Spirit of Adventure

[silversurf1]

Anyone booked on new ship? We went on Spirit of Discovery last year to Norway and loved it. A bit expensive, but you get so much for your money (Travel Insurance is a big plus for us, due to age and medical conditions). Great food, lovely staff and a super comfortable bed. So we have booked again on new ship to the Canaries in January.Same cabin as we need a disabled cabin.

[LandC]

We also went on SoD last year to Norway in September! It was our first time with Saga and we loved it.  We have booked again for an autumn cruise on Spirit of Adventure. Just waiting now for the new itineraries to be released for next year,  hopefully we will find another cruise we want to book for spring or summer 2021.

 

[hermioneb]

We, too, enjoyed our cruise on SoD last year and have. booked on SofA to go round the British Isles in September. I am curious to see what the new ship is like and whether the chairs are more comfortable! 

[Glenndale]

We have booked on SoA for a Caribbean cruise in November.

I've started a roll call but no one else has joined so far 😕

[LandC]

Does anyone have any information on the build progress of Spirit of Adventure?  Not much information on the Saga website.  Hopefully it will be completed on time for it’s inaugural cruise in August.  We are looking forward to our first cruise on her.

[Glenndale]

https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/ocean/our-ships/spirit-of-adventure/spirit-of-adventure-blog/2020/jan/new-year-new-ship.aspx

 

 Could only find this 

[LandC]

Thanks Glenndale, it looks like the build for SoA is on schedule.  This is very good news!

[wowzz]

Just booked our first ever Saga cruise on SoA to celebrates my wife's birthday in March 2021. Hopefully the ship will be ready by then!

[LandC]

I see from an article on CruiseMapper dated April 5 that the launch of Spirit of Adventure is likely to be delayed by “up to 12 months”.  Not surprising really given the current situation with Coronavirus.  I’m disappointed, but better to be safe.  What do others think?

[wowzz]

38 minutes ago, LandC said:

I see from an article on CruiseMapper dated April 5 that the launch of Spirit of Adventure is likely to be delayed by “up to 12 months”.  Not surprising really given the current situation with Coronavirus.  I’m disappointed, but better to be safe.  What do others think?

The actual comment is as follows: "is likely to be delayed but to take place within the next twelve months, parent company Saga plc announced in a statement."

So, in effect , a delay of only around 6 months or so, assuming delivery is made before the end of March 2021.

[nosapphire]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

The actual comment is as follows: "is likely to be delayed but to take place within the next twelve months, parent company Saga plc announced in a statement."

So, in effect , a delay of only around 6 months or so, assuming delivery is made before the end of March 2021.

I believe (not 100% certain) that this was a slight rewording from Saga financial report.

It has already been reported elsewhere that Meyer Werft expect a delay in delivery because they cannot work to full capacity because of coronavirus, and it sounded to me that somebody asked Saga when they expected to start getting revenue from cruises again (and we all know that it won't be 1st May 2020). Nobody can give a definitive answer on this, so the answer had to be as factual as possible without terrifying the shareholders.

 

[wowzz]

We're booked on a cruise on SoA at the end of March. Could turn out to be the maiden voyage!

[Glenndale]

Bang goes our November cruise then.

[silversurf]

And our January one to Canaries.

[LandC]

Likewise our cruise this September.  I hope Saga confirms cancellation soon as we are due to pay the balance at the end of June!  

[nosapphire]

3 hours ago, LandC said:

Likewise our cruise this September.  I hope Saga confirms cancellation soon as we are due to pay the balance at the end of June!  

 

Saga are due to give an update on their website next week, but I suspect that they will keep rolling back the start date by a few weeks at a time - instead of 1st May 2020, they will probably go back to end of May, then end of June, and so forth.

My opinion is so that they can get as many final balances in as possible in the hopes that people will then accept a credit against a future cruise rather than ask for a refund. I think that the majority of cruise lines will work in the same way, especially as nobody knows when (a) the port of departure will be open, (b) the intended itinerary ports will be open, and (c) the various FCO advisories about travel will change.

Must be a nightmare situation all round.

[LandC]

You are probably right nosapphire.
 

It will be interesting to see what Saga say about Spirit of Adventure in particular. IMO it would be wrong to ask us to pay the balance for a cruise when the launch of the ship is going to be delayed beyond our cruise date.

[nosapphire]

4 hours ago, LandC said:

You are probably right nosapphire.
 

It will be interesting to see what Saga say about Spirit of Adventure in particular. IMO it would be wrong to ask us to pay the balance for a cruise when the launch of the ship is going to be delayed beyond our cruise date.

I think the delay of up to 12 months is a worst case scenario.

Last report from Meyer Werft (1st April) was that the dry dock had been flooded to check the propellers and stability (and she was reported to be bobbing perfectly). I suspect the delay from the shipyard is more likely to be weeks than months.

The most likely cause of cancellation will be if either the UK FCO advice does not get changed, OR if the destinations ports are still not accepting cruise ships.

I also think that the cruises for the remainder of this year are highly likely to be cancelled - but nobody actually yet knows.

I see that Saga website (which is pretty useless at the best of times, let alone now) seems to be still accepting bookings for this year. Including the inaugral cruise. No idea if they would actually take payment or not.

Only thing to do is when balance payment is due, to ask outright when the ship will be delivered, and whether your cruise will still go ahead as scheduled. They may well offer to roll over the deposit to a future cruise for next year.

[LandC]

no sapphire,
 

Thanks for the information on the build progress of Adventure.
 

We also have a cruise booked on Discovery next year, so transferring our deposit to that cruise would be an option.

 

 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, LandC said:

no sapphire,
 

Thanks for the information on the build progress of Adventure.
 

We also have a cruise booked on Discovery next year, so transferring our deposit to that cruise would be an option.

 

 

Other lines (such as P&O) will not allow you to transfer deposits/FCC to an existing booking. Not sure what Saga's policy is.

[Glenndale]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

Other lines (such as P&O) will not allow you to transfer deposits/FCC to an existing booking. Not sure what Saga's policy is.

If Saga cancel the cruise, then you would request a refund.

It would be to Saga’s advantage to transfer any money to a future cruise rather than having to refund it.

All hypothetical at the moment it may be only slightly delayed.

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by Glenndale

[nosapphire]

QUOTE:

Saga Holidays Optional Included Travel Insurance (purchased with your Saga holiday or cruise)

Please note, if you have purchased the optional Saga Holidays Travel Insurance with your holiday or cruise after 00:01am on Friday 3rd April, 2020, the following applies:

Your Saga Holidays Travel Insurance policy will not provide cover for any claims caused by or relating to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), or any mutation of.

If you unfortunately become hospitalised as a result of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), as part of your holiday booking, Saga Holidays will assist with your repatriation to the UK.

END QUOTE:

 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, nosapphire said:

QUOTE:

Saga Holidays Optional Included Travel Insurance (purchased with your Saga holiday or cruise)

Please note, if you have purchased the optional Saga Holidays Travel Insurance with your holiday or cruise after 00:01am on Friday 3rd April, 2020, the following applies:

Your Saga Holidays Travel Insurance policy will not provide cover for any claims caused by or relating to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), or any mutation of.

If you unfortunately become hospitalised as a result of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), as part of your holiday booking, Saga Holidays will assist with your repatriation to the UK.

END QUOTE:

 

Given that virtually no insurance company will issue a new policy that covers CV19, you'd have to be pretty brave to book a new cruise with Saga, or indeed any cruuse line, at the moment. 

[nosapphire]

20 hours ago, wowzz said:

Given that virtually no insurance company will issue a new policy that covers CV19, you'd have to be pretty brave to book a new cruise with Saga, or indeed any cruuse line, at the moment. 

Saga must be pretty optimistic about us - it is still possible to book online for cruises departing this year (starting with the Norwegian cruise 19th May 2020). I tested the booking page, and ducked out at the payment stage.

Wonder if anyone is still booking? cannot see it, myself.

 

[Glenndale]

Work is now continuing on Adventure at the Meyer Werft shipyard so maybe won’t be delayed by very much.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Glenndale