Quick question are books back in library

[twotravellersLondon]

51 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

Filling the library with fake books to make it look fully stocked is a very shallow trick - style over substance..

 

A library that has only a few books is disappointing.

A library filled with cardboard imitations is insulting.

 

Presumably Saga are hoping that the majority of passengers are not interested enough in the library to object to a room full of fakes so they can save time and money by not stocking.

If Saga are not going to stock the library, then they should have the courage of their convictions and leave the shelves empty, or at least with items that do not pretend to be books.

 

 

 

So how about suggesting a list of a dozen books or so that might be popular?

[twotravellersLondon]

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

Filling the library with fake books to make it look fully stocked is a very shallow trick - style over substance..

 

A library that has only a few books is disappointing.

A library filled with cardboard imitations is insulting.

 

Presumably Saga are hoping that the majority of passengers are not interested enough in the library to object to a room full of fakes so they can save time and money by not stocking.

If Saga are not going to stock the library, then they should have the courage of their convictions and leave the shelves empty, or at least with items that do not pretend to be books.

 

 

 

It might be helpful to add...

 

From the evidence on our recent cruise.... a great many people were interested in the Library on sea days and it was often very busy with people reading, using their tablets and smart phones chatting, having a coffee, collaborating on the jigsaws, relaxing and even having a snooze. It is an exceptionally nice space.

 

In all of the convivial conversations we had over meals and in the lounges the Library was never ever mentioned as an issue. So... nobody ever said to us that they were disappointed, insulted or anything else for that matter. Personally we found the atmosphere exhilarating but we did take our own books, as we always do on every cruise line, specific to the area and theme of the cruise.

 

However probably even more telling, when we had a "In conversation" with Sir Roger de Hand CBE, Horst Piny, Hotel Operations Director, and James Langley, Operations Director, there was a very long time given over to questions from the floor of a pretty well packed Playhouse Theatre... but not a single mention of the Library or books in the Library.

 

So you're absolutely correct... that the vast majority of the passengers, certainly on our cruise last month, were not concerned enough to even mention the Library. 

 

Those we chatted to were travelling with SAGA to enjoy the cruise, the ports of call, the excursions, the dining, the entertainment the level of service, the comfortable environment... and, like us, the vast majority seemed to have done so.

[david05]

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

Filling the library with fake books to make it look fully stocked is a very shallow trick - style over substance..

 

A library that has only a few books is disappointing.

A library filled with cardboard imitations is insulting.

 

Presumably Saga are hoping that the majority of passengers are not interested enough in the library to object to a room full of fakes so they can save time and money by not stocking.

If Saga are not going to stock the library, then they should have the courage of their convictions and leave the shelves empty, or at least with items that do not pretend to be books.

 

 

The fake books, as well as some sculptures etc,  were put in to fill the space when no books were allowed when cruising restarted. So what seems to have happened so far is that some have been removed to allow some books to reappear but not all. It will be interesting to see if more shelves become available for books as time goes on or if this is the new norm.

[Denarius]

2 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

It might be helpful to add...

 

From the evidence on our recent cruise.... a great many people were interested in the Library on sea days and it was often very busy with people reading, using their tablets and smart phones chatting, having a coffee, collaborating on the jigsaws, relaxing and even having a snooze. It is an exceptionally nice space.

 

In all of the convivial conversations we had over meals and in the lounges the Library was never ever mentioned as an issue. So... nobody ever said to us that they were disappointed, insulted or anything else for that matter. Personally we found the atmosphere exhilarating but we did take our own books, as we always do on every cruise line, specific to the area and theme of the cruise.

 

However probably even more telling, when we had a "In conversation" with Sir Roger de Hand CBE, Horst Piny, Hotel Operations Director, and James Langley, Operations Director, there was a very long time given over to questions from the floor of a pretty well packed Playhouse Theatre... but not a single mention of the Library or books in the Library.

 

So you're absolutely correct... that the vast majority of the passengers, certainly on our cruise last month, were not concerned enough to even mention the Library. 

 

Those we chatted to were travelling with SAGA to enjoy the cruise, the ports of call, the excursions, the dining, the entertainment the level of service, the comfortable environment... and, like us, the vast majority seemed to have done so.

Interesting comments, as my experience on the 3 Saga cruises I have taken since lockdown were similar. The library was a lively social area filled with people chatting, reading, listening to music (via earphones) and drinking coffee. It was effectively operating as a coffee lounge and people seemed happy for it to do so. But I do not recall the absence of books ever being mentioned whilst I was in there, neither do I recall it being discussed anywhere else.

[Denarius]

7 hours ago, nosapphire said:

Filling the library with fake books to make it look fully stocked is a very shallow trick - style over substance..

 

A library that has only a few books is disappointing.

A library filled with cardboard imitations is insulting.

 

Presumably Saga are hoping that the majority of passengers are not interested enough in the library to object to a room full of fakes so they can save time and money by not stocking.

If Saga are not going to stock the library, then they should have the courage of their convictions and leave the shelves empty, or at least with items that do not pretend to be books.

 

 

In over 25 years of cruising with several companies I have never borrowed a book from an onboard library; I always take my own. I have sometimes used the reference section to look something up but of late have tended to access the internet instead. So personally, whether it is restocked or not will not impinge significantly on my enjoyment of future Saga cruises as long as the library area itself remains.

Having said that however, I agree entirely with your final paragraph. If Saga are not intending to restock the library they should be open and transparent about it. They should redesignate it as a coffee lounge, which it effectively now is. With perhaps a selection of reference books being available on one display, the others being given over to artworks etc.

[Kohima]

In over 17 years of cruising on Saga ships I have never sat at a card table, plodded on a treadmill, used a golf simulator or made a felt object but I have enjoyed browsing with a coffee in the excellent onboard libraries and borrowing books to read there or elsewhere on the ships. A wide selection of well chosen books used to be available, including novels, biographies, reference, historical, nautical, scientific, art and coffee table books, to name a few. Books relating to the current cruise destinations were rotated, as appropriate. The facilities were very well used. While this was not essential to my enjoyment of a cruise, it definitely enhanced it, just as the above mentioned activities do for others.

Many, if not most, will never have experienced the SOD’s well stocked library of 2019 and perhaps don’t realise that copious numbers of books (rather than cardboard cut outs) ever filled the shelves. Clearly the amount of shelving in the libraries, specified in the building of the new ships, must have always envisaged a large stock of books.
On SOA in January  I was party with others to discussions with senior management where assurances were given that the books were coming back. It is disappointing that this has not yet happened. If it is never to happen then the areas should be re designated as coffee lounges (without the ridiculous fake books).

 

[Brissle]

On 4/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, twotravellersLondon said:

 

So how about suggesting a list of a dozen books or so that might be popular?

This is open to a huge range of suggestions because tastes vary so much.

But here is a list of fiction authors whose books are often in big demand:

Susan Lewis; Erica James; Jo Jo Hayes; Lucy Diamond; Barbara Erskine; Sophie Hannah; Amanda Prowse; Jane Fallon; Lucinda Riley.

There are plenty more.

None of these are represented in the current very small stock on Spirit of Discovery.

[JoJo1947]

Oh no not still Booksgate . 🤦

 

[twotravellersLondon]

21 hours ago, Brissle said:

But here is a list of fiction authors whose books are often in big demand:

Susan Lewis; Erica James; Jo Jo Hayes; Lucy Diamond; Barbara Erskine; Sophie Hannah; Amanda Prowse; Jane Fallon; Lucinda Riley.

 

2 hours ago, JoJo1947 said:

Oh no not still Booksgate . 🤦

 

 

 

Fiction writers with multimillion sales looks like a very interesting suggestion but... we do wonder just how many copies would be needed to allow almost 1,000 passengers to choose something that they would like.

 

We seldom have any time to read fiction on a SAGA cruise. We make the very most of every port day... we're up with the fulmars before dawn for often sensational sail-ins, fully occupied with stunning excursions and exciting independent exploring during the day, we're on deck for every sail-away and every sunset... but of course we take time out for drinks, dinner, shows and late night entertainment as well. It's pretty full on but we find that it makes an immensely enjoyable experience that will stay with us for ever.

 

Even on sea days, were up before dawn and enjoying the sea air, the atmospherics, the bird and marine life and chatting about our experiences on that cruise with like-minded people... who cruise for the joys of the experience. 

 

We often revisit places that we've been to many times before... each time they're different, each time we see a different side of them and each time the experience is more fulfilling than the last. This was our 20th visit to the Arctic in the last 20 years.

 

This is a glimpse of just one day we had in Honningsvåg on the Spirit of Adventure last month.

 

Dawn breaks...

 

 

Blizzard during the sail in...

 

 

Included trip up to the North Cape...

 

 

A stunning day at the North Cape...

 

 

Time to take that "Explorer" holiday snap...

 

 

Stunning landscapes...

 

 

Back to the Adventure for an excellent lunch...

 

 

Off into town exploring...

 

 

And birdwatching...

 

 

And ice watching...

 

 

Time before dinner to watch the spillway in the Arctic gloaming...

 

 

As the Sun sank... the pink created my micro ice crystals in the atmosphere...

 

 

After drinks... dinner... 

 

 

Then some lively entertainment...

 

 

 

Then relaxing with a little late-night country music...

 

 

And the well after midnight... a hint of the Northern Lights setting off Orion in the night sky from our balcony.

 

 

So while we seldom have any time to read fiction on a SAGA cruise, we fondly remember back to the Sapphire, the Pearl II and the Spirit of Discovers when she was first launched where the "Libraries" had a real wow factor... fiction wouldn't be out choice but we might have been interested in having a peek or two at some books that we found relevant to the area and the theme of the cruise...

 

1, Ice Ship The Epic Voyages of the Polar Adventurer Fram by Charles W. Johnson

 

2, Farthest North Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896 by Fridtjof Nansen

 

3, Erebus The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin

 

4, The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton's Endurance by Mensun Bound 

 

5, Norway: Land of Fjords and the Northern Lights by Claudia Martin 

 

6, Life beneath the Northern Lights by Lizzy Pattison

 

7, The Northern Lights: Celestial Performances of the Aurora Borealis by Daryl Pederson

 

8, Secrets of the Whales by Brian Skerry

 

9, Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises by Mark Carwardine

 

10, Ragnar Lothbrok and a History of the Vikings by Noah Brown

 

11, The Sagas of the Icelanders (World of the Sagas) by Jane Smiley,

 

12, The Sami Peoples of the North: A Social and Cultural History by Neil Kent

 

13, Four Corners: Building An Ice Hotel by Gib Goodfellow

 

14, The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World by Times Atlases.

 

 

In the meantime what is there is a very lovely and well used space... the fact that these pics show it empty is that they were taken early one morning well before breakfast. And we did that our own reference books on birds and whales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by twotravellersLondon

[Brissle]

5 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

 

Fiction writers with multimillion sales looks like a very interesting suggestion but... we do wonder just how many copies would be needed to allow almost 1,000 passengers to choose something that they would like.

 

We seldom have any time to read fiction on a SAGA cruise. We make the very most of every port day... we're up with the fulmars before dawn for often sensational sail-ins, fully occupied with stunning excursions and exciting independent exploring during the day, we're on deck for every sail-away and every sunset... but of course we take time out for drinks, dinner, shows and late night entertainment as well. It's pretty full on but we find that it makes an immensely enjoyable experience that will stay with us for ever.

 

Even on sea days, were up before dawn and enjoying the sea air, the atmospherics, the bird and marine life and chatting about our experiences on that cruise with like-minded people... who cruise for the joys of the experience. 

 

We often revisit places that we've been to many times before... each time they're different, each time we see a different side of them and each time the experience is more fulfilling than the last. This was our 20th visit to the Arctic in the last 20 years.

 

This is a glimpse of just one day we had in Honningsvåg on the Spirit of Adventure last month.

 

Dawn breaks...

 

 

 

Blizzard during the sail in...

 

 

 

Included trip up to the North Cape...

 

 

 

A stunning day at the North Cape...

 

 

 

Time to take that "Explorer" holiday snap...

 

 

 

Stunning landscapes...

 

 

Back to the Adventure for an excellent lunch...

 

 

 

Off into town exploring...

 

 

And birdwatching...

 

 

 

And ice watching...

 

 

 

Time before dinner to watch the spillway in the Arctic gloaming...

 

 

 

As the Sun sank... the pink created my micro ice crystals in the atmosphere...

 

 

 

After drinks... dinner... 

 

 

 

Then some lively entertainment...

 

 

 

Then relaxing with a little late-night country music...

 

 

 

And the well after midnight... a hint of the Northern Lights setting off Orion in the night sky from our balcony.

 

 

 

So while we seldom have any time to read fiction on a SAGA cruise, we fondly remember back to the Sapphire, the Pearl II and the Spirit of Discovers when she was first launched where the "Libraries" had a real wow factor... fiction wouldn't be out choice but we might have been interested in having a peek or two at some books that we found relevant to the area and the theme of the cruise...

 

1, Ice Ship The Epic Voyages of the Polar Adventurer Fram by Charles W. Johnson

 

2, Farthest North Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896 by Fridtjof Nansen

 

3, Erebus The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin

 

4, The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton's Endurance by Mensun Bound 

 

5, Norway: Land of Fjords and the Northern Lights by Claudia Martin 

 

6, Life beneath the Northern Lights by Lizzy Pattison

 

7, The Northern Lights: Celestial Performances of the Aurora Borealis by Daryl Pederson

 

8, Secrets of the Whales by Brian Skerry

 

9, Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises by Mark Carwardine

 

10, Ragnar Lothbrok and a History of the Vikings by Noah Brown

 

11, The Sagas of the Icelanders (World of the Sagas) by Jane Smiley,

 

12, The Sami Peoples of the North: A Social and Cultural History by Neil Kent

 

13, Four Corners: Building An Ice Hotel by Gib Goodfellow

 

14, The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World by Times Atlases.

 

 

In the meantime what is there is a very lovely and well used space... the fact that these pics show it empty is that they were taken early one morning well before breakfast. And we did that our own reference books on birds and whales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful photos and wonderful memories.

You illustrate why cruising is such an attractive type of holiday.

And you demonstrate how varied are the experiences that people seek when on holiday.

For us, a cruise is a break from a busy life.  We seek cruises with fewest ports - in fact I would describe a port as an annoying interruption to a good cruise.  In 25 years we have visited many, many ports all around the world and now we enjoy the sea days best.  Lectures, concerts, shows, reading, relaxing, swimming, the gym - oh I nearly forgot the outstanding food - all things we don't seem to find time for at home.

Everyone should make the most of the wonderful experience we are offered - in their own way.

That's why the library is a factor in our lives.

[Dermotsgirl]

On 4/15/2023 at 2:18 PM, Brissle said:

This is open to a huge range of suggestions because tastes vary so much.

But here is a list of fiction authors whose books are often in big demand:

Susan Lewis; Erica James; Jo Jo Hayes; Lucy Diamond; Barbara Erskine; Sophie Hannah; Amanda Prowse; Jane Fallon; Lucinda Riley.

There are plenty more.

None of these are represented in the current very small stock on Spirit of Discovery.

These days, I tend to read a few chapters at night before going to bed, but on cruises I tend to slip back into avid reading mode. If I'm waiting for something to start, or having some down time after coming back on board, I always take the chance for a read. 

 

I load up my Kindle before I go, but, if I saw books by the authors you mentioned, I'd probably borrow  it, if it was one that I hadn't already read. 

[GerryL13]

I'm more than happy to bring my own reading material (Kindle + public library downloads!). I've got pretty esoteric reading preferences, so I would not expect to find anything in the ship library to lose myself in. But I would hope to find reference and non-fiction books, especially on the itinerary destinations. Guides. History. Personal narratives. Will I have any luck when I board SoA next month?

 

Aside: An issue with borrowing a novel from a ship library is that you could feel compelled to spend more time reading so you can finish it before the cruise is over. When the book is on your device, you can be more flexible.

[twotravellersLondon]

2 hours ago, GerryL13 said:

I'm more than happy to bring my own reading material (Kindle + public library downloads!). I've got pretty esoteric reading preferences, so I would not expect to find anything in the ship library to lose myself in. But I would hope to find reference and non-fiction books, especially on the itinerary destinations. Guides. History. Personal narratives. Will I have any luck when I board SoA next month?

 

Aside: An issue with borrowing a novel from a ship library is that you could feel compelled to spend more time reading so you can finish it before the cruise is over. When the book is on your device, you can be more flexible.

 

Why?

[david05]

I agree that it was previously a well stocked library and I particularly liked the large number of classic books available but I don't want to read these all the time. I do always have a well stocked kindle and get through quite a few books on every cruise. The kindle was needed because, as we are usually late borders, we invariably found that by the time we got to look in library the most popular newish books had already been borrowed and it was pot luck whether you would find them available when you looked later in the cruise. On recent cruises I have, however, found some good books to borrow from the passenger exchange so I am grateful to those who bought books on board and passed them on for others to enjoy. It wouldn't spoil my enjoyment of the cruise if a well stocked library didn't return but I wish Saga would make it clear what they are or are not doing with regard to the library.

[danielscott]

On 4/18/2023 at 10:01 PM, GerryL13 said:

I'm more than happy to bring my own reading material (Kindle + public library downloads!). I've got pretty esoteric reading preferences, so I would not expect to find anything in the ship library to lose myself in. But I would hope to find reference and non-fiction books, especially on the itinerary destinations. Guides. History. Personal narratives. Will I have any luck when I board SoA next month?

 

Aside: An issue with borrowing a novel from a ship library is that you could feel compelled to spend more time reading so you can finish it before the cruise is over. When the book is on your device, you can be more flexible. By the way, recently my son advised me a book and said that here https://phdessay.com/free-essays-on/lamb-to-the-slaughter/ you can read the review and a short description. I was surprised at what good essays students are writing now, there are very high-quality works there. By the way, the story Lamb to the Slaughter turned out to be excellent, a little different from what I usually read, but for a change, it will do. I'm surprised I missed it before.

I understand you, I was in such a situation once. Kindle is very useful in this case.

[Windsurfboy]

Thank you sarasailing for pictures of books back in library😁😁😁😁😁😁

[Scorpio41]

I like the idea of passenger exchange books. I have a few books I would be happy to pass on. Is this up and running on SofD?

[david05]

On SoD there a library books but not as many as previously. Basically it is the bookshelves in the narrow part of the library and not the coffee station end. The usual mix of fiction and non-fiction and something of an eclectic mix - if you are interested in Scottish vernacular furniture they have just the book for you 😄. There are plenty of passenger exchange paperbacks along the wall where they had the computers in the library.

[jsforum]

Yes books are back. Not in any  order but found nice books

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by jsforum
Typo

[Denarius]

On SofA at the moment and the books have gone again; the cardboard replicas are back. Just what is going on?

[LandC]

When we boarded SofA for the Christmas cruise there were no books in the library.  However, halfway through the cruise they appeared!  The dining rooms also only provided salt and pepper in sachets for the first half of the cruise, then salt and pepper pots appeared. 
We wondered if these were measures taken against the spread of Norovirus.  If so, it worked, because we only heard of a couple of cases on board.

Edited January 21 by LandC
Addition

[Windsurfboy]

39 minutes ago, Denarius said:

On SofA at the moment and the books have gone again; the cardboard replicas are back. Just what is going on?

 

Have you asked interesting to see what they say

[Denarius]

17 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Have you asked interesting to see what they say

Just looked again and there are in fact three small bookcases of real books tucked away in the corridor adjacent to the library. Odd. Maybe they were missed when the rest were removed and replaced by the cardboard replicas. On wider issues there is an obsessive emphasis on handwashing onboard, particularly when entering the restaurants. Widely interpreted as a precaution against norovirus although no evidence of cases onboard. Maybe this explains the disappearance of the books. 

[twotravellersLondon]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

Just looked again and there are in fact three small bookcases of real books tucked away in the corridor adjacent to the library. Odd. Maybe they were missed when the rest were removed and replaced by the cardboard replicas. On wider issues there is an obsessive emphasis on handwashing onboard, particularly when entering the restaurants. Widely interpreted as a precaution against norovirus although no evidence of cases onboard. Maybe this explains the disappearance of the books. 

 

There may be no evidence of norovirus because of the emphasis on handwashing onboard. We had norovirus a few years ago and now with age and the collection of various ailments that we, like most people, seem to collect as time goes by... we most certainly never want to contract it again!

 

Even at home we never prepare food, eat or drink without wasting our hands in hot soapy water.

[Kenmure]

29 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

There may be no evidence of norovirus because of the emphasis on handwashing onboard. We had norovirus a few years ago and now with age and the collection of various ailments that we, like most people, seem to collect as time goes by... we most certainly never want to contract it again!

 

Even at home we never prepare food, eat or drink without wasting our hands in hot soapy water.

There was norovirus on the SoA when we were on it in November. The handwashing measures quickly got the outbreak under control. We would rather wash our hands before eating than be squirted with the hand sanitising gel. We were told by the captain that hand sanitiser didn’t protect against norovirus.