We selected Saga for our first cruise because we did not want any children on it. We made good friends with two couples on the table to which we were allocated. The ship, built in 1973, is to be withdrawn after one more season, but is very comfortable. We appreciated the library, cinema, quizzes and some of the entertainment. The crew (apart from the officers) were from the Philippines and were exemplary: nothing was too much trouble for them. The food was absolutely fantastic: there was far too much of it and care had to be taken not to eat everything that was available. We were impressed with the prices of drinks and overall consider that the cruise was good value for money.
The serious flaw was an error at head office: we pre-booked our shore excursions as invited to do but received no confirmation in writing of our booking. I made three phone calls and was told that the tickets would be in our cabin when we boarded. But the tour manager had no knowledge of our booking of the excursions. The matter was resolved after a few hours but I would strongly advise future passengers not to book excursions in advance but to wait and book them on board. I am waiting to hear from Saga the outcome of my complaint about this matter.
We enjoyed most of the excursions though inevitably there was some variation in the quality of the guides. Rail fares were paid between our home and Dover. Disembarkation procedures were first class. We are not into organised entertainment but went to hear an outstanding and very amusing lecturer and a few other things.
