New to Saga

[Ladycommonsense]

Husband and I have done upwards of 100 cruises in the last 30 years with P&O and sadly we are now coming to the end of our journey (no pun intended) with the company.  Hence we are looking at Saga Cruises for our future voyages.  We are in our 60s and 70s but this is not about age. This is about looking for better quality; passengers, service, general standards, food, all that type of thing. I would be extremely grateful if regular Saga cruisers would be kind enough to share the ‘ups and downs’ of Saga with me to enable us to make an informed decision as to our future. We currently do six or seven cruises a year.

[Harry Peterson]

Not as yet a Saga passenger, but very soon will be because of the direction Carnival has taken P&O in over recent years. It’s not remotely the same company it was even 10 years ago. Stripped back food, service, talks, entertainment and very tired accommodation.

 

We have friends who’ve switched. They, like you, were loyal P&O customers but now wouldn’t even consider returning. The difference, they say, is astonishing - in every respect.

 

It’s a shame, because P&O used to suit us quite nicely. Good food, decent accommodation, a civilised environment and nice dinner companions. Some of that remains, but you have to hit lucky, and I don’t take chances with holidays.

[nosapphire]

19 minutes ago, Ladycommonsense said:

Husband and I have done upwards of 100 cruises in the last 30 years with P&O and sadly we are now coming to the end of our journey (no pun intended) with the company.  Hence we are looking at Saga Cruises for our future voyages.  We are in our 60s and 70s but this is not about age. This is about looking for better quality; passengers, service, general standards, food, all that type of thing. I would be extremely grateful if regular Saga cruisers would be kind enough to share the ‘ups and downs’ of Saga with me to enable us to make an informed decision as to our future. We currently do six or seven cruises a year.

There are already several interesting posts on this forum from people who have tried out Saga, and their posts give some interesting and balanced comparisons with Saga and the other lines they use.

These reviews may give a better picture than the opinions of somebody who only or mainly uses Saga (bear in mind that people who regularly cruise with only one line are sometimes quite passionate about "their" line being better than everybody else, so views can be very biased).

I have not cruised since early 2020, but my personal opinion is that the Saga new ships have many extremely good points, but the Saga management has also lost their way and the experience can sometimes be a let down because of confused, conflicting and sometimes downright stupid communications between head office, the ship, and the passengers.

Until this happened I would certainly have said that Saga service is head and shoulders above the rest. (We are back on board again later this year, so hopefully things have improved management wise).

Read all the posts, good bad and indifferent, and the majority agree the food is definitely a plus point, in both quality and variety (My personal opinion is that Saga offer very good food, and the best cheese board and soups of anyone).

++

One thing that puzzles me in your post is that you are looking for a better quality of fellow passenger.

Saga (as yet) do not promote their cruises in the local paper special cut-price deals section, which is what you may be thinking about, but neither do they monitor their passengers, and some of the most obnoxious and/or irritating people I have ever met have been with Saga, likewise some of the most interesting and/or pleasant people.

If you can afford the fare you can get on board. So passenger wise, you will meet a variety of people - which, apart from the age criteria, is much the same as any other line.

 

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Not as yet a Saga passenger, but very soon will be because of the direction Carnival has taken P&O in over recent years. It’s not remotely the same company it was even 10 years ago. Stripped back food, service, talks, entertainment and very tired accommodation.

 

We have friends who’ve switched. They, like you, were loyal P&O customers but now wouldn’t even consider returning. The difference, they say, is astonishing - in every respect.

 

It’s a shame, because P&O used to suit us quite nicely. Good food, decent accommodation, a civilised environment and nice dinner companions. Some of that remains, but you have to hit lucky, and I don’t take chances with holidays.

Very nicely put, and I think you’ve captured the very essence of what I was aiming for. Thank you.

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

There are already several interesting posts on this forum from people who have tried out Saga, and their posts give some interesting and balanced comparisons with Saga and the other lines they use.

These reviews may give a better picture than the opinions of somebody who only or mainly uses Saga (bear in mind that people who regularly cruise with only one line are sometimes quite passionate about "their" line being better than everybody else, so views can be very biased).

I have not cruised since early 2020, but my personal opinion is that the Saga new ships have many extremely good points, but the Saga management has also lost their way and the experience can sometimes be a let down because of confused, conflicting and sometimes downright stupid communications between head office, the ship, and the passengers.

Until this happened I would certainly have said that Saga service is head and shoulders above the rest. (We are back on board again later this year, so hopefully things have improved management wise).

Read all the posts, good bad and indifferent, and the majority agree the food is definitely a plus point, in both quality and variety (My personal opinion is that Saga offer very good food, and the best cheese board and soups of anyone).

++

One thing that puzzles me in your post is that you are looking for a better quality of fellow passenger.

Saga (as yet) do not promote their cruises in the local paper special cut-price deals section, which is what you may be thinking about, but neither do they monitor their passengers, and some of the most obnoxious and/or irritating people I have ever met have been with Saga, likewise some of the most interesting and/or pleasant people.

If you can afford the fare you can get on board. So passenger wise, you will meet a variety of people - which, apart from the age criteria, is much the same as any other line.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write, such an informative response. I absolutely agree about the price deals that cruise companies are offering and indeed P&O probably lead the pack on this. All that said when you say that the variety of people is very much the same as on other lines I think I would have to disagree with this. I have recently seen some appalling disgusting behaviour that is beyond comprehension; a female changing a baby’s nappy on the dinner table going unchallenged, a family nose-picking contest, a chap who used his fork to clean out his finger nails whilst eating dinner ….. I could go on and on and all this was carried out in the best dining room. I simply cannot accept that these type of ‘creatures’ can afford the price point of Saga. If so, I will simply jump overboard and not return!!!

[Ladycommonsense]

Sorry - I posted twice🙈

Edited February 5, 2023 by Ladycommonsense
Duplicated text.

[twotravellersLondon]

1 hour ago, Ladycommonsense said:

Husband and I have done upwards of 100 cruises in the last 30 years with P&O and sadly we are now coming to the end of our journey (no pun intended) with the company.  Hence we are looking at Saga Cruises for our future voyages.  We are in our 60s and 70s but this is not about age. This is about looking for better quality; passengers, service, general standards, food, all that type of thing. I would be extremely grateful if regular Saga cruisers would be kind enough to share the ‘ups and downs’ of Saga with me to enable us to make an informed decision as to our future. We currently do six or seven cruises a year.

 

We started making the transition, mainly from P&O and Fred Olsen and fly-cruises with companies such as Princess well before Covid. 

 

We normally take a balcony cabin on cruises... simply because we're avid sea-watchers and it gives us a viewing platform when it's too hot, too cold and the outside decks are closed... so that means that we've been able to compare three of Saga's ships of a like for like basis with other lines... and that calculation also takes in the fact that Saga is all-inclusive and we would have to pay quite a lot on top of P&O or FOCLs to have the same experience.

 

We're members of several cruise loyalty programmes. We prefer SAGA to FOCLs because these days FOCLs will offer cruises on "special" members only day prior to them going on sale...  But... weeks and months later the same cabin will be sold by FOCLs at very considerably less than loyalty originally paid. 

 

Cabins On SAGA, even the entry level, are roomy and comfortable. They are spread throughout the ships so that does undermine the slightly snobbish attitude we've found on one line where people publicly boast about their deck level. Downside... top cabins are a tad too expensive by far for our current budget.

 

Drinks... all inclusive on SAGA and better quality that we've relatively recently experienced on P&O and FOCLs. We don't drink that much and often pay as we go on other lines and have really got so tired at being given short measures of cheap industrial spirit full of icy water to disguise the fact that we've not been given what we're paying for. Downside on SAGA... we tend to quaff more than our doctors would say is good for us... but is that a problem for two or three weeks?

 

Room service on SAGA is 24/7 and will provide a full restaurant meal, hot and well-presented from the dining rooms (when they're open) in typically 15 mins. On FOCLs we've returned to the cabin freezing cold at 2.30 am in the morning after watching the most wonderful display of the Northern Lights... to a cold apple some crisps and a cup of tea.

 

Food on SAGA is land based restaurant quality in the main dining room and we would find it very hard and very expensive to match the quality of the dining experience in the speciality restaurants outside of someplace like Rick Stein or Gordon Ramsay. The down-side is that towards the end of a cruise the speciality restaurants can be a bit booked up and they can only be booked while on board.

 

Entertainment on Saga is offered in real theatres with raked seating.... as with P&O which is so much better that FOCLs cabaret-lounge arrangements on the Balmoral. However on SAGA it's possible to see a different theatre show every night without the need to book... and what's on offer in more to our personal taste. The only downside is that there is more entertainment in the Britannia Lounge and it's sometimes difficult to choose. We sometimes think that we may have made the wrong choice and missed out... but is being spoilt for choice a downside?

 

SAGA cruisers... a very wide variety of people.  We've sometime felt a bit out-of-place in the busier, noisier atmosphere of P&O and in the sometimes in the more sedate lounges on FOCLs. SGA suits us better... hence four SAGA cruises this year or so. We have found that others are also migrating towards SAGA from P&O, FOCLs and from fly cruises and that sometimes they like it but other times they miss the familiar atmosphere of their previous line of choice... so best to travel with an open mind.

 

We acidulously read reviews and comments. Sometimes they're of little use... one person will describe a cruise as "fantastic" and the next will describe it as "terrible"... neither will give any real detail. Often comments will tell us more about the person who posts the review/comment... perhaps immensely loyal to one brand or perhaps with a concern from yonks ago that they would like to share at every opportunity. 

 

What we found was that the best way to assess whether or not we would like SAGA's atmosphere and style was to take a short cruise on SAGA to somewhere that we're been to with both FOCLs and P&O and to then decide how the experience compared. 

 

We did and SAGA is now the main cruise-line that we use because it suits us very well. We're actively interest in other cruise-lines but SAGA has now become our main "provider."

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

We started making the transition, mainly from P&O and Fred Olsen and fly-cruises with companies such as Princess well before Covid. 

 

We normally take a balcony cabin on cruises... simply because we're avid sea-watchers and it gives us a viewing platform when it's too hot, too cold and the outside decks are closed... so that means that we've been able to compare three of Saga's ships of a like for like basis with other lines... and that calculation also takes in the fact that Saga is all-inclusive and we would have to pay quite a lot on top of P&O or FOCLs to have the same experience.

 

We're members of several cruise loyalty programmes. We prefer SAGA to FOCLs because these days FOCLs will offer cruises on "special" members only day prior to them going on sale...  But... weeks and months later the same cabin will be sold by FOCLs at very considerably less than loyalty originally paid. 

 

Cabins On SAGA, even the entry level, are roomy and comfortable. They are spread throughout the ships so that does undermine the slightly snobbish attitude we've found on one line where people publicly boast about their deck level. Downside... top cabins are a tad too expensive by far for our current budget.

 

Drinks... all inclusive on SAGA and better quality that we've relatively recently experienced on P&O and FOCLs. We don't drink that much and often pay as we go on other lines and have really got so tired at being given short measures of cheap industrial spirit full of icy water to disguise the fact that we've not been given what we're paying for. Downside on SAGA... we tend to quaff more than our doctors would say is good for us... but is that a problem for two or three weeks?

 

Room service on SAGA is 24/7 and will provide a full restaurant meal, hot and well-presented from the dining rooms (when they're open) in typically 15 mins. On FOCLs we've returned to the cabin freezing cold at 2.30 am in the morning after watching the most wonderful display of the Northern Lights... to a cold apple some crisps and a cup of tea.

 

Food on SAGA is land based restaurant quality in the main dining room and we would find it very hard and very expensive to match the quality of the dining experience in the speciality restaurants outside of someplace like Rick Stein or Gordon Ramsay. The down-side is that towards the end of a cruise the speciality restaurants can be a bit booked up and they can only be booked while on board.

 

Entertainment on Saga is offered in real theatres with raked seating.... as with P&O which is so much better that FOCLs cabaret-lounge arrangements on the Balmoral. However on SAGA it's possible to see a different theatre show every night without the need to book... and what's on offer in more to our personal taste. The only downside is that there is more entertainment in the Britannia Lounge and it's sometimes difficult to choose. We sometimes think that we may have made the wrong choice and missed out... but is being spoilt for choice a downside?

 

SAGA cruisers... a very wide variety of people.  We've sometime felt a bit out-of-place in the busier, noisier atmosphere of P&O and in the sometimes in the more sedate lounges on FOCLs. SGA suits us better... hence four SAGA cruises this year or so. We have found that others are also migrating towards SAGA from P&O, FOCLs and from fly cruises and that sometimes they like it but other times they miss the familiar atmosphere of their previous line of choice... so best to travel with an open mind.

 

We acidulously read reviews and comments. Sometimes they're of little use... one person will describe a cruise as "fantastic" and the next will describe it as "terrible"... neither will give any real detail. Often comments will tell us more about the person who posts the review/comment... perhaps immensely loyal to one brand or perhaps with a concern from yonks ago that they would like to share at every opportunity. 

 

What we found was that the best way to assess whether or not we would like SAGA's atmosphere and style was to take a short cruise on SAGA to somewhere that we're been to with both FOCLs and P&O and to then decide how the experience compared. 

 

We did and SAGA is now the main cruise-line that we use because it suits us very well. We're actively interest in other cruise-lines but SAGA has now become our main "provider."

Golly what a superb response - thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. You really have covered the most salient points for me here. We have only ever cruised in suites and if we’re going to continue doing the same number of cruises per year that we currently do, I think we will certainly be looking at balcony cabins, as suites on Saga, as you quite rightly say do seem a tad expensive - well certainly for our budget. That said we have previously not really had an issue with paying slightly over the odds to get the suite in the position that we want. I think all that is set to change now if we move to Saga. Thank you again - it really is most appreciated.

[LandC]

2 hours ago, Ladycommonsense said:

Husband and I have done upwards of 100 cruises in the last 30 years with P&O and sadly we are now coming to the end of our journey (no pun intended) with the company.  Hence we are looking at Saga Cruises for our future voyages.  We are in our 60s and 70s but this is not about age. This is about looking for better quality; passengers, service, general standards, food, all that type of thing. I would be extremely grateful if regular Saga cruisers would be kind enough to share the ‘ups and downs’ of Saga with me to enable us to make an informed decision as to our future. We currently do six or seven cruises a year.

Wow, six or seven cruises a year - lucky you!  We have been on several cruises on Saga’s new ships, and would agree with the comments of the OP’s.  My advice is to book early to get the best price, as Saga’s cruises start with a 35% discount, which reduces as cabins are sold.  We are currently waiting for the release of the summer 2024 cruises, which should hopefully happen within the next few weeks.

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, LandC said:

Wow, six or seven cruises a year - lucky you!  We have been on several cruises on Saga’s new ships, and would agree with the comments of the OP’s.  My advice is to book early to get the best price, as Saga’s cruises start with a 35% discount, which reduces as cabins are sold.  We are currently waiting for the release of the summer 2024 cruises, which should hopefully happen within the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, and what an excellent tip. We usually travel in suites (ooooh please don’t judge us - no children/grandchildren etc. so no inheritance to worry about 🤣) and if we want to carry on doing the same amount we did think that the price point of the suites on Saga was a tad above our budget. However, we didn’t know about this 35% offer so again, thank you very much indeed, it is much appreciated. One more thing - may I ask you how you book your Saga cruises? We have always going direct to P&O so feel like newbies 🤣

[LandC]

We book direct. This enables us to access MySaga online for information on excursions, pick up times etc.
 

If cruises are booked via a TA,  Saga send all the information to them.  This may mean that some of the most popular excursions are sold out by the time the info reaches the client.

[nosapphire]

Well, you certainly won't get the nappy situation - how disgusting.

Alas, I have seen on Saga both the other sick-making instances you describe (including one guest speaker busy picking his nose while in the buffet queue. That was after a crew member had sent him back to the entrance to use the hand sanitiser he had ignored on the way in) - and during one season of repeat Norovirus outbreaks they had to station crew inside the public toilets to make sure passengers washed their hands.

Sadly, the cost of the cruise or the status of the person does not necessarily mean being free from unpleasant, antisocial and downright repulsive behaviour.

++

Book direct, on line or by (free)'phone. Makes it easier to discuss any changes or additions you may want. Saga telephone staff are extremely helpful and patient.

Saga discounts start at 35%, but this sometimes gets used up by all the advance registrations,* so by the time the general brochures come out popular cruises can be down to 10% or less. Bear in mind that the deposit on Saga is usually higher than the deposit on P&O (but if you need to change your cruise, Saga will spend more time helping you find an alternative to roll it over to).

I don't think the new ships have any "bad" cabins - the standard cabins have a bit of an odd layout, and for long cruises storage space is limited (you'll need to keep some stuff in the suitcases under the bed) but are still very comfortable,  the deluxe cabins apparently have much more storage. The balconies are a sensible size on all grades - and you can lock the balcony doors from inside (not all ships have this feature).

The suites apparently come with in-cabin benefits, but otherwise the same level of service applies regardless of cabin grade., price paid, or tier status. All are equal on Saga ships.

I'll add, on longer cruises where a ship's questionnaire is given out at the end of the first week  - this is a line that actually reads them. Mention that the shower is a bit temperamental or the wardrobe door creaks, there will be a knock on the door and you'll find the somebody with a toolbag come to inspect and correct. If you do have any problems, you will find your cabin steward/ess and/or reception staff very helpful and proactive.

 

*Advance registration = £90 per person to pre-register for a specific season in advance (some people pre-register a couple of years ahead). If you book, cost taken off the cruise. If you do not book, or even just change your mind, is fully refundable. Pre-registration is available to all.

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

Well, you certainly won't get the nappy situation - how disgusting.

Alas, I have seen on Saga both the other sick-making instances you describe (including one guest speaker busy picking his nose while in the buffet queue. That was after a crew member had sent him back to the entrance to use the hand sanitiser he had ignored on the way in) - and during one season of repeat Norovirus outbreaks they had to station crew inside the public toilets to make sure passengers washed their hands.

Sadly, the cost of the cruise or the status of the person does not necessarily mean being free from unpleasant, antisocial and downright repulsive behaviour.

++

Book direct, on line or by (free)'phone. Makes it easier to discuss any changes or additions you may want. Saga telephone staff are extremely helpful and patient.

Saga discounts start at 35%, but this sometimes gets used up by all the advance registrations,* so by the time the general brochures come out popular cruises can be down to 10% or less. Bear in mind that the deposit on Saga is usually higher than the deposit on P&O (but if you need to change your cruise, Saga will spend more time helping you find an alternative to roll it over to).

I don't think the new ships have any "bad" cabins - the standard cabins have a bit of an odd layout, and for long cruises storage space is limited (you'll need to keep some stuff in the suitcases under the bed) but are still very comfortable,  the deluxe cabins apparently have much more storage. The balconies are a sensible size on all grades - and you can lock the balcony doors from inside (not all ships have this feature).

The suites apparently come with in-cabin benefits, but otherwise the same level of service applies regardless of cabin grade., price paid, or tier status. All are equal on Saga ships.

I'll add, on longer cruises where a ship's questionnaire is given out at the end of the first week  - this is a line that actually reads them. Mention that the shower is a bit temperamental or the wardrobe door creaks, there will be a knock on the door and you'll find the somebody with a toolbag come to inspect and correct. If you do have any problems, you will find your cabin steward/ess and/or reception staff very helpful and proactive.

 

*Advance registration = £90 per person to pre-register for a specific season in advance (some people pre-register a couple of years ahead). If you book, cost taken off the cruise. If you do not book, or even just change your mind, is fully refundable. Pre-registration is available to all.

Another super response ….. I am getting kern lol!! Thank you again!

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, nosapphire said:

Well, you certainly won't get the nappy situation - how disgusting.

Alas, I have seen on Saga both the other sick-making instances you describe (including one guest speaker busy picking his nose while in the buffet queue. That was after a crew member had sent him back to the entrance to use the hand sanitiser he had ignored on the way in) - and during one season of repeat Norovirus outbreaks they had to station crew inside the public toilets to make sure passengers washed their hands.

Sadly, the cost of the cruise or the status of the person does not necessarily mean being free from unpleasant, antisocial and downright repulsive behaviour.

++

Book direct, on line or by (free)'phone. Makes it easier to discuss any changes or additions you may want. Saga telephone staff are extremely helpful and patient.

Saga discounts start at 35%, but this sometimes gets used up by all the advance registrations,* so by the time the general brochures come out popular cruises can be down to 10% or less. Bear in mind that the deposit on Saga is usually higher than the deposit on P&O (but if you need to change your cruise, Saga will spend more time helping you find an alternative to roll it over to).

I don't think the new ships have any "bad" cabins - the standard cabins have a bit of an odd layout, and for long cruises storage space is limited (you'll need to keep some stuff in the suitcases under the bed) but are still very comfortable,  the deluxe cabins apparently have much more storage. The balconies are a sensible size on all grades - and you can lock the balcony doors from inside (not all ships have this feature).

The suites apparently come with in-cabin benefits, but otherwise the same level of service applies regardless of cabin grade., price paid, or tier status. All are equal on Saga ships.

I'll add, on longer cruises where a ship's questionnaire is given out at the end of the first week  - this is a line that actually reads them. Mention that the shower is a bit temperamental or the wardrobe door creaks, there will be a knock on the door and you'll find the somebody with a toolbag come to inspect and correct. If you do have any problems, you will find your cabin steward/ess and/or reception staff very helpful and proactive.

 

*Advance registration = £90 per person to pre-register for a specific season in advance (some people pre-register a couple of years ahead). If you book, cost taken off the cruise. If you do not book, or even just change your mind, is fully refundable. Pre-registration is available to all.

One more question, if I may. You mentioned that it is possible to pre-register a couple of years ahead. I presume this means one can register, even though there is no brochure? Also if we want to do half a dozen cruises does that mean we have to pre-register half a dozen times ….. if you see what I mean?

[Kohima]

We have recently returned from a Saga cruise where we encountered delightful dinner companions on shared tables in all the venues. Many were first time cruisers with Saga, mostly refugees from P&O. Overwhelmingly they were delighted with their Saga experience. On the new ships the standard cabins are the same on all the decks and there is definitely no hierarchy of treatment throughout the ship based on the cabin you occupy. The Saga CEO and top management team were onboard, seeking and listening to passenger feedback in their quest for continual improvement. For example, the boarding experience at Portsmouth was very poor on this, the first cruise of the year to depart from Portsmouth. Having experienced this for themselves, changes were immediately put in place to rectify the problems for our return.

[Ladycommonsense]

1 hour ago, Kohima said:

We have recently returned from a Saga cruise where we encountered delightful dinner companions on shared tables in all the venues. Many were first time cruisers with Saga, mostly refugees from P&O. Overwhelmingly they were delighted with their Saga experience. On the new ships the standard cabins are the same on all the decks and there is definitely no hierarchy of treatment throughout the ship based on the cabin you occupy. The Saga CEO and top management team were onboard, seeking and listening to passenger feedback in their quest for continual improvement. For example, the boarding experience at Portsmouth was very poor on this, the first cruise of the year to depart from Portsmouth. Having experienced this for themselves, changes were immediately put in place to rectify the problems for our return.

Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a thoughtful response. I must say Saga is indeed looking very tempting!!

[LandC]

17 hours ago, Ladycommonsense said:

One more question, if I may. You mentioned that it is possible to pre-register a couple of years ahead. I presume this means one can register, even though there is no brochure? Also if we want to do half a dozen cruises does that mean we have to pre-register half a dozen times ….. if you see what I mean?

You only need to pre-register once per season (winter or summer, or both). You will get an e-brochure with the itineraries followed by a phone call from Saga to advise prices and discuss your requirements, and can book as many cruises as you like.  You will be able to book your cruise with the best discount available at the time, before the cruises are advertised to the general public We have pre-registered up to 2027, but I know some have pre-registered beyond that!  

[sleepingcat]

you ve already had some really useful responses.  we did our first saga cruise last year and I posted a review which as mentioned above was the review of a first time Saga customer.  Interestingly many people we met on the ship were also on Saga for the first time.  (and we had a roll call meet up)

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?ShipID=1284&action=ship&page=2

 

you ll also see some negative reviews from other passengers.

[nosapphire]

I am (fairly) confident in saying that you will find a move from P&O to Saga will be a step up in the quality and service in most, if not all, areas.

When it comes to passenger reviews from people from such as Viking, then it seems to be less of a step-up and more of an acceptable alternative.

 

As a long term Saga passenger, I did not like the new ships and the direction Head Office management is taking because I feel that they are losing/have lost much of the original Saga ambience - the atmosphere is different, not so much because the ships are bigger, more because the layout prevents many things that were possible on the old ships - deck parties/barbeques/special events are not the same when you cannot get everybody together in a single area, and also head office seem to be taking a more corporate direction, instead of allowing the ship management to guide decisions.

Having said that, the new ships have a lot of very clever designs that make them very comfortable, and Saga have retained a lot of the personal touches that make them different and more appealing than others (they still assume that many of their passengers prefer to talk to a real live human to discuss their cruise, ask questions, etc., so while they are heavily promoting their on-line services, they have kept a very good telephone service).

 

Random things specific to the new ships that greatly impressed and which don't seem to get mentioned a lot.

 - No more "do not disturb" tags on the door - put your key card in the slot to turn on the lights/aircon and a light outside illuminates to show the cabin staff you are inside. Press a button inside and a red "do not disturb" light illuminates outside. Press a different button and a green "make up cabin" light illuminates outside. Much easier, both for you and the cabin staff - they can immediately see who is in, who is out, and who is having a nap. (Apart from those who leave the key card inside when they come out and have to ask reception for help to get back in).

 - Every cabin deck has access to the outside at the rear of the ship, so if you want to go outside quickly, no running up or down to get to an outside deck. There is a set of outside stairs, so on sunny days you can meander up to the buffet while looking out to sea.

 - No more cabins with either a lifeboat or a promenade immediately outside the balcony. Even the "restricted view" cabins at the front on Edeck are not really restricted, just that the shape of the ship means a slightly higher plain balcony, rather than the glass ones elsewhere.

 - A proper wrap around promenade deck, low down and wide enough to walk, run, or just stand and watch the sea without getting in the way of anyone else. Plus, as this is not on a passenger deck, many doors open on to the promenade - handy if it starts to rain or a loo is urgently needed as there is always a door close by.

(There is another smaller promenade at the top above the pool).

 

Hopefully, they will even have books back in the library later this year....

 

[Ladycommonsense]

23 hours ago, LandC said:

You only need to pre-register once per season (winter or summer, or both). You will get an e-brochure with the itineraries followed by a phone call from Saga to advise prices and discuss your requirements, and can book as many cruises as you like.  You will be able to book your cruise with the best discount available at the time, before the cruises are advertised to the general public We have pre-registered up to 2027, but I know some have pre-registered beyond that!  

Super!  Thank you again👍

[Windsurfboy]

had our first Saga cruise last year., booked a month for this winter. 

 

In our experience all cruise ship staff have been nice on P&O and Cunard. 

 

However Saga just seemed that bit friendlier, ship seemed a happy family. 

 

Similiary saga passengers, everyone chatted just a nice atmosphere.  I suppose a more homogenous mix , in terms of age,  and I expect income/experience. 

 

Cleary Saga food and service is better than P&O should be given price ,  it matches Cunard grills

[lincslady]

Just what I would have said, Ladycommonsense.  I feel sure you would enjoy Saga, and no need to book a suite unless you really want to; the regular cabins are large enough and with balconies etc.

[Harry Peterson]

43 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Just what I would have said, Ladycommonsense.  I feel sure you would enjoy Saga, and no need to book a suite unless you really want to; the regular cabins are large enough and with balconies etc.

Thanks. I was wondering about that. We always had an aft suite with P&O, mainly for the extra space and breakfasts in the Epicurean, but suites with Saga look extraordinarily expensive, presumably because there are fewer of them.

 

I’m not at all sure we’d be prepared to spend that much, but a regular balcony might well do with Saga. Included dining options look rather better, and the other included extras would be good, but the overall ambience, I’m advised by friends, is much better. 

[david05]

I don't think I can add much to what others have said. My impression is that Saga have not cut back on their offering to the extent that some other cruise lines have. The cabin supplies are just as good as they have been in the past and the food is uniformly excellent. Although some of the seating inside is not as comfortable as it should be the public areas seem much more spacious than on many other ships.

Whilst it is true that the best deals are available around the launch of the new season brochure, as long as you don't want the cheapest grades of standard cabin (deck E and maybe D), the discount for couples is generally around 20 to 30% for quite a while. (I can imagine the discount for the single cabins may fall quicker.) If you are prepared to take pot luck on a cabin you can often pick up a relatively good deal on a guarantee cabin quite close to sailing.

[Scorpio41]

On 2/5/2023 at 1:13 PM, LandC said:

We book direct. This enables us to access MySaga online for information on excursions, pick up times etc.
 

If cruises are booked via a TA,  Saga send all the information to them.  This may mean that some of the most popular excursions are sold out by the time the info reaches the client.

Totally agree. Book direct with Saga. If you use a travel agent Saga won’t take your calls as everything has to go through the travel agent.

 

Your holiday starts from when they pick you up from home. You can cruise without spending a penny onboard. All speciality restaurants, all drinks including premium brands are included in the price you pay. There are free trips at some ports, plus trips you can purchase.

 

Fabulous staff.