Windsurfboy

One thing to think about now is you pay for saver in advance. If you book say 12 months before payment due, you can now earn 5% on your money . So that's equivalent to a select fare being 5% cheaper .

Saga policy on website and in brochures makes no mention of coming in early. "If you’d like a fixed table for the duration of your cruise, please call our cruise advisors to book one. Kindly note there is a maximum of 150 fixed tables available on each cruise".

If the extra charge only reflects any additional cost then that's fine. But comparing Saga excursions to other cruise lines, that doesn't seem to be the case, they are of similiar prices As I said earlier this one aspect doesn't anywhere near outweigh all the other positives of Saga. On other cruise lines never use excursions book privately. Just found Saga inclusive tours to be a disappointment. Whilst every other aspect of Saga exceeded my expectations.

I don't understand why someone with a fixed table coming in a bit late effects anyone who comes in at 7.30. If you come in right at the earliest time, you could very well be still at your fixed table at 8pm or even until 9pm if you like a leisurely meal. It's not the works canteen. So whatever time you come in the table is out of action. The only logical objection is you think the whole notion of some but not all being able to get a fixed table is selfish and should be stopped. If so bring it up with Sags

I'm sure you can ask, but I they can't offer you any fixed table already allocated. I think they like to spread fixed tables around to even out work load. We've been happy with ours.

just a logical follow on from you saying more excursions would make it dearer which isnt necessarily true , unless by offering excursions many dont like they can save money. You don't want it dearer by offering excursions others may like , so the collary to that for us others is make it cheaper by not offering excursions that only suit some, not us. Just like offering red wine only many would say best to offer no wine.

That's what ours said but we just said we normally like to come between 7.15 and 7.30 and the Maitre D' said no problem. As has been said before, they know if you are going to a speciality restaurants, and would then give table away. We asked if we should tell him when we were using speciality restaurants he said no need. We also had no push back when we always asked for a break between courses, we like a leisurely dinner. On Saga the table is yours for as long as you want , Saga website says "enjoy up to 5 courses in this elegant setting", this is a clear indication you can take your time. I'm a great believer in Companies honouring what they advertise., the Saga website and advertising says there are 150 fixed places , with no mention of time limits so that's what you should expect. Saga have 1038 seats for 987 passengers, so even when full should be no issues, and no pressure to reuse a table, unless no one wants to use speciality restaurants. But all the complaints seem to be about these being hard to get into.

If you want the cruise to be cheaper , then no included excursions , cheaper for everyone. Only having one type of included excursion is the same as saying included wine but only red. If you read what regular posters say we praise Saga much more than we moan.

We had no trouble coming in at 7.30 pm , OK not a full cruise Saga has 492 seats in Grand dining room, 100 in the club, 74 in each of two speciality restaurants , total 740 seats in waiter served restaurants. Plus the grill which lots of people like, 1038 seats in total for 987 maximum guests. So even on full cruise they do not have to use tables twice, like on bigger ships. When you book fixed table which you do well before you board , you book a fixed table , it does not say on website you must dine early. When you phone (as no longer on my concierge ) you are not told must be in by 6.30. Perhaps if you ask at last minute on board when the allocation of 150 fixed table places has gone, they will find some extra on condition you arrive early 6.30.

For me Portsmouth is 230 miles Tilbury 350 miles and fighting round m25, so tents and buses are minor inconvenience.

You don't even have to be seated by 7.30 if you are going to be later just let them know and they'll hold it.

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be the option of panoramic excursions at every port for those who need them. Just that all the included , free, excursions don't have to be panoramic

I tried to argue with Nigel Blanks that if they only want to offer one included excursion per port they should offer different types at different ports to appeal to everyone , some purely panorama, some with more free time, some say walking. His response was this would excude the less mobile. He didn't understand my point that current panoramic excuded many people who hated sitting on coach for 3 hours. Perhaps they are changing, but once bitten twice shy will organise own excursions. . Still not enough to stop us booking again with Saga, positives outweighs this one negative

If you are happy as you say for Saga to restrict the number of wheelchair users on board to 10 , and they have 10 adapted cabins. Then if a wheelchair user uses a non adapted cabin, that would leave one adapted cabin either unoccupied or being used by a non wheelchair user. Therefore your only real complaint, and one can see is very logical, is why are only 2 out of 10 adapted cabins standard cabins, which I presume have sold out.

If masks are mandated, then they will be supplied

You were lucky all the included excursions in our eastern Mediterranean cruise May 2022 were pure panoramic no free time out of coach. I only did one but reports from others were just as dire. Quite a few complaints. Perhaps they learnt from this.

All the adapted cabins are larger than a standard cabin. The safety grounds they state are that you cannot store a wheel chair safely in a standard cabin.

The included excursions are all described as panoramic. Ie two to three hours in a coach with the odd very short photo stop. After our first cancelled them all

Just have to run very fast

When everyone has priority no one has priority. Security is the bottleneck. In the old days used to issue coloured cards, which made it easier to control boarding now more of a free for all

Like host Hattie thought it was a great intinerary, Vigo , Calvi and Cadiz being walkable from ship, and lovely just to stroll around. Our highlights were Barcelona where we went to Sagrada familia and had booked a tour directly with the cathedral including towers, 329 steps down but lift up. Great enthusiasm from guide, the inside knowledge made building even more remarkable. Then of course Rome, where we splashed out on a private car, Rome in Limo, saw everything we wanted and time for a bite to eat in quiet restaurant out of city centre. After busy 4 ports on trot, the sea days on way back 2 sea days, Cadiz, then 2 sea days was well planned.

What is Viking air like if you want scheduled business say 2 weeks before cruise. What are prices like c.f. booking direct

If everyone keeps to their allocated time then you can factor in the normal impact if those with mobility difficulties. The number of people disembarkating at any one time will allow for this and things should run smoothly. If more people turn up you rapidly get queues . The way queues form it will superficially appear that those with mobility difficulties are the problem as the queue will be behind them. However the fundamental issue is more people trying to disembark than was allowed for. We are talking about QM2 that has nearly twice the passengers than the other ships and therefore twice as many per hour. The more people you are trying to disembark per hour through basically the same gangway and corridors the more critical keeping to right numbers becomes. Telling people to stick to times and sending them back is not punishment.

It was the same coming from Capetown, so I expect that mandatory passport checks are normal for any cruise that has been outside Europe.

Because on QM2 deck 9 is purely QG and is 90%+ of the QG cabins. If people come early then if you not make them wait or ideally send them back, then allocated times mean nothing, you get queue not fair on those who stick to the allocated times.