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babs135
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We have booked Spirit of Discovery to Norway on 5 September 2019. Their included insurance is important to us, we have a couple of medical conditions each. For a 7 night cruise after shopping around the best price we could get was over £300 ranging up to £1600. With our Saga booking the insurance was included, no excess for our medical problems or age, and we were able to get insurance over a year ahead. Plus, of course all the other perks, car to port, wine with meals, free speciality restaurants, free wi fi; it all adds up.

Have been on many Saga holidays worldwide, tours and hotels, all excellent, so we are looking forward to our first Saga Cruise.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am seriously thinking of booking September 5th 2019 on Spirit of Discovery with my friend Mary. I also have lovely friends onboard this cruise which is an added bonus,

I must say the artist's renderings of the new ship look beautiful and I am impressed. I also think the prices are a huge bargain when compared to similar itineraries on Azamara and Viking.

 

I am also a long time Azamara cruiser and wonder whether the ship may be too quiet for us at night? I do like a bit of a dance and a chat during the evening.

 

Also slightly confused about the "all inclusive" thing. I thought it was just wines and spirits at lunch and dinner included. Or are wines and spirits included outside of those hours?

 

Can we buy drinks packages to upgrade to premium drinks as well?

I am always happy with the included drinks on Azamara and just buy a Mango Martini or similar if I want one but it's nice to know our options.

Edited by Lottie A
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Lottie, from my understanding it’s just wine at lunch and dinner. The ‘all inclusive’ is on the other ship, Saga Sapphire, perhaps to encourage people to keep booking the older ship.

If this is incorrect, I’m sure someone will tell us.

Corinne

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I did put a fair bit of what I hope was helpful advice on the other Saga thread, which no one has posted on for several days. Perhaps it should be combined with this, as it makes more sense to have just one Saga sub-forum on here.

 

And yes, unless it as all inclusive cruise you will get wine, beer or soft drinks included with lunch and dinner, but not other drinks. I am fairly sure that Sage does not do 'packages' for other drinks, but they are IMO at reasonable prices, like about £3.00 for a Gordons gin and tonic, and £5 for my admittedly expensive Negroni, which I treat myself to occasionally. (Gin, Campari and Martini Rosso). And measures are doubles.

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Thanks for that lincslady.

 

I wonder...do you know what tonic they serve on Saga cruises? Azamara serve the abysmal Royal tonic which really spoils a decent G&T. I am hoping for Fever Tree but would be OK with Schweppes. These things matter when choosing a cruise! 😄

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Afraid not Fevertree!! Not even Schweppes, which we do usually have at home. Up to now it has been Britvic, in a small can. Not too bad, we can cope with it. Can't bear Canada Dry, which they have on Seabourn. You could probably bring some of your own in your case, and take it with you to the bar!

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Hi Lottie,

 

We've been on 3 Azamara cruises and 2 with Saga, both on Saga Sapphire. Aside from our first Azamara cruise (on Quest - 27 Mar 2013 from Seville), we've actually found the Saga cruises to be livelier in the evenings. However, we're not night owls.

 

We've met some very interesting people on the Saga cruises, many of whom are extemely well travelled.

 

The included wine at lunch and dinner has always been palatable.

 

Our next cruise is also with Saga, but not until 2019 on the new ship. We're currently waiting to be contacted regarding cruises on their 2nd new ship, having registered upfront.

 

Hope that helps.

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I did put a fair bit of what I hope was helpful advice on the other Saga thread

 

This is what has caused the problem. It was bad enough that the OP started a new thread rather than a new topic, when there was already a thread. Perhaps he thought that it was off topic (separating the Saga forum rather than about Saga) and so it needed a new thread. What really went wrong was when new people tacked on off topic questions about Saga to the first thread they found, without looking at the original post and without bothering to see if there was a more appropriate thread. They should not have been answered, but redirected to the correct thread. Once a new conversation starts up you have split into two threads and it is near impossible to put this right.

 

Perhaps it should be combined with this, as it makes more sense to have just one Saga sub-forum on here.
This is not something we can do ourselves but needs to be requested from Laura. With all the activity going on with CC, this may or may not get action.
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Agreed, jgw. I would say that at present Saga does only need to be on 'other cruise lines', as not many Saganauts are on CC, but it would be a lot better to just have this one thread going. However, quite a few non-USA lines are now represented on the main boards, so I do not feel personally that there is a particular bias. I must admit that I had noticed that someone had asked for help about her first Saga cruise, and has not since responded to my hopefully helpful advice, so I was a trifle miffed!

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Our next cruise is also with Saga, but not until 2019 on the new ship. We're currently waiting to be contacted regarding cruises on their 2nd new ship, having registered upfront....

Hi Wacktle do you have a link to register up front for Spirit of Adventure please? Or did you phone them?

 

We’ve also done 3 Azamara cruises but think their prices are rather too rich for us, especially as we are light drinkers.

We’ve also cruised with Oceania which is more pick and mix than Azamara.

We’ve a Northern Lights cruise booked for February on Sapphire and we’ve also booked Norway Rocks on the new ship.

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Hi Wacktle do you have a link to register up front for Spirit of Adventure please? Or did you phone them?

 

We’ve also done 3 Azamara cruises but think their prices are rather too rich for us, especially as we are light drinkers.

We’ve also cruised with Oceania which is more pick and mix than Azamara.

We’ve a Northern Lights cruise booked for February on Sapphire and we’ve also booked Norway Rocks on the new ship.

 

We registered by phone. The phone number is 0800 015 4310. It costs £90 per person, refundable if you don't make a booking.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We received a preview brochure through the post today for 2020 cruises on Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure. Not available to book yet, but Saga will contact those who have pre-registered first, before the cruises go on general sale. We hoped there might be some fly cruises included, but all cruises depart from Dover or Southampton.

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We received a preview brochure through the post today for 2020 cruises on Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure. Not available to book yet, but Saga will contact those who have pre-registered first, before the cruises go on general sale. We hoped there might be some fly cruises included, but all cruises depart from Dover or Southampton.

 

We also got the preview brochure yesterday. I was disappointed. I'd hoped that Saga would base a ship in the Med for part of the summer or in the Caribbean for part of the winter, and there would be some fly-cruises. We like to minimise sea days, and also don't want to be away for more than 14 nights, and preferably less. It rules out a lot of cruises, and leaves many with similar itineraries. I will wait to see what the prices are like, and then compare them against Fred Olsen, Marella or CMV, taking into account the cost of getting to the departure port. So, let's wait and see!

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We received a preview brochure through the post today for 2020 cruises on Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure. Not available to book yet, but Saga will contact those who have pre-registered first, before the cruises go on general sale. We hoped there might be some fly cruises included, but all cruises depart from Dover or Southampton.

 

Do you think they will automatically send the new brochure out to those who have cruises booked with them?

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We also got the preview brochure yesterday. I was disappointed. I'd hoped that Saga would base a ship in the Med for part of the summer or in the Caribbean for part of the winter, and there would be some fly-cruises. We like to minimise sea days, and also don't want to be away for more than 14 nights, and preferably less. It rules out a lot of cruises, and leaves many with similar itineraries. I will wait to see what the prices are like, and then compare them against Fred Olsen, Marella or CMV, taking into account the cost of getting to the departure port. So, let's wait and see!

 

Are there at least some cruises featuring Med destinations like Italy and Greece or they are all to Northern Europe?

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I like to have a printed brochure, and got one for next year a while ago - sent automatically. Sadly the one I have does not have deck plans, which I think are vital.

 

To answer the question, Discovery does a few Mediterranean trips, but the only ones I can see which go as far as Italy are next November, to the western coast of Italy, and then January 2020, round Italy as far as Venice, both from Southampton. Others are only as far as France, Portugal and Spain. I agree that the days spent at sea getting to the Med. are a bit off-putting, but the obvious advantage is no flying and door to door travel, which we personally appreciate. Maybe if Discovery appeals to a younger set, as she may, Saga will think again about doing some fly cruises in the future. She does look like a lovely ship, and very able to compete with the 'luxury' lines. To me she is a larger ship, as we are used to Pearl and the Seabourn ships, with 450 passengers, so 1,000 seems like a lot of people!

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I received the 2019/20 brochure this morning and have just spent a happy 30 mins reading it. Spirit of Discovery looks to be a beautiful ship and I like the concept of The Club Steakhouse with live music a lot. If the food tastes as good as the sample menu's sound then I will be very happy! 😄

 

My brochure does have deck plans for Spirit of Discovery so if anyone wants to know where anything is....then I will be happy to have a look for you.

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We also got the preview brochure yesterday. I was disappointed. I'd hoped that Saga would base a ship in the Med for part of the summer or in the Caribbean for part of the winter, and there would be some fly-cruises. We like to minimise sea days, and also don't want to be away for more than 14 nights, and preferably less. It rules out a lot of cruises, and leaves many with similar itineraries. I will wait to see what the prices are like, and then compare them against Fred Olsen, Marella or CMV, taking into account the cost of getting to the departure port. So, let's wait and see!

 

Hello Wacktle. We have identified a possible cruise we may book on Spirit of Adventure. It will be interesting to see how the prices, when published, compare with other cruise lines. Just waiting for Saga to call us now!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My brochure does have deck plans for Spirit of Discovery so if anyone wants to know where anything is....then I will be happy to have a look for you.

 

Well done Lottie. The saga site also has one at https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/ocean/our-ships/spirit-of-discovery/decks.aspx

 

Presumably the other ship will be the same, I believe they are sisters.

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