Thoughts on my first Saga cruise, 32 day Eastern Mediterranean

[Windsurfboy]

We jumped in at the deep end with a 32 day Saga cruise.  What did we think 

 

Enough has been said a about black sea cancellation

 

So at did we think. Given only 520 passengers we were spoilt. 

 

Firstly a lovely ship, which we would expect to be spacious even when full.

 

Saga passengers are the friendliest,  everyone spoke and chatted.

 

All cruise ships the staff are nice, but saga are superb.

 

Our midships suite was lovely, but we spent so much time out of it given the space and comfort in lounges and bars and company . This meant we will not go for a suite next time. This is in contrast to bigger ships where we would want a private haven of a suite.

 

Food , main dining room  dinner excellent quality had two meals which were up with best I've ever had anywhere. However  choice at each meal very limited,  one fish, one red meat ,one other meat . NB we are not into vegetarian/vegan which had two choices. 

 

The speciality restaurants,  Amalfi for first 2 weeks menu was good/OK, but for example fish was always swordfish. It took pressure from passengers for new menu weeks 3 and 4. This turned out to be much better menu  superb lobster ,prawn ,calamari, fish combo,  went 3 times could have gone more .  Once weather fine had 8 tables outside at back of Amalfi (and kukhuri) , really lovely

 

Supper club, except for steaks , there was only lamb which was really really nice or fish. The steak eaters loved steaks.  For first 2 weeks had fish of day, but went backwards for 2nd two only sea bass every night. 

 

Kukhuri, a marmite choice , only went twice as OH not into spicy food.  I love it, but in an elegant way not a vindaloo , however, not overly impressed. My Wife's lamb was pink , not slow cooked,  the duck dry. My seafood special OK

 

Lunch, if you like a 3 course meal fine. If you want a snack, boring. Pizza x 2 , or pasta. No little light dishes, no sushi , just very  same same.

 

We were lucky having premium drink package ,good choice of very good spirits. Included wines drinkable,  but if you wanted something better could take 15minutes to find it. Must praise Amalfi staff, after second visit had my Barolo ready and waiting. 

 

Entertainment as good as any other cruise line. When their own cast sang in Britannia lounge really great, better than external entertainers, everyone up on floor at times.  Britannia lounge great for drink and dance, best combination of bar and dance floor  on any ship.

 

Included excursions cr*p, is best description,  OK if just want to sit on coach for  3 hrs. Once bitten  wegave them a miss.  Yes you can pay for other trips, but you've already paid for the included torture trips. Should get rid of them

 

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[FatBoy20]

Your Post reads you only ate in the MDR at Lunch. Did you try out the Buffet for Lunch where you are allocated a Table on arrival?. On SOD last September Salads, Soups, Toasties (Made to order & delivered to your Table), Sandwiches as well as the selection of Hot Dishes available in MDR Selection of Sweets(Hot & Cold), Cheese Board etc. Also at the rear of the Buffet the Outside Grill served Fish & Chips/ Burgers.

[david05]

Did you try the Grill for lunch? We used it all the time whether we wanted a full lunch (not often!) or a snack.  Do so agree with your comments about Amalfi - the change in menu made such a difference. We dined in Kukhuri about 6 times and is our favourite speciality restaurant - it was lovely to eat outside on a couple of occasions. We also ate outside on the Veranda some evenings which made a nice change.

The included excursions can be mixed. On this occasion we only did 2 included excursions. The Panoramic Athens was much better than we expected with plenty of time to stroll around at the bottom of the Acropolis. The included excursion to Troy was one of the best excursions we have ever done - paid or unpaid - a detailed tour of the site and a visit to the fantastic museum.

[Windsurfboy]

Yes we tried the grill most days only ate in MDR once for lunch. Fall back was the small open sandwiches in living room.

 

For hot meals the grill had 3 course MDR menu , plus 2XPizza plus pasta. Of course sandwiches and salad.  But if you want more than a sandwich, and  don't want a salad,  all you have is same pizzas or a pasta every day. We had just starter quiet a few times. 

 

I would have liked some imaginative light alternatives. I think at lunch time  the grill should be truly an alternative venue with alternative options. 

 

Kukhuri is a "marmite" restaurant.  Many love it .

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[Tothesunset]

It's always interesting to read the views of others whether the experience has been good, bad or indifferent. Particularly for those of us booked on, but yet to experience, Saga all these personal opinions and recollections provide details that help to prepare for the cruise. 

[Windsurfboy]

We have put our deposit  down to book again !.

 

I think I've concentred on where they could improve, A generally very good performance.  Like to try Discovery. Think  East to west and seafood restaurants are more to our taste.

[lincslady]

If you are a foodie, and the alternative dining is important to you (as it is to me),  then choosing the ship for its restaurants might be more important than the itinerary - especially if you have already been to most places.  I know I would be on Discovery, with the Asian and Seafood/fish restaurants rather than Adventure, with the Nepali and Italian ones.  

 

I realise that this is not most people's priority,  so please don't flame me.  

[LandC]

I agree with you lincslady.  We have sailed on both ships, and love them both, but prefer the food in the speciality restaurants on Discovery.

[david05]

Whilst we are the opposite as we prefer the speciality restaurants on Adventure, although overall we have a preference for sailing on Discovery! At the end of the day we are happy on either ship and it's the itinerary which decides which one we sail on. Our experience is that the seafood restaurant is very popular and, on a shorter cruise, it pays to book early if you want to ensure you get to try it.

[Wacktle]

16 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Yes we tried the grill most days only ate in MDR once for lunch. Fall back was the small open sandwiches in living room.

 

For hot meals the grill had 3 course MDR menu , plus 2XPizza plus pasta. Of course sandwiches and salad.  But if you want more than a sandwich, and  don't want a salad,  all you have is same pizzas or a pasta every day. We had just starter quiet a few times. 

 

I would have liked some imaginative light alternatives. I think at lunch time  the grill should be truly an alternative venue with alternative options. 

 

Kukhuri is a "marmite" restaurant.  Many love it .

 

We were on SoD last October and I'm sure there was a wider choice at lunchtimes in The Grill, such as cottage pie, a daily roast, fish. Have there been cutbacks?

 

[Wacktle]

5 minutes ago, Wacktle said:

We were on SoD last October and I'm sure there was a wider choice at lunchtimes in The Grill, such as cottage pie, a daily roast, fish. Have there been cutbacks?

 

Sorry, it was SoA ...

 

[david05]

I don't think so. The choice seemed pretty much as usual with regard to main courses. The one disappointment was in the lunchtime hot pudding - not much variety over the cruise and usually a sponge pudding. The occasional very nice rice pudding to break the monotony and once a jam roly poly which was hard, dry and lacking a reasonable amount of jam - one of the very few food disappointments as generally the food was excellent.

[Windsurfboy]

My disappointment at lunch tine was, not with 3 course lunch, as this is not what we wanted. It was with alternatives, being  pizza , pasta, or a toastie every day.  Nothing wrong with a toastie may have one for lunch today . But that's at home , this is on a not cheap cruise where I  look for different from at home. Sometimes had just  a starter.

 

On holidays look for some thing light but more exciting  , tapas, sushi, .........

Edited June 29, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[lincslady]

I am surprised that there were not many choices in the buffet restaurant at lunchtime.  I have not yet, unfortunately, been able to go on one of the new ships, but on Sapphire I remember that as well as the  traditional hot dishes and puddings there were, which we enjoyed, lots of cold offerings including a lovely cheeseboard and fishy/cold meat/mixed different salads, and some healthy and not so healthy but delicious cold desserts.

 

More the sort of thing many of us enjoy as the lighter meal of the day.

[david05]

1 hour ago, lincslady said:

I am surprised that there were not many choices in the buffet restaurant at lunchtime.  I have not yet, unfortunately, been able to go on one of the new ships, but on Sapphire I remember that as well as the  traditional hot dishes and puddings there were, which we enjoyed, lots of cold offerings including a lovely cheeseboard and fishy/cold meat/mixed different salads, and some healthy and not so healthy but delicious cold desserts.

 

More the sort of thing many of us enjoy as the lighter meal of the day.

These are all still available in the buffet, although personally I wasn't overly impressed with many of the cold deserts on offer which is why we often finished with cheese and biscuits. They also seemed to have run out of coleslaw towards the end of the cruise!

Edited June 29, 2022 by david05

[Windsurfboy]

3 hours ago, lincslady said:

I am surprised that there were not many choices in the buffet restaurant at lunchtime.  I have not yet, unfortunately, been able to go on one of the new ships, but on Sapphire I remember that as well as the  traditional hot dishes and puddings there were, which we enjoyed, lots of cold offerings including a lovely cheeseboard and fishy/cold meat/mixed different salads, and some healthy and not so healthy but delicious cold desserts.

 

More the sort of thing many of us enjoy as the lighter meal of the day.

 

 

To reassure you there was a selection of the cold items as you describe. 

 

It was the alternative hot items ,  which was pizza or pasta  every day , that was repetitive and may I say boring.

[lincslady]

OK, thanks.  I generally prefer a cold lunch (assuming it is nice cruising weather).

 

However, we do not all like the same thing, thank goodness.  I do look forward to hopefully one day being able to go on  Discovery to try the alternative restaurants; have looked at the menus which look lovely.

[Denarius]

On 6/28/2022 at 3:15 PM, Windsurfboy said:

We jumped in at the deep end with a 32 day Saga cruise.  What did we think 

 

Enough has been said a about black sea cancellation

 

So at did we think. Given only 520 passengers we were spoilt. 

 

Firstly a lovely ship, which we would expect to be spacious even when full.

 

Saga passengers are the friendliest,  everyone spoke and chatted.

 

All cruise ships the staff are nice, but saga are superb.

 

Our midships suite was lovely, but we spent so much time out of it given the space and comfort in lounges and bars and company . This meant we will not go for a suite next time. This is in contrast to bigger ships where we would want a private haven of a suite.

 

Food , main dining room  dinner excellent quality had two meals which were up with best I've ever had anywhere. However  choice at each meal very limited,  one fish, one red meat ,one other meat . NB we are not into vegetarian/vegan which had two choices. 

 

The speciality restaurants,  Amalfi for first 2 weeks menu was good/OK, but for example fish was always swordfish. It took pressure from passengers for new menu weeks 3 and 4. This turned out to be much better menu  superb lobster ,prawn ,calamari, fish combo,  went 3 times could have gone more .  Once weather fine had 8 tables outside at back of Amalfi (and kukhuri) , really lovely

 

Supper club, except for steaks , there was only lamb which was really really nice or fish. The steak eaters loved steaks.  For first 2 weeks had fish of day, but went backwards for 2nd two only sea bass every night. 

 

Kukhuri, a marmite choice , only went twice as OH not into spicy food.  I love it, but in an elegant way not a vindaloo , however, not overly impressed. My Wife's lamb was pink , not slow cooked,  the duck dry. My seafood special OK

 

Lunch, if you like a 3 course meal fine. If you want a snack, boring. Pizza x 2 , or pasta. No little light dishes, no sushi , just very  same same.

 

We were lucky having premium drink package ,good choice of very good spirits. Included wines drinkable,  but if you wanted something better could take 15minutes to find it. Must praise Amalfi staff, after second visit had my Barolo ready and waiting. 

 

Entertainment as good as any other cruise line. When their own cast sang in Britannia lounge really great, better than external entertainers, everyone up on floor at times.  Britannia lounge great for drink and dance, best combination of bar and dance floor  on any ship.

 

Included excursions cr*p, is best description,  OK if just want to sit on coach for  3 hrs. Once bitten  wegave them a miss.  Yes you can pay for other trips, but you've already paid for the included torture trips. Should get rid of them

 

 

Curious about your comments re choice of main courses at dinner in the MDR/Grill. I was on SofA in March and as I recall it there were as well as the choices you list, another meat dish called something like Chef's Recommendation plus another called Simple Fare, which was basically British comfort food like fish and chips. ie, 5 choices in addition to the vegetarian/vegan. There were also a couple of always available items like salmon and steak. Would be dissappointed of the amount of choice had been reduced.

[mcloaked]

On 6/28/2022 at 3:15 PM, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

Entertainment as good as any other cruise line. When their own cast sang in Britannia lounge really great, better than external entertainers, everyone up on floor at times.  Britannia lounge great for drink and dance, best combination of bar and dance floor  on any ship.

 

 

Apart from the included trips the voyage sounds lovely - we have not ventured onto a Saga cruise yet but have loved ballroom dancing on many cruises on a certain other line.  It does sound like ballroom and Latin dancing was indeed not only possible but a pleasure in the Britannia Lounge, and I would love to know approximately how much time there was each evening to participate in ballroom and Latin dancing, either to live music or recorded music in Britannia Lounge - was there dancing every night? I would appreciate your comments having been on a very recent Saga voyage that sounded lovely.

[david05]

13 hours ago, Denarius said:

Curious about your comments re choice of main courses at dinner in the MDR/Grill. I was on SofA in March and as I recall it there were as well as the choices you list, another meat dish called something like Chef's Recommendation plus another called Simple Fare, which was basically British comfort food like fish and chips. ie, 5 choices in addition to the vegetarian/vegan. There were also a couple of always available items like salmon and steak. Would be dissappointed of the amount of choice had been reduced.

Don't think there was a chef's recommendation but the simple fare and always available were on the menu. So usually a choice of around 8 mains, including veggie, for dinner. The steak always available did not often appear on the Grill menu, even when it was on the MDR menu, but I believe you could still ask for it.

[Lady Meer]

Windsurfboy - was your dining room and table assigned to you for the first evening’s dining?

[Windsurfboy]

Yes everybody's was. But don't know if that's been dropped  along with masks etc.

[Windsurfboy]

Denarius, sorry to take so long to reply. Yes there was the simple fare and always available . But no chef's reccomendation.  Just fish, a red meat and other meat option,  as the daily meal choice.

[Lady Meer]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Yes everybody's was. But don't know if that's been dropped  along with masks etc.

We were allocated in January - I wondered if that arrangement was still in place!

[david05]

13 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Yes everybody's was. But don't know if that's been dropped  along with masks etc.

According to Saga's website the pre-allocated dinning on the first night continues until at least the end of August. Of course there is some flexability eg you don't have to eat in a speciality restaurant if that food is not to your liking and we changed our allocated dinning time to one that suited us without any bother.