smokey57

I had an email from Saga today which really took the biscuit:

"Exciting news! We’ve launched a new cruise sailing around the Eastern Mediterranean, departing next month on May 21, 20‍22. .... reserve your cabin now."
They clearly don't realise that we were booked on the original cruise and cancelled that 4 days ago.

On 4/27/2022 at 2:45 PM, Windsurfboy said:

We haven't been to many of these ports, there are some that don't look that good but we actually like the odd port day when we are only one of a few who stay on ship.

 

They have dropped guarantee price to £6600 , which is 30% off full price. As there are no bad standard cabins on SOA anyone who bought at  disount of 25% off or less may consider cancelling and  rebooking. 

 

Deluxe and suites no reduction.  Suites still only 15% off , but they ever get better than my 25% off, I will talk to Saga

 

NB now 173 twin and 25 single cabins available, so people not rushing to buy. But only 25 days to go.  Even at £6600 , £13200per couple not cheap. So people with this money to spend and no commitment for a month at such short notice aren't that plentiful. Will be a spacious cruise, with more than normal staff to passenger ratio. 

We had a river cruise cancelled by Saga last year with less than a month's notice, simply because they hadn't sold enough places on it to make it worth their while to run. I hope for the sake of those people still wanting to go on this one that they don't do the same thing again!

2 hours ago, Summer Song said:

It will have been a difficult time for SAGA making up their minds about this cruise, but we feel very let down by the poor, almost deceitful lack of information. Information has certainly been tardy and it is very difficult to understand why it should have taken them this long to make their mind up when alternative ports were booked a month ago. They also do not seem to have cared too much for we customers with whom they could have communicated their thoughts and problems some time ago. We share the view of Smokey 57, the revised destinations are not at all interesting and the Adriatic would surely have offered something better; how about Alexandria? Three years ago, on a Fred Olsen cruise, when bad weather put paid to a port call a great alternative was arranged overnight. Not good enough SAGA! We are yet to make our mind up about cancellation.

We are now looking at alternatives. There's not much at a convenient time.

We have just been phoned by Saga with the changes. Very defensive when it comes to the reasons for not reducing the price. We didn't have to make a decision immediately, but we have cancelled. We are not interested in loads of extra Turkey and Greece visits. We did mention we might have still gone if they had included some Adriatic countries, like Croatia, Montenegro etc. Or even if they had still gone to Istanbul, and maybe even stayed there for 2 or 3 nights. They reckon they can't go to some other more interesting places instead, as they are already fully booked up by other cruises - which is no doubt true at this late stage! We were also annoyed that they hadn't managed to let us know before we had all the recommended vaccinations done last week, at the last possible moment!
This is the second cruise Saga have cancelled on us in the last 7 months with minimal notice making it pretty much impossible to arrange alternatives. So much for their claims of exceptional customer care. I can't see we will ever trust them with a booking again.
On the plus  side, we will now be in the UK for the Queen's Jubilee - although we would hope they will be having a really good party on the ship that day!

 

The situation with mines in the Black Sea and right into the northern entrance to the Bosphorus seems to be getting worse. The latest I've seen reported was defused by the Turkish Navy on Wednesday 5th April: Turkey detonates stray naval mine in Black Sea amid Ukraine war | Reuters

The latest , updated today, from UKSLD (a marine insurer) states that the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) warns of risk of collateral damage in the north-western, western and southwest Black Sea: War in Ukraine: Latest developments - Skuld.

I would be interested to know how Saga could manage to be insured to sail into anywhere near to the Black Sea at the moment.

However, I'm far more concerned about how essential supplies into any Black Sea ports can be continued in this situation. It's appalling.

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

I agree it would be fraudulent for Saga to leave announcements till we board

 

Primarily of Not going to black sea

 

Secondly and perhaps more important to me (but not to everyone of course) of no independent excursions. We arent great fans of coach trips like to wander round, wouldn't want to pay all that money and not see ports as we like.

 

I just hope it doesn't go that way. If  "no independent excursions" are announced  as we board and before Gibraltar I will exercise the clause for first time Saga cruisers " love it first time or get a full refund and we will organise return travel".  I will also use this as my get out of jail free card,  if they announce no independent excursions  before we go but dont think its serious enough to offer a refund.  Just have to tell them in first 72 hours.  Just hope it doesn't come to this.

 

In this case silence, is the worst policy. Why not simply say situation is  fluid and they may have to change, but promise a decision by say May 1st

 

In the meantime, some of us will be needing or will be advised by our GPs to get vaccinations/boosters at least 4 weeks before travelling, to protect against certain diseases when travelling almost anywhere abroad, and some may have to pay for those to be done privately, depending on local facilities. My husband has already been given his GP appointment to discuss this. (I'm with a different surgery, and still waiting to hear.)