LandC

Sorry to hear that your cruise was cancelled.  Noble Caledonia cruises outside the UK are offered for sale with included flights, so am I right in thinking that you decided to book cruise only, and make your own flight arrangements?

We received a Saga cruise brochure today, with an insert informing us that it’s still possible to pre-register for 2024.  For those who have already pre-registered, Saga will be in touch ‘soon’.  We won’t hold our breath!

I hope that Saga will offer a longer cruise. Perhaps not a World cruise but something similar to the South American cruise which was cancelled due to COVID.  If it doesn’t sell well it could be divided into two or three sectors as fly cruises.  We are still prepared to consider flying for an interesting itinerary, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones!

Thanks so much for your reply Jazzbeau, balconies are definitely preferable for warm weather cruises.

I hope you enjoy your journey in Patagonia.

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!  

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.

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.

On 1/25/2023 at 1:35 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Some of their cruises focus on birds, some on gardens, and some on opera — but most do focus on history and culture.  The title of the itinerary usually tips you off. Maybe the British Isles trips are more nature focused because their main passenger base is British and already knows the history!

Jazzbeau, we have sailed round Sicily on Hebridean Sky and loved it. We have another cruise booked on the ship. The Scottish Isles is on our bucket list too.  I have a note to pack hat nets to avoid midges!

Did you manage to find out any information about MS Monet?  There are some interesting itineraries being offered around the Aegean and Adriatic which are very tempting!

19 hours ago, Brynnedd said:

Hello, we're newbies and are going on the bolette in May. We have a 10 day cruise booked, does anyone know how many formal nights we'll have and which nights are they? Thanks

Formal nights are usually held on sea days where the itinerary allows.   The evening meal on those nights is extra special. There will be details of the formal nights in your cabin when you board, but we prefer to know in advance so that bookings for speciality restaurants can be made before we board.

It used to be that only afternoon tea was provided on embarkation day, but that has changed. When we were on board Bolette last summer lunch was available in The View buffet restaurant.

I understand from reading comments on another site that the 3 day excursion to Machu  Picchu has been cancelled due to civil unrest in Peru.

You may be right FatBoy20.  I wish Saga HQ would let staff and customers know the correct date.  

On 1/5/2023 at 10:20 AM, arlowood said:

We did our first Saga cruise on SOD in August last year and were sufficiently impressed to pre-register for the Summer 2024 season.

 

From those who have experience of the pre-registration process, can you explain the procedure. Am I correct in thinking that you receive an email with an outline of the new itineraries for Summer 2024 and this is followed by a telephone call to confirm your interest in one or more cruises and take a deposit payment accordingly. The gap between email and phone call will depend on where you are in the queue based on the date you pre-registered.

 

My question stems from a concern that the release date has now stretched potentially into March 2023. We have a holiday planned in Cyprus at the beginning of March. While I will be able to access my emails when away, I'm a bit more concerned if the follow-up telephone call comes when we are in Cyprus. Dealing with UK calls and potentially having to divulge credit/debit card details over the phone are something I'd rather not do while abroad.

Your understanding of the pre-registration process is correct Arlowood.   
We were in a similar position to you a couple of years ago, and worried that we would miss the call from Saga as we were due to go abroad on holiday when the calls were being made.  I phoned Saga and advised them of the situation.  They checked where we were in the queue, and asked me to phone back the day before we went on holiday, which I did.  Fortunately, by that time our pre-registration number had been reached so we were able to book. 

When Saga send the ebrochure I suggest you ring and explain your situation, and they can advise when you are likely to be able to book, based on your pre-registration date.  

36 minutes ago, Kohima said:

Sorry, LandC, there doesnt seem to be a definitive answer other than “We are working on March”.

Oh dear! That’s very late. We were hoping to hear something this month.

That’s good news.  If you get the chance would you please ask them when Saga will contact people who have pre-registered for the cruises from April to December 2024?

I have been following this subject on another site.  When I pre-registered (September 2020) I was told late 2022.   When I enquired last month whilst on the phone I was told January 2023.  However, It appears that some people were told March 2023! 
 

I agree it is very frustrating.   I think Saga have recruited more staff to handle calls, so hopefully we will hear something soon.

Hello Jammy Bun.  The topic of jacket and tie for formal nights has been discussed ad infinitum on here. Some people are for and others against.
 

My advice is: Don’t worry about the formal nights.  We have been on several Saga cruises.  There are a few formal nights and jacket and tie is required if you want to eat in the Dining Room, but if you don’t want to dress up smart casual  is acceptable in the buffet.  
On all other nights, smart casual is fine in all the restaurants.  
 

I don’t know if shareholders get a discount but definitely worth mentioning when you ring them, and do let them know about your big wedding anniversary  - they usually deliver something special to your cabin.
 

I’m sure you will enjoy Saga, and will be interested to hear how it compares with Viking if you decide to book.

I had a phone conversation yesterday with a query regarding one of our booked cruises.
Whilst on the phone I mentioned that we had pre-registered for April to December 2024 cruises, and asked when we could expect to receive an ebrochure with details of itineraries.  The Saga rep said she understood that this would happen next month.  We’ll wait and see! 

We have sailed several times with Fred, but have now decided that Saga is a better fit for us.  They have newer ships, better food and they offer inclusions such as drinks, tips,  travel insurance and home transfers which cost extra with Fred.  Some of the excursions (usually panoramic coach tours) are also included in the price.  The biggest attraction is Saga’s pricing policy.  We book as soon as cruises are advertised to get the best discount, with the assurance that if prices go down, we will not lose out. We also enjoy fly cruises which Saga do not currently offer, so we book with other cruise lines such as Noble Caledonia and Azamara, which have interesting itineraries.  

Fred has the advantage of sailing from some northern ports, as well as Southampton and Dover.  They also (used to) offer some interesting fly cruises.  If Fred can get their prices right the company could still survive.

I’ve also just seen a post from Fred. Olsen on another site about this, saying they have only recently made the decision to sell.
It will be interesting to see where they go from here.

On 11/21/2022 at 8:23 PM, nosapphire said:

The majority of cruise lines seem to use outside suppliers for their libraries (I've been on ships and seen the books being switched on changeover days - boxes out, boxes in).

Ocean Books seem to be a major supplier - perhaps send Saga the link.

http://www.oceanbooks.com/libraries.html

 

I suspect that the continuing lack of books in the library is for other reasons.

I agree.  It will very disappointing if the library disappears, but if Saga don’t intend to restock the library they should say so.  

The January to March 2024 cruises are now available to book online, so Saga must have finished contacting everyone who pre-registered.

I’m looking forward to receiving details of the April to December 2024 cruises - I do hope that there are some interesting itineraries!  

Perhaps I’m being naive, but I cannot understand why the Captain sailed into a storm which was forecast, when the safest option would have been to remain at the previous port until the storm blew over.  Of course that would have meant disrupting the following cruise, but surely the safety of the passengers and crew is more important? 
 

We had a wonderful cruise to Australia and New Zealand on Azamara Journey in January 2020, just before the first lockdown.  We liked the ship and found our fellow passengers (from all over the world) engaging. 

We also enjoy sailing with Noble Caledonia. The company has two small Renaissance ships - Hebridean Sky and Island Sky.  Sailing on these ships is reminiscent of sailing on Swan Hellenic’s Minerva, and they have some interesting and unusual itineraries.  
 

We have no cruises booked with Fred at the moment - our last was on Bolette in July, and although the crew were excellent as ever, the food quality and variety had certainly deteriorated and bore no resemblance to the photos posted by twotravellersLondon.  We were also about £500 worse off by booking early to take advantage of our Oceans discount. We haven’t ruled Fred out completely but will wait a couple of years before considering another booking.  

We had an early pick up time for our last cruise, and checked in at 1 pm.

I hope you enjoy your cruise!