Who'd have thought I would go on a Saga cruise at my age (no, I'm not quite 50 yet!!) and have been completely blown away by it? I spent 5 days on-board the Saga Sapphire, on part of her Mediterranean Odyssey and was expecting older guests, small cabins and perhaps early nights – but the reality couldn't have been more different.
Cabins
My impressions of the ship was that she was a nice size, well decorated and easily navigable. Nothing was too far from anything else. When I found my cabin I was amazed at the size of it! It was much bigger than most standard/superior cabins I've seen on ship visits – about the size of a small hotel room; although on the down side the balcony wasn't very big – having said that it was it was big enough to sit out on. The bathroom was a surprise too – usually I find them to be very compact on ships but this was almost as big as my own at home!
Dining
Dining as always is a great experience on a cruise ship and this was no exception. The food was incredible – better than some top restaurants that I've been to. The service was quick, efficient and nothing was ever too much trouble and as this was an all inclusive, you had to be careful not to drink your wine to quickly, because before you knew it, your glass was full again!!! The food in the speciality restaurant East to West was so stunning that I found myself have more than one dish for each course, just so I could try everything!!!
On Board Activities
A lot of clients ask “what is there to do on days at sea?” Plenty! There was wine tasting and mixology classes (that’s cocktail making to you and me!), fitness and yoga classes, quizzes and competitions, lectures and that's just a small sample of the activities available. If you didn't fancy any of that, there was a lovely spa and treatment centre where you could be pampered ready for the evening. One of the highlights for me was the cake decorating competition which was then judged by the head chefs!! Needless to say I didn't win – but it was great fun trying to make these wonderful creations!
The Staff
The staff on board are incredible – everyone seems to know who you are whether you've been introduced or not. Never once did I see a frown amongst them, and nothing was ever too much trouble. What I loved was the care they took of everyone, always ready to lend a hand (or an arm) to escort you to your table. One of the great things about the service, was it never felt forced – as this is a tips inclusive cruise, it was never about what they could do to earn more from you. Something else that struck me was how much the staff actually enjoyed doing their job and wanted to be there.
The clientèle are indeed older, however having said that, there was a range of 50+ to 90yrs. Everyone I spoke to, loved travelling with Saga, for its service, its all inclusive options, its no tipping policy, and in this particular case its transport from home. What I found spoke volumes for this company, was the huge customer loyalty base – nearly everyone I came in contact with, had tried other cruises before Saga, but once they'd been with Saga, had never gone with anyone else since, now I know why!
Book your Saga Cruise
At Miles Morgan Travel, we have an exclusive offer on a cruise on Saga Sapphire departing 1st December 2016 to the Canaries and Casablanca. Book with us and you'll enjoy a fully escorted cruise with Margaret Ablitt, on board credit of £25 person, VIP chauffeur service from home if you live within 250 miles of Southampton and a private cocktail party. Just give us a call or pop into your local shop to find out more.
