GerryL13

On 4/25/2024 at 10:45 AM, Kohima said:

Digital communications definitely have their place but sometimes you can’t beat a paper copy. Anyone who has tried to look at a map on their phone in bright sunlight (and without their reading glasses!) will know what I mean. Sadly, Saga no longer provides paper maps so, for independent exploration, its a case of printing out your own at home or hoping to find a tourist information office which is open.
It’s interesting that Saga’ drive to reduce paper waste (when it suits them) does not extend to the sending out of multiple brochures.

I get most of my communications digitally -- including bills. No brochures at all from Saga as they don't routinely mail those internationally. (I am flooded with brochures from Viking and Oceania, though.)

With digital communication, I print out the pages I want to keep and highlight. So, yes, paper is consumed, but fewer pages, and it doesn't need to be carted around in airplanes or trucks.

I'd like to add to the rumors (or rumours). When I was on a Viking ship in December, an officer told me he'd heard that Saga was building a new ship. (This officer knew some of the Saga captains.) Coincidentally, when I was on SoA in May and asked at the Captain Q&A about a third ship, he said he'd let us know as soon as he heard. I'm doing lots of wishful thinking here. I guess we'll find out when we find out.

11 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Are you sure this was in Viking?  Life jackets aren’t kept in the staterooms-at least not in V, DV, PV🤔

I might be mistaken about the life jackets, but the coffee machine was definitely tucked away on the top shelf of the closet (DV cabin). I managed to pull it down without dropping it on my head!

Some people are bothered on the final night of a cruise when their bags are packed and the empty hangers in the closet keep rattling. One person on a different cruise line posted a tip: push all the hangers together and put a bath towel folded longwise through the opening. 

On 3/27/2024 at 8:58 AM, OneSixtyToOne said:

If you don’t use the coffee maker, ask the stewards will remove it. It will give you extra storage space.

I asked the steward to remove the coffee maker, and it quickly disappeared. But toward the end of the cruise, I got Covid and was going to ask to have it brought back so I could make hot water for tea. Just before I asked, I discovered that it had never left the room. It was way up in the closet next to the life jackets. 😄

I've thought of seeing if I can get a larger cabin (than standard solo) by playing with the discounts, but since I fly in from afar, I book back-to-back cruises. Adding in the variable of trying to get the best deal on the same cabin for both cruises is more work than I want to load on my brain. I like the convenience of not having to change cabins between cruises, so I just go with the best solo standard that fits my needs -- for both.

On 3/14/2024 at 12:35 PM, Dolebludger said:

In my cruise research, I went to Saga’s web site and researched some cruises — both ocean and river. Following the online booking, I came upon the requirement that guests be UK  residents with a UK passport. We are not. We are US residents with US passports. So I ask, would we be allowed to cruise Saga?

I am a US citizen living in the US (West Coast). I finally took my first Saga ocean cruise(s) last Spring after years of waiting. As Covid was retreating and cruising starting back up, there were issues around non-residents cruising with Saga as they required a 10-day quarantine for anyone coming into the country -- or even from non-contiguous British Isles. Now the residency requirement is just for insurance. You will get a small discount for refusing the insurance and will need to get your own from a US insurer. (A much more expensive option, believe me.)

I am prepping now for a summer 2024 pair of Saga cruises. I've booked a pair for 2025. And just this morning, I pre-registered for 2026! You will be welcome.

Just pre-registered for 2nd half 2026!!! 😁

Someone from Saga called me -- pre-arranged -- because there is no way to pre-register online. She took my payment info, and now I need to make a new folder for my file cabinet: Saga 2026. 

I had breakfast at Barista most mornings on my cruise in October, sometimes including something from the Bakery. I liked it because it was calmer than the buffet. Occasionally, I'd pass through the buffet to pick up some fresh fruit on my way to Barista, where the morning fruit choice is limited. Coincidentally, when on Viking Ocean, I often had breakfast at Mamsen's in the forward lounge, again because it was calmer than the buffet.

2 hours ago, krueg2828 said:

Thanks for the info.  Have you taken a Saga cruise before??  If so, I will have a few questions for you…such as did you fly in to London?  I didn’t realize about the insurance, but I prefer to get my own anyway.  
 

i moved from FL to NC last year, just didn’t update my social media accounts yet.  Enjoy the weather in FL!

Yes. I did back-to-back cruises last year and will do another pair of cruises this summer. I flew into Heathrow and spent the night at a nearby hotel. You will need to let Saga know a couple of months ahead of time where you will need to be picked up and dropped off.

On 1/16/2024 at 7:17 AM, lisiamc said:

Thank you everyone! I’ve got a black taffeta skirt and a lacy black top that should do nicely, and I may go shopping for something sparkly as well.

You'll be fine. I made it through 5 formal nights with an LBD (little black dress) and a collection of accessories.

53 minutes ago, benjaminnicholas said:

I've done both and prefer the design, service, food and spa on Viking ships.

 

O, even the newer ships, feel stodgy.  Especially the tech.  It's woefully behind the industry.

Last year I had the opportunity to cruise on Oceania Vista and on Viking -- both for the first time. One of the differences I really noticed was in the public spaces. The atrium on the Viking ship really is a Living Room -- as it is called. Very welcoming. A comfortable place to relax and gather. On the Vista, the atrium feels more like the lobby of a large hotel. More business-like than relaxing. Very little seating.

Also, on Vista there is no promenade deck and no public areas to relax and see the ocean below the highest decks.

On 1/15/2024 at 12:50 PM, krueg2828 said:

I might be booking…from the States.  We want to do Noway in summer 2025, so here I am trying to figure how to do that with no schedule out.  I would enjoy spending a few weeks with Brits!

I also book from the States. The Summer 2025 schedule won't be out for a couple of months yet. When the online catalogue of trips comes out, you can review it and ask (by email or chat function) to have a sales rep call you to answer any question you might have and to book your cruise. (I don't have international calling, so I can't call Saga myself. I have never tried booking online.) It would help if you let them know in your pre-call communication, which cruise and which kind of cabin you are looking to book.
 

A couple of caveats:

You may already have figured out that you will not be eligible for the included insurance if you are not a UK resident. You will need to get your own insurance from a US company.

You won't be able to set up a My Saga account without a valid UK address. But once you have booked a cruise, you can see your booking by using the Manage My Booking feature on the website.

PS I'll be visiting Fort Pierce for a few days in March.

On 1/7/2024 at 11:16 AM, buffcurmudgeon said:

Strange room service menu with only one sandwich available!  No club or ham and cheese…

I was confined to my cabin the final two days and could order anything from the Restaurant menu -- didn't try to order from Manfredi's, but that might have been possible. I don't know whether anyone can order from the non-room-service menu during regular dining hours, but you might want to try. When the food was delivered, often the servers did not seem to realize I was confined.

6 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Likewise.  I don't sweat it and never get advance reservations.

I always wait until I get onboard - and have never had any issues.

Also, throughout the cruise, people:

1. Cancel reservations all the time

2. Was told they have at least a 10-20% no show rate (lots of people are not courteous)

    So just show up at about 5:50-5:55 and ask if you can be seated.  We've done that many times and never had to wait more than 15 minutes.

And if you are experiencing rough seas, there are likely to be a lot of no-shows. So, if you are not prone to sea sickness, head to Manfredi's when the ship is rocking.😉

5 hours ago, JMMKUK said:

We got stuck in a lift on Silver Wind back in 2017. Luckily it wasn't between floors. After that we noticed it was OOS a lot.

On SoA last twice lifts were often OOS but not for very long. I always assumed it was because the crew were using them for a something important. I know they do that when they are taking a medical emergency to level 4.

In October, a lift (aka elevator) on brand new Oceania Vista was often problematic and had been during previous month. It would frequently refuse to move, and a disembodied voice would announce that there were too many people, and someone had to get out before the doors would close -- even when there were only a few normal-sized bodies waiting to move. And it was one of the larger lifts. It seems that the more high-tech something is, the more likely malfunctions will happen. 

11 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

I'm really interested since you actually saw what goes on in the laundry area, how things are done. You mention they sort into different fabric types, and I'm sure temps and colors, but then what happens? Do they put your clothes into an individual bag and throw it in with everyone else's bags in large washers and dryers? Can you tell us more.....thanks! 

Every item is tagged with your cabin number. There are three checks to make sure the number of items matches the number of items on your list. Tip: since the tags are applied thermally, you can remove them using heat. No mention was made of bags.

I did a tour this week on Star of galley and laundry. Very interesting. They use different machines for different types of fabric, so your items are not all washed together. Dry cleaning is a non-chemical process. ID labels are applied thermally, so they advised to use heat to remove the labels.

Currently onboard first Viking cruise. I do not find the products very scented at all. I don’t like perfumed products, and these have not been a concern for me.

22 hours ago, Denarius said:

I would seriously consider Viking ocean cruises if they were solo friendly, but regretably they are not. They have no single cabins and charge a 100% single supplement for sole occupacy of a twin, ie double fare. Saga meanwhile have 100 single cabins on each of their ships with an effective single supplement (vis a vis a twin) of 40% to 50%.

I booked with Saga because I could not bring myself to pay double for a Viking ocean cruise. Have finally managed to get on a Viking cruise because I got a great deal by booking at the last minute (4 weeks prior to embarkation) on a Christmas sailing with plenty of empty cabins. I understand there are more than 30 solos on this trip, and most I have met signed up close to departure.

I can be flexible and hope to find future last-minute deals with Viking, but I plan to continue booking with Saga.

— From the Viking Star approaching Maui.

On 12/17/2023 at 3:52 PM, Jammy Bun said:

Viking remain the same post pandemic as they were before. 😊

I am currently on Viking Star. My first time with the line. There are plenty of passengers willing to talk about Viking not being up to its previous standards. Excursions that miss the mark. Menu changes. I’m enjoying my experience as much as I did my initial Saga experience earlier this year. 

@PGI GUY FYI Last night on Star went to Manfredi’s. Instead of a fish special of the day, they were offering Osso bucco. Said it was because they had complaint about it no longer being on the menu.

Earlier in the week, someone said they had an excellent sea bass for the fish special.

On 12/5/2023 at 9:41 PM, DrKoob said:

You are very welcome and the lack of sea views was the one big thing we did not like about the ship's design. You might try their other large ships to see how they are. Or wait for my report in April 2025 when we sail on Riviera.

Hi. Was following your posts before I boarded Vista in Miami to join my brother and SiL for Panama transit. (They were onboard with you.)

The lack of sea views is, for me, the biggest disappointment about Vista. I loved the full wrap-around promenade and stunning multi-tiered aft sea views on Saga Spirit of Adventure in May. I will be comparing that experience when I board Viking Star next week. (First Viking Ocean cruise.)

Will we be cruising together in April 2025? I am doing the Tokyo-to-Vancouver itinerary. (I'd love to do the round Japan itinerary that precedes it, but Oceania is pricey for solo travelers. Well, so is Viking, but I got a fabulous last-minute deal.)

Managed to get an EXCELLENT single supplement (i.e., almost 0) on a Viking Ocean cruise leaving within a month using code STS23. You can go onto the Viking website and see if it works on any upcoming ocean cruises coming up in next couple of months, but I think it is only valid until tomorrow (Nov 30). I believe it will work with the 33-day LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-LA itinerary early in 2023.

Good luck. I'll be spending Christmas on a sea day!

I find the discussion about people wanting to dine only at two-tops ... interesting. 

I am a solo traveler. I often eat out alone, but on a cruise ship, I will ask to be seated at a shared table. I sure hope there are plenty of couples and groups who are willing to welcome a singleton at their tables on my upcoming cruise -- my first on Viking.