WeLuv2Holiday

1 hour ago, Truro001 said:

Thank you Windsurfboy. As things turned out we still  probably meet up on this cruise. We cancelled but then rebooked and are quite happy with our allocated "guarantee" cabin. The overall saving pays for our next 2 cruises. Our pickup is at 10.20 so we are probably in a convoy from the Southwest. 

Many thanks for the premium drinks package info Truro001 AND, Hats off to you 🎉  I had wondered if there was a bargain to be picked up when the website started showing "call for prices & availability". Nice work 

Our pickup is at 11:45 from Axminster so we'll tag on to yours & Windsurfboy's convoy 😂

On 2/23/2022 at 9:41 PM, Host Sharon said:

Phone call this morning to say Odessa replaced by Canakkale but all other ports remain for now. Also given complimentary premium drinks package. Fingers crossed.

I'm just wondering, now that we have a completely different itinerary to the Ancient wonders of the Black Sea that we had all booked, if we are still likely to receive the complimentary premium drinks package that was given to compensate for removing Odessa from the itinerary? I don't have anything in writing, I was informed via a phone call!

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

We just had a timetable for 3 days of Jubilee celebrations in our village.  Which led me to speculate what Saga will be doing.

 

I know dining is freedom, but given numbers are being kept low, and on our Eastern Mediterranean Oddyssey replacement for Black sea they are especially low. For once it might be nice if everyone sat down together, to celebrate and toast her Majesty at the same time. 

 

Just a thought

 

 

Agreed, I would like to think that there will be some kind of celebration event to mark the occasion especially as we will all be away from home.

3 hours ago, Summer Song said:

I sincerely hope for two things now: 1. that those of you who are going on the Odyssey cruise will absolutely love it and, 2. that we will absolutely love the alternative cruise that we have booked! At the same time we can weep for those poor beggars in Ukraine, their plight makes my/our whingeing about a cruise pale into insignificance.

I echo your sentiments completely Summer Song, my heart goes out to every one of them for the unimaginable plight and suffering they have been through and are still having to endure.  We must all consider ourselves extremely fortunate for the lives that we are able to live and enjoy 🇺🇦

22 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Also because it would have not added much revenue. 100 cabins cancelled. A 10% reduction may have saved say 50 cabins , revenue 50*90% . At say orginal price £10000 per cabin £450000 extra

 

10% off the remaining 300 cabins  10%*300 at £10000 =  £300,000 loss 

 

 So a small marginal gain. If they'd given bigger discount could have kept more people , but a gamble,  could have given the discount and only kept a few people and lost on people who would have stayed anyway. .

 

're the cancelled /aborted/ diverted etc cruises , shareholders may call it insane compensation,  but its what they would most likely have ended up being made to pay.

 

Anyway one other good thing about less than 60% occupancy,  plenty of room for social distancing at meals. Should be no close contacts and forced quarantine,  with 1038 dining seats and under 600 people, even if everyone turns up at same time

I think we can only benefit from the greatly reduced occupancy as the entire cruise now promises to be quite an exclusive experience!

Hopefully, it will also mean that we can visit the speciality restaurants more than once per week 🎉

Looking forward to meeting you all and putting faces to names🥂

3 hours ago, Denarius said:

On other threads it has been reported that independent exploration ashore is now allowed, and that the books have been returned to the library. Which leads me to wonder which other restictions have now been lifted, and which remain. Things like mask wearing, use of bar stools, maximum number of seats at tables, no self service in buffet........
Perhaps someone currently on a Saga cruise could enlighten us.

I asked the question about masks during my phone call from Saga yesterday and I was advised that their policy is still as from Day 1, ie  masks are to be worn at all times unless eating or drinking. I was also informed that books would NOT be available in the library!

My intention is to just enjoy every single minute of this cruise and I aim to leap away from my comfort zone and try everything on offer! 🥳

12 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Having said, the onboard experience is wonderful, I must point out that still isn't as it was pre-Covid. Sadly. still no cocktail parties, no dance hosts etc.. Just want you all to manage your expectations. 🙂 

Many thanks for theclarification Host Sharon, as we are 'virgin' cruisers we can't make any comparisons which is probably a blessing in disguise!  You mention that there aren't any dance hosts...........Looks like I'll have to sign the husband up to onboard dance lessons after all 😂

4 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Had a phone call this morning,  whilst we were driving, so if  Saransay had not posted  intinerary would have been a difficult conversation  my wife trying to write it down whist we were travelling.  Anyway said yes and asked them to send intinerary by email.

 

So far all I have recieved is confirmation invoice, which says we will leave Southampton on 21st May and return on 22nd June more detail. Manage my booking brings up black sea  intinerary. Has any one got a intinerary from Saga in writing or are we all relying on Saransay , thanks once again.

 

As the confirmation invoice is supposed to be a contract between us and Saga, it's pretty useless. Thank heavens people on ship are in a different league. 

 

By the way it says on confirmation invoice that the contract with SAGA commences 14 days after you receive the invoice.

 

 

 

 

I mentioned during my phone call that logging into my booking site shows the updated cruise as Eastern Mediterranean Odyssey but that the black sea itinerary still displays - apparently the website won't be updated until everyone has been informed of the change!

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

As we haven't been to  many of these places will say yes. Just believe the way it's been handled is poor,  Saga waited to long to make its mind up. Relying on phoning everyone up is antediluvian, you need information and time to look at new ports before committing,  thank you Saransay. Got to keep reminding oneself at this time these problems are minor.

 

 

But these issues are head office not on board. When some one as experienced as Host Sharon says on board experience is second to none and food fab, must just go for it. Looking forward to just relaxing, great food , going ashore strolling round town, coming back for a great  lunch, then a nice long run on the promenade or time in gym , and guess what time to eat and drink again.  

My sentiments exactly Windsurfboy, very disappointed with Saga's communication skills.  We came to exactly the same decision as you and for all the same reasons too!  Thanks must go to Host Sharon for pointing out that we must place just as much importance on the whole onboard experience.

We're saying YES, YES, YES it could be a good few years before the Black Sea goes back on any cruise lines itinerary and given the last 3 years of Covid and now this horrid Ukraine situation, who knows what's around the corner.....we must grab every opportunity and live life to the full! 

ps, I wonder what will be on my plate at this moment in time 4 weeks from now 🥂

14 hours ago, david05 said:

You don't have to make an immediate decision. If you say yes to the new itinerary now but change your mind over the weekend that's also fine you just have to ring them back early next week.

Just received call from Saga confirming itinerary change.  I mentioned that I was not happy that Istanbul had been removed especially as Cannakale still remains! 

Independent exploring ashore WILL be allowed, masks still need to be worn on board, no books in library.

No need to make immediate decision - just let them know ASAP if you want to cancel/move etc 

Decisions decisions 🤪

1 hour ago, Host Sharon said:

Very disappointed Istanbul has gone. I have already been to most of these ports and some are not ones I especially wish to return to - like Limassol. Feel they should at least offer a reduction as less fuel required. Will need some thought. Think a bit more imagination could have offered a more interesting itinerary and I suspect I will already have done the included excursions. Having said that the onboard experience is second to none and the food is fab. 

Couldn't agree with you more Host Sharon! 

I also keep reminding myself that the onboard experience is going to be just as important as the places that we visit and that was also one of the main considerations when booking this cruise.  I'm not sure that I can walk away from it now after looking forward to it since October 2020.......

12 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Did they expect a decision over the phone, I  hope not.

 

As Truro001 said not much time to think about another holiday.  This may be our first and last Saga cruise.  A pity as ihgten blog and others make the actual  experience on the ship sound very nice.

Many thanks to Saransay for sharing the new itinerary 😘

I'm with Windsurfboy in that, sadly, this may well be our first & last Saga cruise! We would probably be happy to accept change IF Istanbul was still on itinerary - don't really understand why Saga felt the need to remove it? Cannakale is still on the itinerary so why not Istanbul - makes no sense to me!

I have also been following ighten's most interesting & informative blog along with fabulous foodie pics - I just can't wait to experience it all EXCEPT the itinerary resembles nothing like the one we all booked!

Confused.com & not sure what to do now 😥

I've also been logging in on a daily basis and whilst the menu now shows an option to 'add new holiday excursions' there aren't actually any excursions to add! Most frustrating! 

30 days to go and we still don't know where we are going 🤪

We're also with you Windsurfboy, we don't mind the occasional excursion but we prefer to explore under our own steam. We shall also use the first time cruise clause if Saga spring any nasty surprises once we have set sail.

I truly never expected treatment like this from Saga, we have been so looking forward to this cruise since October 2020 but can honestly say that all this uncertainty has taken the shine off it and, let's not forget that we're not talking of a bargain break type of holiday here!

Wake up Saga and talk to your customers PLEASE!

We have been avidly following everyone's posts on this topic as we were desperate for any information we could get!

Interestingly, I was looking on Saga website this evening and saw that they are now advertising the cruise again (it has not appeared on the website for the past year or so) - there are 81 cabins still available! That says to me that Saga still intend to go ahead with this itinerary.

I just wish that they would tell us what their intentions are so that we all know where we stand!

We have never been keen to cruise so this was a massive turnaround decision for us and now, for obvious reasons, we're not keen to be going into the Black Sea! 

I have to say that we're NOT at all impressed with the lack of communication from Saga

21 hours ago, Truro001 said:

I completely with Vivaldi who has made some excellent points. The discussions and issues raised in previous postings are obviously of interest to many other Saga customers who are not actually booked on this particular cruise. I seem to recall that before these posts were relegated to Roll Call they had several thousand viewings. Surely this reinforces the fact that these were issues that people wanted to know more about. I personally feel that moving these posts to Roll Call imposes a form of censorship in that it effectively reduces the number of people who would view the posts. Some might feel that was the whole point of the move.

We have been avidly following everyone's posts on this topic as we were desperate for any information about the likelihood of this cruise going ahead.  I was frantic on Thursday evening when the thread had completely disappeared!  Thanks to all of you for starting a new thread which pointed me towards Roll Call, however I had to register so that I could view it - I too am convinced that this is a form of censorship!  

Interestingly, I was looking on Saga website this evening and saw that they are now advertising the cruise again (it has not appeared on the website for the past year or so) - there are 81 cabins still available! That says to me that Saga still intend to go ahead with this itinerary.

I just wish that they would tell us what their intentions are so that we all know where we stand!

We have never been keen to cruise so this was a massive turnaround decision for us and now, for obvious reasons, we're not keen to be going into the Black Sea!  I have to say that we're NOT at all impressed with the lack of communication from Saga.