The Saga Ruby was built in 1973 as the Norwegian America Line's Vistafjord, then passed to Cunard and had a name change to Caronia, finally becoming Saga Ruby in 2005. Graceful looking ships with classic ocean liner profiles are rapidly disappearing from the high seas. Happily for traditionalists, Saga Cruises, a British firm, operates two such ships, the 587-passenger Saga Rose and the 655-passenger Saga Ruby.
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. The ships cater to mostly British passengers, and an increasing number of North Americans, who like world travel, unobtrusive service, low-key entertainment, classical concerts, ballroom dancing, afternoon tea and a certain formality that is almost lost now on the high seas. Saga Ruby rates include travel and cancellation insurance, all port charges, onboard tipping and air travel from Boston and New York.
While a Boston-based general sales agent books North American passengers, the numbers are still small, so the passenger list is overwhelmingly British, most well-heeled and near retirement or fully retired. Wheelchair passengers are well catered to, though some parts of the ship are hard to navigate, especially to and from the cabins on the highest decks. All gratuities are included in the fares.
Most cruises begin and end in southern England at Southampton or Dover where the itineraries fan out to the Baltic, Norway, Scotland, Iceland and Greenland and south to Iberia, the Atlantic Isles and into the Western Mediterranean and along the North African Coast. An annual around-the-world cruise, based in England, starts out in early January and returns in late April. Saga Ruby's deep draft of 27 ft makes her a good sea boat.
In spite of her relatively small size by today's standards, the 24,492-ton Saga Ruby is imposing, aided by her long upwardly raked bow, pleasingly high superstructure amidships and the large single funnel sporting Saga's traditional black and yellow colors. Walking aboard, one enters a British-style boutique hotel with rich colors and handsome wood paneling. The most attractive public space is the semi-circular Britannia Lounge where the windows arc 180 degrees. The room sweeps upward towards the bow, and the perimeter seating is higher than the circular center section furnished with additional chairs, a dance floor and bandstand. Readers who like a light airy space gravitate here during the day. In the evening, the room takes on a restful glow from the bands of recessed ceiling lights, and the formally dressed gather for after-dinner drinks and classical concerts. The high-ceiling Ballroom is just that, a throwback to the day when the main evening entertainment was dancing to a good band. Gentlemen hosts are on hand before and after dinner. Of course, passengers today expect to be entertained so the room hosts vocalists, instrumentalists, small acts and local groups who come aboard in port. An informal buffet-style tea takes place here and because this is a British ship, the event is extremely well-attended. The South Cape Bar, located portside, provides a cozy setting for a before-dinner drink. Just around the corner, a traditional theater is used for screening first-run films, special interest lectures and the Sunday interdenominational worship service. The library offers a very good hard cover and reference collection and in the latest refit the space was expanded to include additional seating along the starboard side gallery. With shops replacing the casino, the card room returns to its original location adjacent to the library. A computer center provides Internet access.
Outdoor deck space is more than generous for passengers who do not take the sun for very long stretches. The promenade deck has shady recesses for reading and dozing, but the small after-facing tiered decks are the most sought-after locations for a read or conversation while gazing down on the swimmers in the outdoor pool and over the stern to the ship's wake. During a makeover, the pool is now raised above the deck level, so one has to climb steps to reach the rim. Constitutional walkers are out in force after breakfast, and two narrow doorways cut into the steel wind protectors briefly interrupt what is an otherwise smooth flow. As the Saga Ruby was originally built to cruise in cool waters, the ship has one of the few indoor pools (also an outdoor pool), saunas and steam rooms deep down on C-Deck, two decks below the lowest passenger cabin level. The spa is relatively small and constricted by the limited space but the numbers of treatments available is still quite generous.
Facing aft over the stern, a two-tiered pair of rooms provides the intimate View restaurant on the upper level and the Preview night club and lounge below. The View seats just 30 at dinner by reservation but with no extra charge. The main dining room seems larger in scale than the rest of the ship but it is designed to take the full complement of passengers and top officers at one sitting. Apart from a slightly raised center section, the ceiling is low and the room spreads far and wide. Brass wall sconces and art-nouveau wall decorations brighten the space. Tables are reserved at dinner, while breakfast and lunch provide open seating. Wines and bar drinks are reasonably priced. The menu includes such English fare as veal chop, chicken breast, grilled fillet of beef, and roast halibut. Appetizers may include asparagus tips with Parma ham and curried carrot and parsnip soup; desserts like hot chocolate tart with pecans and hazelnut cake with raspberries are typical. Dress alternates between formal black tie, informal jacket and tie, and casual attire during in-port evenings. The Lido buffet, located aft of the Ballroom, has mercifully been expanded from its cramped quarters to something now approaching an adequate if somewhat Spartan informal dining area. More indoor seating is available, and in good weather the open deck provides seating under umbrellas.
Because the Saga Ruby is an older ship, the cabins vary greatly even within the same category. One of the best features is 90 single cabins of which 71 are outside. Many are very small but they are designed for the person traveling alone without supplemental single occupancy charges. The largest cabins and suites are high up on the Promenade, Sun and Bridge Decks. Some have verandahs, some face down onto the side promenade and forward over the bow. Cabins feature 24-hour room service, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, radio, direct-dial phones and hair dryers with refrigerators in categories C and up. All the baths have been renewed and the great majority have tub baths. This ship was originally designed for long-distance cruises, hence storage space is more than adequate.
The Saga Ruby and Saga Rose, essentially sisterships, provide one of the only traditional cruising experiences left on the high seas with the pair offering the antithesis of the mass market, megaship experience for the Anglophile.
