Changed my mind about cruising with Saga

[delondin]

We have never cruised with Saga and came to this forum to get a feel for the dress code. I am pleasantly surprised to hear that they are more formal than not. I feel that it is nice to dress for dinner especially if the meal is worth it. I feel that it is very sad if the meal is top class and staff make the effort and then the guest is wearing shorts. I found this disappointing on Oceania. 
 

Too often we would make the effort to dress for dinner to be in the cocktail bar next to guests in shorts that they had been wearing since the morning. Each to their own but it is nice to have a standard that everyone is aware of before they book so we can all be singing from the same song sheet. 

[Kohima]

Fear not, whatever else they may be wearing, I have never seen anyone on Saga ships wearing shorts for dinner.

[Wacktle]

14 hours ago, delondin said:

We have never cruised with Saga and came to this forum to get a feel for the dress code. I am pleasantly surprised to hear that they are more formal than not. I feel that it is nice to dress for dinner especially if the meal is worth it. I feel that it is very sad if the meal is top class and staff make the effort and then the guest is wearing shorts. I found this disappointing on Oceania. 
 

Too often we would make the effort to dress for dinner to be in the cocktail bar next to guests in shorts that they had been wearing since the morning. Each to their own but it is nice to have a standard that everyone is aware of before they book so we can all be singing from the same song sheet. 

Well said 🙂

[nosapphire]

20 hours ago, delondin said:

We have never cruised with Saga and came to this forum to get a feel for the dress code. I am pleasantly surprised to hear that they are more formal than not. I feel that it is nice to dress for dinner especially if the meal is worth it. I feel that it is very sad if the meal is top class and staff make the effort and then the guest is wearing shorts. I found this disappointing on Oceania. 
 

Too often we would make the effort to dress for dinner to be in the cocktail bar next to guests in shorts that they had been wearing since the morning. Each to their own but it is nice to have a standard that everyone is aware of before they book so we can all be singing from the same song sheet. 

The application of the dress code can, I am afraid, sometimes be less strict outside the dining room.

The code applies after 18:00, and while nobody gets into the dining room in shorts, it does happen that sometimes people will still be in the library or lounges (including sometimes the bar) well past 19:00hours, still in shorts and Tshirts .

Maybe they did not notice the time, but there are a few who will not get changed until they are ready for dinner (they have to change then - they'd never get past the Maitre'D otherwise).

 

Having said that - DH and I have been to dinner wearing in jeans and T shirt, but we had a valid excuse.

We joined Saga Ruby in Port Suez for the final section of her Round Africa cruise.

We should have joined her about 15:00, but a combination of events throughout the included transfer from Cairo to Suez meant we got on board at 20:50, and our luggage was still in the tender.

Our cabin steward told us to go straight to dinner as they were waiting for us.

We apologised left,right and centre for our attire, insisted that all we wanted for dinner was a piece of chicken and potato - and made sure that the next evening we arrived early, correctly dressed and thoroughly polished up.

Was a brilliant cruise, though. Even the transfer was fun, although we did not appreciate it at the time.

 

 

[Host Sharon]

On 3/10/2021 at 2:08 PM, Kohima said:

I agree with you. I only mentioned this because we have had some wonderful cruises with Saga in the past, especially on the old Spirit of Adventure, but were really disappointed with the outdated dress code on the new ships, namely no polo shirts in the dining areas in the evenings and no option but formal wear on formal nights in the buffet. Having experienced Oceania and Viking cruises, where dining is arguably even more upmarket than Saga, I cannot understand what Saga has against smart polo shirts, especially when scruffy, stained bobbly cardigans are ok!

Having sailed with Oceania and Saga I can say Oceania is not more upmarket at all.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Having sailed with Oceania and Saga I can say Oceania is not more upmarket at all.

 

Versus the lines you have sailed with where would you put Saga especially the food

[Kohima]

Sharon, I realise that (as a Saga Host) you are promoting Saga but I think you will find I used the word ‘arguably’ when describing how dining on Oceania and Viking may be compared with Saga. Obviously opinions may vary, depending on particular preferences of food types, ambience, choice of restaurants etc. My real point was that high quality dining is unrelated to wearing certain garments.

[Glenndale]

For me, Oceania are ahead, followed by Cunard's Grills and then Saga.

If you book early then Saga come out best value for money.

JMO - others are entitled to differ.

Cruise history:

Premier Cruise Line. Thomson, NCL, Princess, Cunard, P&O, HAL, RCCI, Celebrity, Azamara, Oceania, Saga, Viking Ocean
67 ocean cruises, 33 different ships

Edited August 8, 2021 by Glenndale

[Host Sharon]

1 hour ago, Kohima said:

Sharon, I realise that (as a Saga Host) you are promoting Saga but I think you will find I used the word ‘arguably’ when describing how dining on Oceania and Viking may be compared with Saga. Obviously opinions may vary, depending on particular preferences of food types, ambience, choice of restaurants etc. My real point was that high quality dining is unrelated to wearing certain garments.

I am not a Saga host, I am actually the P&O host.

[Host Sharon]

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Versus the lines you have sailed with where would you put Saga especially the food

I would class Saga and Oceania equally, particularly the food quality. My meal in Amalfi last evening was exceptional.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, Glenndale said:

For me, Oceania are ahead, followed by Cunard's Grills and then Saga.

If you book early then Saga come out best value for money.

 

 

Cunard QG did not blow me away , I  await Saga,  but on the last two Saga threads, two peopĺe have independently said a Saga meal was one of the best they'd had. QG was fine but didn't hit that spot with me.

 

I never saw such praise for Saganin threads about previous ships , was your Saga experience before or after new ships

 

My relatively early saga midships suite is more expensive than a midships QG, but equal once you take into account, drinks, gratuities, transport.. However which is better value for money will depend on which is best. My measure of value for money,  has quality well above price

Edited August 8, 2021 by Windsurfboy

[Kohima]

Sorry Sharon, your title misled me!

[Glenndale]

6 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Cunard QG did not blow me away , I  await Saga,  but on the last two Saga threads, two peopĺe have independently said a Saga meal was one of the best they'd had. QG was fine but didn't hit that spot with me.

 

I never saw such praise in threads on previous ships , was your Saga experience before or after new ships

Have experience of Sapphire and Discovery. In QG you can order off menu, I suppose that has coloured my choice, when I have ordered off menu it has always been excellent, maybe because it has been individually prepared.

However 10 cruises on O and 3 on Saga leads me to my assessment that Oceania food is superior. 

As I said other opinions will vary, food appreciation is very subjective but IMO Saga has a way to go before it matches Oceania.

I also think that Saga is good value, especially when booking early.

As we're not going to be flying in the foreseeable future Saga will be our cruise line of choice  😁

[Windsurfboy]

I hope Saga lives up to the current reviews. I think it will become our UK go to line, because of more varied intineries out of Southampton,  3 to 4 weeks being ideal length. Cunard seems to be heavy on northern routes . I'm waiting for P&O to repeat Venice trip on Arcadia out of Southampton.  Still have Cunard on list for Japan to Alaska. Will look at Oceana.  

[Host Sharon]

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Cunard QG did not blow me away , I  await Saga,  but on the last two Saga threads, two peopĺe have independently said a Saga meal was one of the best they'd had. QG was fine but didn't hit that spot with me.

 

I never saw such praise for Saganin threads about previous ships , was your Saga experience before or after new ships

 

My relatively early saga midships suite is more expensive than a midships QG, but equal once you take into account, drinks, gratuities, transport.. However which is better value for money will depend on which is best. My measure of value for money,  has quality well above price

I have no experience of the earlier ships, only Discovery and Adventure. I suspect adverse comparisons with Oceania were Pearl and Sapphire. Now amenities are identical, cabins more spacious and open deck space infinitely better than Oceania’s R class ships.

[Windsurfboy]

Saga definitely has a better passenger space ratio at 58 than Oceania at 45 , Cunard 43 . Crew per passenger is identical  for Saga and oceannia 1 crew per 1.8 passengers , Cunard  1 crew to 2.3 pasengers.  But these are only numbers , looking forward to the real thing.

 

Saga has embarked on a difficult path with it's new ships and hopefully new service levels. To show it has moved up a notch in the cruise line hierarchy in terms of "luxury ".

 

 Also to change the perceptions that come with it's target demographics. Somehow people do not associate luxury with holidays for the older market and hence with Saga. It was only the new ships that made us consider Saga.

 

All this means is hopefully Saga will work even harder, which can only be to passengers benefit

 

 

[Cruise Puss]

Hi there,

 

We are seasoned cruisers and are going on our first Saga trip in April, with another booked for August.

 

One of the reasons we chose Saga was the more 'formal' dress code.

 

Having travelled on P&O, Seabourn, Cunard (QG) and Hebridean we have found we prefer the more formal approach to dress codes. P&O are definitely going in a direction of travel re dress codes that we do not like. 

 

It is one of those things that causes a problem with people, whether on land or sea. I do agree with a previous poster who said that, if you go to a beautiful restaurant, where the staff look well dressed and are serving great food, it is much nicer to sit with people who dressed nicely, rather than those wearing a 't-shirt and jeans'. It does 'say' to the restaurant that you appreciate what they are doing, and it's just nicer. 😊

 

There are so many cruise lines to choose from nowadays that surely we can all find a line that meets our needs and just enjoy it.

 

To that end, we are hugely looking forward to Saga and expect to love it. 😊

 

[Cruise Puss]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:30 PM, Windsurfboy said:

I hope Saga lives up to the current reviews. I think it will become our UK go to line, because of more varied intineries out of Southampton,  3 to 4 weeks being ideal length. Cunard seems to be heavy on northern routes . I'm waiting for P&O to repeat Venice trip on Arcadia out of Southampton.  Still have Cunard on list for Japan to Alaska. Will look at Oceana.  

Unfortunately P&O will not be able to have any of their ships cruising in to Venice any time soon as they have banned any ships larger than 25,000 tonnes from entering. Terrible shame, but can understand why.