quite as premium as stated, it gets noticed. Still, we've had librarygate (a lack of books will still annoy me) so now we can have coffeegate.

On the Discovery, we saw the mealtime coffee carafes being filled up from the machines. On the Sapphire and the Pearl II, the machine coffee was (to our minds) much better (tasted like a richer blend with mainly Arabica beans) so the suspicion is that Saga are now using a cheaper blend of beans. Likewise, on the Sapphire and Pearl, the mealtime coffee was filter cafetiere coffee, not from the machine - (the breakfast coffee was excellent, but the after dinner coffee tasted like a single bean to a gallon of water, so we always skipped that and went to the machine later). Now it is all the same - acceptable, but not as good.

Hopefully somebody who can remember the sockets will come along with accurate information. There is a hairdryer in the cabin, and IF my memory serves me correctly, it has a continental plug so you unplug the kettle (which is on the dressing table) and plug in the hairdryer. Saga are pretty good at finding things out for you, so try emailing customer services, telling them what your cabin number is, and asking how many 3pin sockets it has and where they are. They won't know the answer, but will probably email the ship and ask them for the information.

Your best bet is to contact Saga, explain why you want to take an extension lead and what you want to use it for, and ask them what types, if any, they accept. We have several devices that need charging on a cruise, most of them with USB connectors,and simply take their own charging cables and a couple of 3pin plugs. You can buy 3pin plugs that have 2 USB outlets to charge 2 USB devices at once, and the ship also has USB socket by the bed (2 in a twin cabin) so USB devices can be plugged straight in without a 3pin plug. Can't remember how many3pin wall sockets there are - I think it was two, although we had to unplug the TV to use one. It would be very unusual for every single device that you take to need charging at the same time, so not sure why you want to take an extension lead with a multiple power strip attachment.

One muster drill that has always stuck in my mind was a sea day in the middle of a long cruise, I think it was the Saga Ruby, and back in the days when the muster station was at your lifeboat. It was a major crew drill, and Captain Philip Rentell made an announcement that any passengers who wished to join in the drill were welcome to do so, as it would assist the crew. A good majority of passengers did join in, and at our station several had returned to their cabins and retrieved their lifejackets, most (like us) simply came to the muster point from wherever we had been. It was the usual hubbub around the muster points, with a majority of passengers merrily (and loudly) chattering. Captain was making a patrol and was less than happy with what he found. First, the crew were thoroughly torn off a strip - why had they not opened the lockers and given all passengers a lifejacket? why were the walkways blocked by chatting passengers? why did they not have things under control? This alone quietened the chatting. Then, to our shock, he turned on us passengers - gone was the familiar "genial host persona", in place was very much a Captain responsible for the safety of the ship and all souls on board.. Why were we all standing around gossiping to each other? we should be standing quietly listening for instructions. Had none of us realised the purpose of a drill? By the time he left, nobody was in any doubt that a muster drill is important, not a social event to be treated as a minor interruption in the day.

Correct that it is not "free" transport - but I was so intrigued by the remark about upgrading costs as much as booking one yourself that I went and had a look. All I can say is... you must have very cheap cab companies. We are 135 miles from Southampton Cruise terminals, and all our local cab companies are council licenced (both taxi and private hire) - no Uber type cabs here. To use Saga transport upgrade to private, 135 less 75 = 60 miles. On another thread it was reported (May this year) that Saga charge £2.50 per excess mile, so upgrade to private = 60 miles x £2.50 = £150 each way, total £300 for a private car for both directions. Tariff for Southampton using local cab = £275 each way, so £550 total. Saga work out (for us) £250 cheaper, plus if it all goes pear shaped on the journey it is down to Saga to sort it.

Sounds like a good system. Many thanks to the three of you.

Last cruise we took was pre-pandemic, when the muster drill was the standard everybody to muster station when the alarm sounded. I know that when cruises restarted during the pandemic there were a lot of changes to avoid people crowding together. How does it work now?

In addition to my last post. When Saga pulled their Platinum credit card in early 2019, they handled it so badly that they ended up in 2020 paying compensation to a lot of people. The initial letter was poorly worded in such a way (along the lines of, "clear or transfer your balance or it will be transferred to a third party..") that people who were running a balance were panicked into thinking that the debt collectors would be called in. (I never ran a balance, so did not affect me, but I was surprised at the mildly threatening tone of the letter).

Not a Saga Life member - but have a look on the thread on MoneySavingExpert, and you are not the only one who is (a) unhappy and (b) thinks it a shoddy move. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6447957/saga-magazine-lifetime-subscription-compulsory-shift-to-digital-format With the problems that I routinely have with MySaga I certainly would not be confident with Saga's ability to organise a digital magazine. Anyway, I only renew my sub to Saga Magzine when the offer is around (or preferably below) £1 per print issue, as frankly I do not think it is worth any more than that.

Thank you for these lovely photos, interesting posts, and informative and well balanced comments.

Now you say that, it has made me remember that at the time I thought that it might have been easier to do it myself. When I phoned (sometime after sending the forms the ESTA site still had no record of any application for me) the lady at Saga was so stressed out that she almost-but-not-quite snapped at me. And this was before the working from home started. They had all the crew to do, as well as the passengers (with people phoning to find out how it was going), so no wonder they were feeling the strain. Hey ho - if the ETIAS does come in as forecast, we'll all get used to the forms (according to the ETIAS official website, over 70s won't have to pay) (Although 'tis only 7 Euros anyway)..

Suppose they have to say something to stop accusations of cost-cutting (heaven forbid). Our last cruise 2019-20 they arranged the ESTA - indeed, they highlighted the fact that they include so much in the fare that this was done for you at no extra costs. I will admit, it took quite a long time for them to get it done, so with the fact that now pretty much all their staff are working from home (offices have been/are being sold) plus they did get rid of a lot of their staff, they probably can no longer physically do this. I now see that they have made it clear that when the European ETIAS comes into force (2024) you will have to arrange that yourself. More likely to be the pure logistics of getting it done than anything else. Still a shame - one less bragging point ("well, we use Saga and they arrange it all for us...")

No, not in the same way as some other lines. Their fares start off with discounts, which reduce as the bookings increase. Close to sailing, if the cruise has not sold well they will offer guarantee cabins at a discounted price (although not the maximum discount that was bagged by the first people to book) Britannia Club members and Saga Magazine subscribers sometimes get offered additional discounts on selected cruises (again, usually those that aren't selling well). But if you mean in the way of - say, P&O - where you can pay a higher fare for added perks, or a lower fare for less perks - no, Saga don't. Likewise, they do not have added packages for their fares (such as drinks packages) - it is either included in whatever fare you pay, or you pay for it as you want it. The only "perk" that can be removed is the included insurance - if you don't want it they take it off the price.

There is no programme for pre-registry - you phone up and pre-register for whenever you want. You can pre-register now for any year, so if you know that you want a specific date for - say - 2027, you can phone now. There is a separate fee of £90 per person for each date, so if you register for- say - spring 2025, autumn 2025, and and spring 2026, you pay separately for each. The fee gets deducted from any cruise you book, or is fully refundable if you do not book (even if you simply change your mind after pre-registration)(it is probably the most flexible system out there). The programme referred to by FatBoy20 is the programme mailed out to people who have already pre-registered, and Saga have no set time for issuing either programmes or brochures. Pre-registry is definitely the way to get an early choice and the best fares.

ADDED. On reflection, the cheese trolley at dinner was a recent addition for the Discovery. If my memory serves (it doesn't always) ordering from the dessert menu and having it brought to you plated was the standard on the Sapphire, Pearl, Ruby and Rose. Same with the breakfast toast patrol in the grill - cannot recall that on the old ships. Always had to go and order it.

Now that seems a definite downgrade. But....I wonder if it is because the cheese is popular and it took far too long to get the trolley round from table to table (I recall waiters anxiously trotting round the dining room looking for the trolley) so keeping the cheese static and plating up the request makes service easier and faster. Shame though - looking at the trolley and saying a small piece of that and a bigger bit of that and - ooh - yes, must have some of that as well, and maybe a bit of that one too... was part of the enjoyment. (Probably the reason why the trolley took so long, come to think of it). We'll be on board later this year, and be interested to see if there is still the same excellent variety, just not via the trolley - in which case we'll assume is a time factor and happily tuck in to our selection. Or - (hopefully not) - a just a choice of three bog-standard plated cheeses, in which case we'll be complaining like crazy.