Mungo99

Interesting. Thanks for the update.

You may well be right and playing it by ear is not unreasonable for a ship that is sitting there ready to go. However, they are still selling cruises in September on a ship that hasn't been launched yet and their own statement to the AGM this week said it wouldn't be delivered until end of October. That just seems a bit different to me.

Thanks for that. I see the statement has also now appeared on the website.

Sounds like those booked on the inaugural cruise are getting contacted first so it'll be interesting to see where it is going when they do manage to get restarted.

Quite so. I wasn't necessarily contemplating a refund at the moment but I do expect a bit of honesty and, by not being honest with their 'valued loyal customers', it does seriously colour my views on whether to roll the money over or just ask for it back.

I think I'll give it until the middle of July before I start asking 'questions' (having been told the balance is now due circa end of July).

If anyone knows a lawyer. it would be interesting to get a view. I'm sure that asking for/taking money, knowing that the product being bought is not available must be against the law. Obtaining money by false pretences etc.....?

Can't help but agree about the cost saving prediction and that there is nowhere to sail to at the present time. Presumably you saw that it looks like Pullmantur (part owned by Royal Caribbean) is going bust with them stripping the ships of anything valuable. 

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2020/06/articles/disease/is-pullmantur-cruises-ending-operations/

Today's trading update sheds some light on which Sprit of Adventure cruises are likely to be affected. "The sale of the Saga Sapphire was completed on 12 June on terms broadly in line with previous expectations and the latest indication for the Spirit of Adventure is that she will be delivered by the end of October." Group liquidity is obviously the main concern.

......and all references to Saga Sapphire disappeared from the Travel Updates page today too.

Thanks L&C. Our post doesn't come until later so presumably we have a letter on it's way too. Sounds like they still think there's a chance.

Surely there is a difference between accepting payment for a cruise on a ship which is floating and fully ready to go, as soon as it is allowed to do so, and taking payment for a cruise on a ship which hasn't even been commisioned yet and is unlikely to be so at the time of the cruise?  (E.g. - still selling Inaugural cruise on Aug 21st not on date tba.)

In the first case, the cruise company is presumably raring to go at fairly short notice so can understand why they take payment on a 30 day rolling period.

At least there seems to be some sort of official announcement, even if their own website is silent.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23027-saga-s-new-spirit-of-adventure-is-delayed.html 

Good tip nosapphire, thanks. Quite a lot of chat about cruise ships and the one I looked at had several contributions saying the shipyard was saying that the SoA was definitely delayed - possibly to September 2021. Suspect it won't be that long, unless Saga decide to delay it for marketing reasons. I'm sure we're all supportive but would welcome a bit of honesty from Saga.....!

Saga's AGM is in Folkestone on 22nd June so it would be strange if someone didn't ask an outright question about the delivery of Sprit of Adventure. The Annual Report, which forms the basis of the AGM, states "While there is uncertainty over the delivery date for Spirit of Adventure as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, our expectation is that this will be completed within the next 12 months."

That's interesting - Saga has announced on its website that Saga Holidays and Spirit of Discovery cruises are now remaining suspended until 1st September as opposed to 1st August. If you look at the Booking webpage, you can still book the Spirit of Adventure Inaugural cruise on 23rd August. No mention of whether it will actually be ready to sail or not?

I suspect we are on the same cruise as L&C (Taste of France) with the balance due at the end of June. We have other sailings booked with them and are sympathetic to their cashflow problems, but would prefer a bit of old fashioned honesty.  If the ship has effectively not been launched, they surely can't continue to take new bookings and balances for existing bookings, KNOWING that the ship will not be sailing? (Even the Saga plc update in April said that SoA was likely to be delivered in the next 12 months.)

The test for us will be whether they are prepared to arrange expensive air travel to Dover if they know the ship is not sailing - we live in Scotland.