Missed ports, power cuts and late return on Sapphire’s early voyages were due to mechanical problems.
Saga Cruises has sought to reassure passengers about the reliability of its newest ship following a series of on-board mechanical problems.
Saga Sapphire, the replacement for the popular Saga Ruby, the last British-built cruise ship in service, which is due to be retired next year, had to curtail its inaugural cruise in April because of engine trouble.
A trip to Norway in June was also hit by complications, and last week another engine fault delayed the ship’s return to Britain from a voyage in the Baltic.
Passengers on board the Norwegian cruise complained after the 31-year-old vessel, which Saga bought from a Brazilian operator and refurbished at the start of the year, missed several ports of call following problems with a bow thruster, and subsequently a generator.
The cruise, billed as a “Voyage to the North Cape”, was unable to visit the North Cape, nor was it able to call at Svolvaer, Honningsvåg, Geiranger or Eidfjord. Arrival at Bergen was also late, leaving passengers little time to visit the town.
Passengers also reported that there were power cuts and problems with the air conditioning – an issue highlighted by Jane Archer, the Telegraph’s cruise correspondent, in her recent, and otherwise positive, review of the ship.
“The whole point of the cruise was to visit the fjords and the North Cape,” said Malcolm Billingsley, 71, a retired teacher from north London. “We missed the North Cape and the three most famous fjords. Many of those on board were loyal fans of Saga – I’ve sailed twice on Ruby and had no such problems.”
Mr Billingsley’s comments are echoed by several other holidaymakers, in emails seen by Telegraph Travel. Some passengers suggested that the problems arose from the ship’s age: it was built in 1981.
Paul Green, Saga’s director of communications, said: “The problems in Norway could not be foreseen and were not due to the ship’s age. Sapphire is a £67 million investment in the future of our fleet, and it is on the way to becoming a firm favourite with our customers.”
Mr Green added that, in a survey of passengers on Sapphire’s most recent cruise to Norway, 99 per cent rated their experience as “excellent” or “good”.
According to Jane Archer, the refurbishment of older ships is not unusual practice in the cruise industry.
“Although it cost Saga millions to overhaul and improve Sapphire, it would have cost many millions more to build a new ship,” she said.
Mr Green said that most problems with the air conditioning had been fixed and the power cuts were caused by work to fix the generator.
All affected passengers have subsequently been offered a refund of 40 per cent by Saga or a 50 per cent discount on a future cruise, but some felt the offer did not go far enough.
Richard West, 66, from Sutton, who was on the June cruise, said: “I understand that problems of this sort do sometimes occur, but Saga has not fulfilled its obligations. The only way for me to see all the places we missed will be to book another voyage to Norway – so I feel entitled to a replacement cruise.”
Saga also confirmed that a “minor” problem occurred on Saga Sapphire during last week’s return from a Baltic cruise, which meant the ship had to sail into Dover using only one engine, but that it was fixed overnight.
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Showing posts with label Saga Cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saga Cruises. Show all posts
Friday, 17 August 2012
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Fred Olsen Becomes Latest Line to Launch Price Promise
The Fred. Olsen Price Pledge means that if the price of the cruise is reduced for the cabin grade booked, Fred. Olsen will refund the difference through one or a combination of measures - a cabin upgrade, onboard credit (O.B.C.), or a cash refund.
The price pledge is applicable on bookings made from today (July 20th, 2012) to September 30th 2012, and applies to all sailings departing on or after April 6th, 2013 and which are featured in the current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, except for the world cruises.
The moves follows that of Carnival, which introduced an Early Saver Promise into the U.K. market for the first time earlier this year; and P&O and Cunard, which both introduced Vantage Fares this week. Saga Cruises was in fact the first line to have an early booking promise, and has had this available to passengers for the past three years. Like P&O and Cunard's Vantage Fares, Saga's early price promise allows you to choose your cabin and if the price of a cruise is reduced - even for a day - the line contacts you and offers a reimbursement, again either in the form of O.B.C, an upgrade or refund.
Fred. Olsen has confirmed it will contact all guests entitled to refunds or upgrades before the cruise departure date to advise them of how they have benefitted.
Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We want to offer our guests the best possible deal on their cruise with us, and by booking early with the Fred. Olsen Price Pledge, they will have the peace of mind that, should the cruise price reduce, then we will make up the difference, whilst they will be able to secure the best choice of cruise and cabins.”
The line also confirmed it will offer more ‘all-inclusive' cruises. The move follows a trial period with four limited-availability itineraries. The all-inclusive offers, which include drinks, but not tips, will now be extended to all cruise departures on or after April 6th, 2013 and featured in its current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, for bookings before September 30th, 2012. The offer also excludes the world cruises and is limited to the first 100 bookings per sailing taken between now and the end of September 2012. The deal will also be added to all applicable bookings retrospectively.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
The price pledge is applicable on bookings made from today (July 20th, 2012) to September 30th 2012, and applies to all sailings departing on or after April 6th, 2013 and which are featured in the current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, except for the world cruises.
The moves follows that of Carnival, which introduced an Early Saver Promise into the U.K. market for the first time earlier this year; and P&O and Cunard, which both introduced Vantage Fares this week. Saga Cruises was in fact the first line to have an early booking promise, and has had this available to passengers for the past three years. Like P&O and Cunard's Vantage Fares, Saga's early price promise allows you to choose your cabin and if the price of a cruise is reduced - even for a day - the line contacts you and offers a reimbursement, again either in the form of O.B.C, an upgrade or refund.
Fred. Olsen has confirmed it will contact all guests entitled to refunds or upgrades before the cruise departure date to advise them of how they have benefitted.
Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We want to offer our guests the best possible deal on their cruise with us, and by booking early with the Fred. Olsen Price Pledge, they will have the peace of mind that, should the cruise price reduce, then we will make up the difference, whilst they will be able to secure the best choice of cruise and cabins.”
The line also confirmed it will offer more ‘all-inclusive' cruises. The move follows a trial period with four limited-availability itineraries. The all-inclusive offers, which include drinks, but not tips, will now be extended to all cruise departures on or after April 6th, 2013 and featured in its current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, for bookings before September 30th, 2012. The offer also excludes the world cruises and is limited to the first 100 bookings per sailing taken between now and the end of September 2012. The deal will also be added to all applicable bookings retrospectively.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Monday, 16 July 2012
Saga to Retire Ruby
The classic Saga Ruby will be retired in 2014, according to reports.
The 25,000-ton ship is the oldest in the Saga Cruises fleet, recently being joined by the newer Saga Sapphire.
It was also confirmed the line will add the Quest for Adventure back to the Saga brand as the Saga Pearl II.
The 25,000-ton, 655-passenger ship will celebrate its 40th (ruby) anniversary with one final round the world cruise at the start of 2013.
Meanwhile, the line has announced Quest for Adventure will revert back to its former name of Saga Pearl II once its published cruise calendar is complete in 18 months. It will also no longer offer adventure itineraries.
The move means that Saga will be back to a two-ship fleet in 2014, and the line has hinted at plans for a new-build ship, most recently at the European Cruise Council meeting in Brussels.
A U.K. spokesman has confirmed that Saga would like to expand the fleet, but he denied any order had been placed for a new-build.
Robin Shaw, Chief Executive of Saga Shipping said: "Saga Ruby has delighted cruise-goers for some 40 years, but operating a ship of this age to meet the exacting standards we and others set is becoming an increasing challenge. We have therefore decided that she should be gracefully retired in 18 months. Saga Ruby will in her ruby anniversary year visit many of the ports where she been warmly welcomed over the years.
"We believe that Saga cruising has a great deal of potential and we have invested over the last few year well over £100 million on our fleet and we continue to look for opportunities to expand and improve our classic cruise experience."
Saga Ruby was built in 1973 at Jarrow Shipyard on Tyneside, and has sailed under two previous incarnations: Vistafjord and Caronia, when it became part of Cunard's fleet. Saga bought the vessel in 2004 and spent £17 million refurbishing it.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
The 25,000-ton ship is the oldest in the Saga Cruises fleet, recently being joined by the newer Saga Sapphire.
It was also confirmed the line will add the Quest for Adventure back to the Saga brand as the Saga Pearl II.
The 25,000-ton, 655-passenger ship will celebrate its 40th (ruby) anniversary with one final round the world cruise at the start of 2013.
Meanwhile, the line has announced Quest for Adventure will revert back to its former name of Saga Pearl II once its published cruise calendar is complete in 18 months. It will also no longer offer adventure itineraries.
The move means that Saga will be back to a two-ship fleet in 2014, and the line has hinted at plans for a new-build ship, most recently at the European Cruise Council meeting in Brussels.
A U.K. spokesman has confirmed that Saga would like to expand the fleet, but he denied any order had been placed for a new-build.
Robin Shaw, Chief Executive of Saga Shipping said: "Saga Ruby has delighted cruise-goers for some 40 years, but operating a ship of this age to meet the exacting standards we and others set is becoming an increasing challenge. We have therefore decided that she should be gracefully retired in 18 months. Saga Ruby will in her ruby anniversary year visit many of the ports where she been warmly welcomed over the years.
"We believe that Saga cruising has a great deal of potential and we have invested over the last few year well over £100 million on our fleet and we continue to look for opportunities to expand and improve our classic cruise experience."
Saga Ruby was built in 1973 at Jarrow Shipyard on Tyneside, and has sailed under two previous incarnations: Vistafjord and Caronia, when it became part of Cunard's fleet. Saga bought the vessel in 2004 and spent £17 million refurbishing it.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Two ‘New’ Ships Underway for Saga Cruises
Saga Cruises' Saga Sapphire has finally embarked on a much-delayed maiden voyage –- if it can still be called that -- after two previous attempts at an inaugural cruise had to be scrapped due to engine trouble.
The 706-passenger, 33,819-ton ship left Southampton on Sunday (06/05/12), bound for the Baltic, after emergency repairs had to be carried out in Valencia in April. The original maiden voyage was cut short and passengers flown home when an engine failed, and the revised second itinerary was cancelled when repairs took longer than expected.
The inauguration of Saga Sapphire isn't the only change for the company. The ship that arrived in Southampton at the weekend as the 446-passenger, 18,591-ton Saga Pearl II was rapidly converted into Quest for Adventure, its new name painted onto the ship's dark blue hull before the vessel embarked on Sunday on a round-Britain and Ireland voyage.
Quest for Adventure replaces the old Spirit of Adventure, a smaller, aging ship that, after six years of service for Saga, has been sold to a German company. Both vessels are the side of Saga's cruising product it calls ‘Adventure Cruising' (as opposed to the ‘Classic Cruising' offered by Saga Sapphire and Saga Ruby).
Quest differs slightly from the ‘Classic' ships in that the minimum age for passengers is 21, not 50, and a selection of shore excursions, which varies according to the length of cruise, is included in the price. Many of the crew from Spirit have transferred to Quest, including the captains, cruise director and some hotel staff. But essentially, it's Saga Pearl II with a new name and new itineraries; we haven't heard of any plans for changing the interiors, and in any case, the ship underwent a £14 million refurbishment when Saga acquired it in 2009.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you
The 706-passenger, 33,819-ton ship left Southampton on Sunday (06/05/12), bound for the Baltic, after emergency repairs had to be carried out in Valencia in April. The original maiden voyage was cut short and passengers flown home when an engine failed, and the revised second itinerary was cancelled when repairs took longer than expected.
The inauguration of Saga Sapphire isn't the only change for the company. The ship that arrived in Southampton at the weekend as the 446-passenger, 18,591-ton Saga Pearl II was rapidly converted into Quest for Adventure, its new name painted onto the ship's dark blue hull before the vessel embarked on Sunday on a round-Britain and Ireland voyage.
Quest for Adventure replaces the old Spirit of Adventure, a smaller, aging ship that, after six years of service for Saga, has been sold to a German company. Both vessels are the side of Saga's cruising product it calls ‘Adventure Cruising' (as opposed to the ‘Classic Cruising' offered by Saga Sapphire and Saga Ruby).
Quest differs slightly from the ‘Classic' ships in that the minimum age for passengers is 21, not 50, and a selection of shore excursions, which varies according to the length of cruise, is included in the price. Many of the crew from Spirit have transferred to Quest, including the captains, cruise director and some hotel staff. But essentially, it's Saga Pearl II with a new name and new itineraries; we haven't heard of any plans for changing the interiors, and in any case, the ship underwent a £14 million refurbishment when Saga acquired it in 2009.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you
Monday, 26 March 2012
Delayed Launch for Refurbished Saga Sapphire
Multi-million-pound refurbishments are complicated affairs, and they become even more complex when your workforce goes on strike. To that end, Saga Cruises announced today that the arrival of its newest ship, Saga Sapphire, will be delayed, as will the ship's departure on its inaugural cruise to Venice.
Sapphire, which is en route to Southampton now, faced interruptions during a nearly four-month refurbishment in the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy, when workers participated in a national strike action.
The ship is expected to arrive in Southampton on Monday (26/03/2012), when it was originally scheduled to depart for Venice and will leave on a shortened cruise a week later (Monday, 2 April). During the weeklong stay in the U.K., the ship “will need to be loaded with provisions, and items such as furniture need to be loaded and installed,” said a company spokesman.
A 23-night inaugural cruise, which was scheduled to visit Mediterranean ports in Spain, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Gibraltar and Portugal, has now been shortened to 16 nights. The line has not made clear what stops the revised itinerary includes, saying only, “We have tried to keep as much of the original cruise as possible and minimise the disruption.”
The spokesperson commented that all passengers on the disrupted cruise have been contacted, and offered either a pro-rated refund for the missed portion of the cruise, alternative accommodation on another cruise, or the option to cancel and receive a full refund.
The makeover included the addition of 46 balconies to cabins on Deck 8, new restaurants and a "View From the Top" outdoor cinema. Also, cabins have been updated, several public areas have been redesigned, and the line is introducing iPads and onboard Wi-Fi connectivity.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Sapphire, which is en route to Southampton now, faced interruptions during a nearly four-month refurbishment in the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy, when workers participated in a national strike action.
The ship is expected to arrive in Southampton on Monday (26/03/2012), when it was originally scheduled to depart for Venice and will leave on a shortened cruise a week later (Monday, 2 April). During the weeklong stay in the U.K., the ship “will need to be loaded with provisions, and items such as furniture need to be loaded and installed,” said a company spokesman.
A 23-night inaugural cruise, which was scheduled to visit Mediterranean ports in Spain, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Gibraltar and Portugal, has now been shortened to 16 nights. The line has not made clear what stops the revised itinerary includes, saying only, “We have tried to keep as much of the original cruise as possible and minimise the disruption.”
The spokesperson commented that all passengers on the disrupted cruise have been contacted, and offered either a pro-rated refund for the missed portion of the cruise, alternative accommodation on another cruise, or the option to cancel and receive a full refund.
The makeover included the addition of 46 balconies to cabins on Deck 8, new restaurants and a "View From the Top" outdoor cinema. Also, cabins have been updated, several public areas have been redesigned, and the line is introducing iPads and onboard Wi-Fi connectivity.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
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