October onwards cruisers…

[zap99]

7 hours ago, ToxM said:

From what I have seen Saga sit with Azamara, Viking and Oceania in the premium luxe category, under Regent, Silversea, Crystal etc, but above Celeb (which are also trying to get into that upper tier), Cunard and possibly HAL. 

 

Having sailed on a 1250 passenger ship I certainly think it’s a definite sweet spot for me. It’s always worth looking at space per passenger as well as what else is included. I would certainly be up for trying Saga as it fulfils my enjoyment of cruising from Soton with a slightly more upmarket experience. 

 

P&O scratches the itch for me at times, but sometimes I just want a bit nicer. 

 

I would suggest that anyone who buys a drinks package and prefers a balcony cabin to investigate Saga and other premium lines and take into account the extras. You may be surprised at the price differential not being that much different, especially if you have a fly cruise and take off the flights and arrange your own. 

 

 

If SAGA have such a loyal following I wonder why the saga threads are so quiet. It seems a bit weird that folk who are fans if theirs sing their praises on the P&O thread. Just saying🤔

[terrierjohn]

34 minutes ago, zap99 said:

If SAGA have such a loyal following I wonder why the saga threads are so quiet. It seems a bit weird that folk who are fans if theirs sing their praises on the P&O thread. Just saying🤔

It's probably too soon for the new spirit ships to have developed a loyal fan base, Discovery only did about 6 months and Spirit has yet to do its maiden cruise. Most Saga cruisers are uses to sailing on the old ships that have now been decommissioned.

[zap99]

Just now, terrierjohn said:

It's probably too soon for the new spirit ships to have developed a loyal fan base, Discovery only did about 6 months and Spirit has yet to do its maiden cruise. Most Saga cruisers are uses to sailing on the old ships that have now been decommissioned.

There are a few reviews on CC about spirit of Discovery. No that impressive.

[wowzz]

39 minutes ago, zap99 said:

If SAGA have such a loyal following I wonder why the saga threads are so quiet. It seems a bit weird that folk who are fans if theirs sing their praises on the P&O thread. Just saying🤔

And, as is always the way, people don't rush to post positive comments. 

And, whilst it may be inappropriate to say so, the majority of Saga pax have probably never heard of CC !

 

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

There are a few reviews on CC about spirit of Discovery. No that impressive.

I do believe you're right Zap, most favourable comments on here are based on the sales pitch, so  I do hope reality lives up to the hype. Oh here comes wowzz, I'm sure he will have some Pearl's od wisdom for us!!!!

[zap99]

Just now, wowzz said:

And, as is always the way, people don't rush to post positive comments. 

And, whilst it may be inappropriate to say so, the majority of Saga pax have probably never heard of CC !

 

I wonder how many folk singing the praises of the new ships have actually sailed on them and why they don't make these comments on the Saga threads. I note that some regulars on this board do occasionally post on the Saga threads.

[Britboys]

7 hours ago, ToxM said:

From what I have seen Saga sit with Azamara, Viking and Oceania in the premium luxe category, under Regent, Silversea, Crystal etc, but above Celeb (which are also trying to get into that upper tier), Cunard and possibly HAL. 

 

Having sailed on a 1250 passenger ship I certainly think it’s a definite sweet spot for me. It’s always worth looking at space per passenger as well as what else is included. I would certainly be up for trying Saga as it fulfils my enjoyment of cruising from Soton with a slightly more upmarket experience. 

 

P&O scratches the itch for me at times, but sometimes I just want a bit nicer. 

 

I would suggest that anyone who buys a drinks package and prefers a balcony cabin to investigate Saga and other premium lines and take into account the extras. You may be surprised at the price differential not being that much different, especially if you have a fly cruise and take off the flights and arrange your own. 

 

 

Agree with you about where Saga are now placed in the market.

I will however say what I have said previously. Saga are good value as long as when with P&O you normally sail in a balcony cabin, like to attend the extra-charge restaurants, like a drink (by which I don't mean getting blotto every night), and like a few ship's excursions. Oh - and are sailing as two in a cabin.

I recently checked out a link direct from Saga headlining newly reduced prices on a cruise. The cheapest (cabin guarantee only) solo fare came out at just over £416 a night...

Fares for two on Saga are normally good value as long as you partake in all that is on offer.

[zap99]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

I do believe you're right Zap, most favourable comments on here are based on the sales pitch, so  I do hope reality lives up to the hype. Oh here comes wowzz, I'm sure he will have some Pearl's od wisdom for us!!!!

We must appreciate and thank posters for passing on their wisdom. We can all learn but if we are to make informed decisions, it would be nice to know that those opinions were accurate and not hearsay. But after reading the reviews I'll pass and stick to Celebrity ,P&O , RC, NCL . When I grow up I'll have another look.🤣

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

I do believe you're right Zap, most favourable comments on here are based on the sales pitch, so  I do hope reality lives up to the hype. Oh here comes wowzz, I'm sure he will have some Pearl's od wisdom for us!!!!

Here I am!

Seriously, I have no idea if Saga are any good or not based just on social media.  

I did a fair amount of research before booking with Saga. Unfortunately,  with a limited number of pax, many of whom are not on social media, it is difficult to get a balanced view. 

For a short 16 night cruise, I haven't seen anything that would put me off cruising with Saga, hence my decision to book a Baltic cruise with them.

 However, I wouldn't book a 60 day cruise with them before an initial short testing cruise to get an idea of the ambience.  

I do at least know that there is no way that I would spend 60 days on P&O! 

[zap99]

10 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Here I am!

Seriously, I have no idea if Saga are any good or not based just on social media.  

I did a fair amount of research before booking with Saga. Unfortunately,  with a limited number of pax, many of whom are not on social media, it is difficult to get a balanced view. 

For a short 16 night cruise, I haven't seen anything that would put me off cruising with Saga, hence my decision to book a Baltic cruise with them.

 However, I wouldn't book a 60 day cruise with them before an initial short testing cruise to get an idea of the ambience.  

I do at least know that there is no way that I would spend 60 days on P&O! 

That's an honest answer. It would be unfair of me to base my decision on the view of the one couple I know who did a Saga cruise. Words like scrapheap and ready for the knackers yard were used. I think they meant the old ships and not fellow passengers 🤣

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

If SAGA have such a loyal following I wonder why the saga threads are so quiet. It seems a bit weird that folk who are fans if theirs sing their praises on the P&O thread. Just saying🤔

A number of reasons. The passenger base of Saga is much smaller than any of the major lines. They have two 999-pax ships, one of which hasn't got that many cruises under her belt thanks to Covid and one that hasn't yet commenced service for the same reason.

The passenger demographic is over 50's and historically has been generally much higher than that. Whilst some/many of these will of course be IT literate, my guess is that many will not be members of an online forum like CC.

Generally, I have found most Saga pax are very happy with the product and very loyal. Despite the fact that the new ships are small by today's standards, some pax do feel the new ships are "too big", which has led to some negative comments.

[Britboys]

36 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I do believe you're right Zap, most favourable comments on here are based on the sales pitch, so  I do hope reality lives up to the hype. Oh here comes wowzz, I'm sure he will have some Pearl's od wisdom for us!!!!

Personally, I don't think any cruise line lives up to its own hype...

[wowzz]

18 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Words like scrapheap and ready for the knackers yard were used. I think they meant the old ships and not fellow passengers

And those ships are no longer in service, so your comment is totally irrelevant. However, with regard to Fred, you are probably 100% correct.

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

And those ships are no longer in service, so your comment is totally irrelevant. However, with regard to Fred, you are probably 100% correct.

If one comment is 100% wrong and the other 100% right, I'll settle for a draw. Goodnight🤣

Edited June 16, 2021 by zap99

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Generally, I have found most Saga pax are very happy with the product and very loyal.

And, to be honest, Saga couldn't care two hoots about what posters say on CC. 

The ones who complain that Saga are too expensive are of no interest to the Saga marketing department. 

What is noticeable,  that those of us who like smaller ships,  are looking at Saga first when we determine future cruises.  I'm never going to cruise on  Arriva or Iona,  so my choices are becoming easier.

[Britboys]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

...What is noticeable,  that those of us who like smaller ships,  are looking at Saga first when we determine future cruises.  I'm never going to cruise on  Arriva or Iona,  so my choices are becoming easier.

No, not all of us. I am looking at Fred Olsen and - when they actually commence service - Ambassador Cruises. But then again, I regularly sail in an inside cabin and also enjoy the character of older ships that many others might describe as a 'rust-bucket'...

Like you, I'm never going to cruise on Iona or Arvia. I'm also not going to cruise on Azura (having tried her twice) or Ventura and wouldn't think about trying Britannia for anything longer than 7 nights.

[ToxM]

I think the book of visage has a large Saga group that is quite active. I do agree the CC forum for Saga is a bit of a ghost town. 

 

I also agree that some of their prices are a bit eye watering - and in fact more than Oceania, which surprised me, and if I was in the market for a big cruise then I would go for Oceania over Saga, but for a small jaunt then Saga/P&O would win as they will likely be from Soton.

 

Southampton departures are the ace in the hole to a large extent, certainly for Saga’s demographic. 

 

 

[Britboys]

12 hours ago, ToxM said:

I think the book of visage has a large Saga group that is quite active. I do agree the CC forum for Saga is a bit of a ghost town. 

 

I also agree that some of their prices are a bit eye watering - and in fact more than Oceania, which surprised me, and if I was in the market for a big cruise then I would go for Oceania over Saga, but for a small jaunt then Saga/P&O would win as they will likely be from Soton.

 

Southampton departures are the ace in the hole to a large extent, certainly for Saga’s demographic. 

 

 

Yes, the UK departures and the included transport to the port are, I think, a very big draw for their demographic. 

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Yes, the UK departures and the included transport to the port are, I think, a very big draw for their demographic. 

I'm quite happy to drive down to Southampton the night before a cruise, but the Saga transfers "save"  me about £150. I know I'm paying for it in the cruise price, but it needs to be taken into account when comparing cruise prices with other lines.   

[ToxM]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

I'm quite happy to drive down to Southampton the night before a cruise, but the Saga transfers "save"  me about £150. I know I'm paying for it in the cruise price, but it needs to be taken into account when comparing cruise prices with other lines.   

 

It’s a great add on for sure, I can imagine it’s a great start to the cruise!

[majortom10]

19 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m wondering if the cruises that are swopping  from QV to QE (I think it’s about five from 1st November) will just mean that any passengers will be automatically swapped to similar cabins. As a change of ship is a material change, I should think that passengers should at least be given the choice of cancelling without penalty 

I am originally booked on QV 1st Nov and it has been cancelled and switched to QE. Nothing has changed all dates are the same, all ports of call and all cabins booked. As QE is identical to QV it makes it a lot easier and makes a lot of sense in current climate. The only difference is international travellers of which Cunard have many and I am not sure if all of them are being given the opportunity to be automatically transferred or just cancelled.

[Windsurfboy]

17 hours ago, Britboys said:

No, not all of us. I am looking at Fred Olsen and - when they actually commence service - Ambassador Cruises. But then again, I regularly sail in an inside cabin and also enjoy the character of older ships that many others might describe as a 'rust-bucket'...

Like you, I'm never going to cruise on Iona or Arvia. I'm also not going to cruise on Azura (having tried her twice) or Ventura and wouldn't think about trying Britannia for anything longer than 7 nights.

 

 

Ambassador  cruises are CMV management,  barge pole comes to mind, it's not the ship but the attitude to customers.  A constant  2 for 1, that is banned in shops.

 

 

I am worried  in that I think the major cruise lines will soon all be 3000 plus , more likely 5000.  If P&O get rid of Arcadia and Aurora,  and Cunard get rid of QE+QV then all that will be left except for mega ships  ,  is

 

Fred who seem expensive for what you get. 

Saga , new ships, more expensive than P&O, but hopefully are high quality

Luxury lines even more expensive 

 

So if Saga are as good as many say they have found a good niche.

 

Let's hope  Arcadia and Aurora get a refit and 10 more years of life

 

 

[Britboys]

4 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

Ambassador  cruises are CMV management,  barge pole comes to mind, it's not the ship but the attitude to customers.  A constant  2 for 1, that is banned in shops.

 

 

I am worried  in that I think the major cruise lines will soon all be 3000 plus , more likely 5000.  If P&O get rid of Arcadia and Aurora,  and Cunard get rid of QE+QV then all that will be left except for mega ships  ,  is

 

Fred who seem expensive for what you get. 

Saga , new ships, more expensive than P&O, but hopefully are high quality

Luxury lines even more expensive 

 

So if Saga are as good as many say they have found a good niche.

 

Let's hope  Arcadia and Aurora get a refit and 10 more years of life

 

 

The longer Aurora stays in lay-up, the more I worry about whether I will actually be getting my cruise on her next Summer... Once she has gone, I would only ever feel safe booking Arcadia on a late deal as I could never trust P&O not to sell her too.

[majortom10]

28 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

Ambassador  cruises are CMV management,  barge pole comes to mind, it's not the ship but the attitude to customers.  A constant  2 for 1, that is banned in shops.

 

 

I am worried  in that I think the major cruise lines will soon all be 3000 plus , more likely 5000.  If P&O get rid of Arcadia and Aurora,  and Cunard get rid of QE+QV then all that will be left except for mega ships  ,  is

 

Fred who seem expensive for what you get. 

Saga , new ships, more expensive than P&O, but hopefully are high quality

Luxury lines even more expensive 

 

So if Saga are as good as many say they have found a good niche.

 

Let's hope  Arcadia and Aurora get a refit and 10 more years of life

 

 

Cannot see Cunard getting rid of both QV & QE as even with the new build that would leave them with only 2 ships and I think there is a chance they will keep 1 or both of those ships for a while longer. But I must agree that doesnt look good for Arcadia and Aurora which is a shame as our first cruise with P&O was on Aurora and had some gr8 cruises on her in the past and have a soft spot for her. 

[tring]

22 hours ago, wowzz said:

And those ships are no longer in service, so your comment is totally irrelevant. However, with regard to Fred, you are probably 100% correct.

 

Watch it Wowzz!

 

Actually I have spoken to many people who have cruises with both Fred and Saga and they all reckoned the Saga folk are far older and nothing like as adventurous as the Fred cruisers.  Unless I am wrong, Saga seem to concentrate on UK departures, which could explain that.

 

Whether that will change at all with their new ships remains to be seen, but I suggest they would need some more adventurous itineraries to achieve it.

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by tring