Saga Cruises
Saga Cruises: the back story
The back story
About Saga Cruises: the back story
Saga builds its cruises around one idea: a small ship, a balcony for every cabin and almost nothing left to pay on board. Its two sister ships sail from Dover and Portsmouth, and the fare even includes a chauffeur to the port.
Built for its guests
Saga, whose home town is Folkestone, makes holidays for the over-50s; its first cruise ship was Saga Rose. Today the cruise line runs two ships designed for it from the keel up: Spirit of Discovery, launched in 2019, and her sister Spirit of Adventure, which joined in summer 2021. Each carries no more than 987 guests, with one member of staff for every two.
Boutique by design
Saga likens the ships to boutique hotels, with interiors in the manner of a good London hotel. Every cabin, singles included, has its own balcony, and a standard cabin is 20.75 m². Spirit of Adventure was designed by AD Associates and has 109 single cabins, each of 18 m².
Every cabin has a balcony as standard.
Dining without the supplement
The main Dining Room serves British and international cooking, The Grill and its outdoor Verandah offer a more relaxed table, and the speciality restaurants cost nothing extra. On Spirit of Discovery you can choose East to West for Asian cooking and Coast to Coast for seafood; on Spirit of Adventure, Amalfi for Italian and Khukuri House, a Nepalese restaurant inspired by the Gurkha heritage of Saga’s home town, Folkestone. Afternoon tea is served at your table, étagère-style, and room service runs around the clock.
The extras are the point
Saga’s fare covers the things other lines charge for: drinks from wine and beer to cocktails and premium spirits, onboard gratuities and service charges, Wi-Fi, panoramic shore excursions, port taxes and a shared chauffeur from home to the ship, with no luggage limit. Travel insurance is included unless you choose to take it off for a price reduction.
Days and evenings
Spirit of Discovery has The Playhouse, a raked theatre seating 444, plus The Library at the top of the atrium, a Craft Room and a Card Room. Evenings bring guest speakers, recitals and production shows, and a few formal nights on longer voyages: one on cruises of four to seven nights, rising to at least four on voyages of 22 nights or more.
Our advice: sail Saga for the ease of it. A first cruise to the Canaries or the Norwegian fjords from Dover or Portsmouth shows how much is already done for you, and Saga will refund a first-time guest who does not love it, on the terms it publishes.
Why it's on our list
- Over-50s, companions over 40
- Two sister ships, 987 guests max
- A balcony for every cabin
- Speciality dining included
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Saga Cruises: the back story before you go.