Saga began operating tours in 1951 for British senior citizens 60 and older, then in 1995 dropped the minimum age to 50. On Saga Cruises, the traveling companion must be at least 40.
Fleet
Graceful looking ships with classic ocean liner profiles arerapidly disappearing from the high seas. Happily for traditionalists, SagaCruises, a British firm, operates two such ships, the 587-passenger SagaRose and the 655-passenger Saga Ruby. Both trace their heritage toNorwegian America Line when the former, completed in 1965, sailed as the Sagafjordwhile the latter came out in 1973 as the Vistafjord. Designed for thetransatlantic trade and worldwide cruising, the pair provided one of the mostluxurious cruise experiences for the old monied upper middle class. In 1983,Cunard Line bought both ships then in 1996 sold the Sagafjord to theSaga Group to become the Saga Rose. In 2004, the Caronia(formerly Vistafjord) began a $30 million refit to start cruising inearly 2005 as the Saga Ruby.
Itineraries
Itineraries cover the globe, and most cruises are longerthan a week extending right up to world cruises for both ships.
Dining and Decor
Saga offers traditional restaurant service at one reservedtable sitting for dinner with entry permitted over a couple of hours. The SagaRuby has a small alternative restaurant and both have buffets with delectablechoices that vary from day to day. Décor is a cross between Scandinavian andBritish with an ocean liner atmosphere of a high-ceiling ballroom and upwardshear in the forward lounges.
Programs
An excellent enrichment program with specialty lecturerstargets the region’s history, culture, nature and politics staged in a propercinema.
Onboard Experience
The ships cater to mostly elderly British passengers, and anincreasing number of North Americans, who like world travel, unobtrusiveservice, low-key entertainment, classical concerts, ballroom dancing, afternoontea and a certain formality that is almost lost now on the high seas.
Competitors
Saga’s closest competitors in terms of onboard style andpassenger age bracket would be Fred. Olsen, Voyages of Discovery, and OrientLines with the first two catering largely to the British market while thelatter two attract a wide range of English-speaking passengers. Soon SwanHellenic will return as competition.
