Saga Cruises is not a household name for all travelers out there. This is likely by design, as the British-based cruise line is designed from the ground-up for the specific demographic of people 50 and older. While Saga is definitely not for everyone, there are a plethora of key features to this cruise line that make them the perfect choice for travelers that want to get away from the younger crowd.
Fleet
Currently, the Saga fleet is a simple one, comprised of only two ships. Since 2012, the cruise line has been the home for the Sapphire, a 37,301 ton boat that holds up to 720 passengers and about 415 crew members. The second ship is the Spirit of Discovery, which was built specifically for Saga in 2019. It’s the bigger of the two at 58,250 tons, and has a capacity of 999 passengers (and not one more!). It has a crew size of 505. Both of these ships are notable for their high crew-to-passenger ratio, meaning there will likely always be a crew member ready to assist you.
Price
Saga offers both ocean and river cruises, with prices and lengths differing therein. For 2019, there are only three ocean cruises currently still available, with the cheapest being 2131 British pounds (2,741 USD as of the time of this writing)for an all-inclusive 16 night trip throughout the Volcanic Isles. The most expensive is 7101 pounds (9,133 USD) for a 35 night trip that visits the Caribbean and America. (this is one is definitely all-inclusive as well). The river cruises are much more plentiful and start much lower at 799 pounds (1,027 USD) for a 5 day trip on the Rhine themed around rock music, which sounds very cool. The river cruises can climb into the range of a few thousand pounds as well, though, with a ton of options available at a multitude of price levels.
Dining/activities
The on-board activities of the Saga ships include bars, casinos, swimming pools (both indoor and outdoor) and performances at the showrooms. The themed river cruises feature lots of events to keep travelers entertained, such as the aforementioned rock-themed cruise with musical performances or a Dutch cruise focused on checking out some classic art. The dining on the Spirit of Discovery has a fine-dining restaurant as well as a more casual spot. The Sapphire has a main restaurant called Pole to Pole that is themed around six different continents, as well as a buffet and a casual grill just like on the Spirit of Discovery.
Reputation
Saga Cruises are definitely not for everyone (literally, they are not for anyone under the age of 50!), but they offer a unique and fine-tuned experience for an older crowd. Those who try Saga have left glowing reviews online, and many who sail with them are returning passengers. They are considered helpful and easy to work with, and their rooms are said to offer extreme comfort and ease of use (one passenger wrote of their room having extensive storage and about 50 clothing hangers).
If this is something you would be interested in, definitely check out Saga’s website to see what is being offered throughout 2019 and 2020. While there aren’t many ocean cruises left for this year, 2020 booking is available now. Plus, the river cruises are super interesting and are certainly worth considering.