‘Live From’ Spirit of Discovery, 5th-12th September.

[cinnamon]

25 minutes ago, sweep said:

 

We never shared a table at all in our 15 day cruise. As we entered we just said ‘table for 2, no sharing and it was always honoured.  In fact out of all our numerous cruises this was the best one for tables for 2.

In the grill there were very few tables for 2 at the beginning but then, a few days in, a lot more appeared.  It turns out they split some of the tables for four into two 2s.  I guess they have this flexibility depending on what people on that particular cruise want.  

We were careful when and where we went to eat. For example there were some days when we left port at 5pm so we guessed there would be an early rush for tables. We chose to eat in the speciality restaurants on those nights.  

The tables for 2 were very close together and we frequently chatted to our neighbours. However we were able to be served at our own pace and we could gauge the friendliness of our neighbours as to whether or not we struck up a conversation.  

Very interesting Sweep. We weren’t concerned about sharing so didn’t ask not to do so. It was the experience of the lady travelling alone who has posted extensively about this that made me notice it all. Yes, there were two tops pushed together in the Grill but with so little space between tables it would have been even more so if they were separated. Our cruise had 951 passengers, the most on any Saga cruise in history. 

[sweep]

13 minutes ago, trams said:

Would those who prefer to dine alone decline an invitation to dine with captain or any othe ships Officer on formal night?

The standard answer to this is we don’t dine with the crew 🤪🤪

[janecambridge]

Great blog Cinnamon,thanks.Interesting  to read all the comments as we were on the ships second sailing.We are just 60 and never felt the ship was full of infirm or otherwise.Certainly not a care/nursing home.Peoples age and mobility does not bother me.Rude, arrogant, judging ageists would.Every sailing on every ship is different.

The specialist restaurant bookings do need to get sorted out.Maybe pre book before embarkation as you do on Oceania?

We liked Captain Sutherland’s greetings every morning,Such a cheery chap.

Im not sure if it’s the norm,but we never got a questionnaire when we returned home regards the transfer from home and back service.

 

[janecambridge]

On 9/13/2019 at 1:42 PM, Tigrou said:

 

My closest friends are in their late 60s, my siblings are in their 60s, my husband would be in his mid-60s, my sister-in-law and husband are late 70s, and my friend and neighbour is 89.  When I'm with any of them I don't give a thought to their age, it is irrelevant.  A few of them teased me about booking a Saga cruise, saying it was only for 'old' people.  Now I'm sure I'll get told "we warned you", as I know they would all have had very similar reactions to mine.

 

Not sure what “ old people” means, but every cruise we have been on out of school  holidays, has the majority of passengers looking over 75. So what! Most of them are very knowledgable and great fun.

[janecambridge]

On 9/15/2019 at 3:58 PM, Glenndale said:

 

I have in the past sat on shared tables at breakfast where other guests have had at least 3 courses when all I wanted was a poached egg and a cup of tea. Never again.

 

🤣 The very reason my husband won’t use main dining room for breakfast.

[janecambridge]

23 hours ago, Glenndale said:

As I said I very rarely use the buffet, the only buffet I will use is the Oceania one where food is served to you and not self service.

😉

I do use the buffet on ships other  than Oceania, but request a paper napkin to use on utensil handles.

[kentchris]

On 9/15/2019 at 4:21 PM, auldlassie said:

 

I feel the impression I was given regarding the SOD was that this was to be a more "upmarket" placing of the Saga cruise brand, into the luxury cruise market I am familiar with

As far as I can see Saga haven’t really changed the their offer at all, it’s always been priced at quite a premium above the mass market lines but not really in the ‘luxury’ market. A lot of people who previously wouldn’t have considered Saga because of the quirky old ships seem to have assumed that Saga have positioned themselves in a completely different market with the new all balcony ships. My impression is that they’re trying to do what they’ve always done, but on a slightly larger scale and without the constraints of the old hand-me-down ships. 

 

We had a chat at lunch with a couple of Saga first timers whose last cruise was on Silversea:

they seemed happy with their experience. I realise people don’t necessarily open up their woes to complete strangers, but no newcomer to Saga we’ve spoken to has yet given any indication they’re unhappy about anything. 

[hermioneb]

54 minutes ago, janecambridge said:

🤣 The very reason my husband won’t use main dining room for breakfast.

On the occasions that we had breakfast in the MDR we were always able to have a table for two.  

[auldlassie]

On 9/15/2019 at 7:02 PM, trams said:

Would those who prefer to dine alone decline an invitation to dine with captain or any othe ships Officer on formal night?

 

Why ask about ships officers specifically? Or formal night specifically? If that is the specific (but odd) question,  personally I would not change my dining plans at all to do so. Not interested in the uniform itself and any perceived social standing it would confer, although I am well aware that I have cruised with many others who seemed to be.  Given what someone previously had reported on an SOD thread,  and has been discussed on other lines too,  you might have to endure a meal with an officer who had made racist or xenophobic comments on a social occasion and I can't imagine being their guest at dinner would make for a comfortable evening.

 

When fairly new to cruising some years ago we were regularly asked to shared tables with officers. Generally it was marginally boring (lots of officers just going through the motions etc etc), some officers much less relaxed than others, very occasionally hysterically funny,  (although to be fair that was generally another guest who was the source of the fun not the officer) but most usually, in my experience, just less fun than dining with those of your own choosing or even alone.

 

But that does not mean I don't like to dine with others I have met on the ship and get along well with. OH and I tend to cruise with others for most trips anyway, so we are already "in company." Whether that is the case or not, we tend to find like-minded others when enjoying various activities on the ship or on excursions together or perhaps just in our favourite bar before dinner and just see how it goes from there. Is that not the normal thing?

 

Can't think why "officers" would be in any sort of special bracket for dining companions..... and why on formal night? 

[auldlassie]

Hi Kentchris, 

well I expect we could debate that for far too long, but I don't have the time to do so and imagine you don't either. However, even a quick check of the Saga website describes their new ships (and specifically those alone, not their other ships) as offering

"levels of service you expect in the world’s finest boutique hotels."

"With cuisines from all over the world, they are a match for London's best restaurants."

 

and then further distinguishes them separately with the declaration that

"All you have to do is choose from the luxury of our new small ships Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure, or our classic gem Saga Sapphire. 

 

That seems to be saying the new ship/s should be quite clearly in the luxury market to me. There is no avoiding that frankly. There is a lot of other promo material from cruise companies espousing similar too. I am more likely to feel there is substance in Tigrou's feeling of falling victim to false advertising than your position of no claims to luxury market cruising. I am sorry you and I differ on this, but we do.

 

I nearly booked a deluxe verandah on the SOD Xmas/new year cruise at a cost (for 2) of £29,000 for the cruise alone. At that cost I would really be expecting a luxury cruise experience, if only because I know I can experience exactly that on some other lines . So, for almost exactly the same amount of time and cost, that is what I am doing this Xmas/new year but on Seabourn, where I am pretty sure I will have a luxurious time, not be asked if I want share any tables, being able to book specialty restaurants online in advance,  and be with other travellers I have always felt comfortable with on past cruises. 

 

I would just like to point out that I'd much prefer to see everyone who cruises on SOD, or any cruise ship whatsoever, feeling they are having a great time, as yourself and your travelling companions seem to be doing 🙂,  rather than find anyone feeling short-changed or somehow mis-sold, with their expectations unmet. Been there, done that (Oceania twice, Silversea once ). Life is much too short to spend time (not to mention hard earned money) on the wrong "fit" of cruise or holiday. 

 

 

 

 

[Mrs Miggins]

The price point on this cruise indicated that it was not in the luxury class.  However it was extremely good value.  

[janecambridge]

Is luxury not a perception.? 

[lincslady]

The definition of 'luxury' in terms of cruising is a minefield.     In today's Times the couple in court on drug smuggling charges are described as having been on a luxury cruise ship, the Marco Polo!!

 

There is a sort of general consensus among the cruise professionals and well travelled cruisers that a few lines - which do tend to describe themselves thus -  can be called luxury lines, including (amongst others no doubt) Seabourn, Regent, Crystal and Silversea.  As far as I am aware, Saga does not call itself a luxury line, but to my mind the term boutique is reasonable, given the size of the ship as compared with the 2,000 plus monsters, more department stores.  Price alone is another matter - Saga is certainly fairly pricey, but of course includes the  door to door travel and insurance, which to many people is invaluable.  (Yes, if you live more than 250 miles away it is extra unless you are willing to go by train or fly, which are normally included, and include being met and taken to the ship).