This 2 week cruise down the French/Spanish/Portuguese coast was an excellent way to get back into cruising. It was our 7th Saga cruise and the second on the new Saga ships. As usual, we were picked up from home and , on this occasion, taken to Tilbury docks. The embarkation procedure was somewhat chaotic with too many taxis arriving at the same time. Coupled with the requirement for 2 COVID tests, this meant that we had to stay in the taxi for a longer period than the time taken for the journey to the port. Eventually we were released to travel the short distance to the Terminal and the embarkation process went smoothly.

Being new, the ship was spotless and was being regularly cleaned during the time onboard. One thing that did stand out was the poor repair of the wooden rails around deck 6, 11 and 12. Many were already showing signs of flaking lacquer and discolouration even though this ship only saw service from August this year.

The standard cabin is well equipped and very comfortable, even better than a balcony cabin on the old Sapphire. As usual, the staff were all very friendly and helpful, a feature of Saga cruises. Hygiene regulations were quite strict and mask wearing required in corridors, Theatre and some activity groups. In the restaurants, self service has been suspended and tables allocated by the restaurant staff. Read more