It's Saga Week On World of Cruising!

By Editor Simon Veness

Get ready for a full week of Saga Cruises here at World of Cruising this week, with a whole range of stories, insight and special offers from Britain's classic cruise line.

Starting tomorrow (Feb 11), we will have a new story each day on an aspect of the Dover-based company, who operate two ships - Saga Pearl II and Saga Sapphire - on a series of extensive voyages that appeal to the serious cruiser.

Taking it day by day, we will devote our new-look main website - www.worldofcruising.co.uk - to the full Saga story, with an in-depth look at what they do and a full week's worth of special offers, with follow-up stories here at Time Spent At Sea and our Twitter account, @WorldofCruising.

Both Saga ships offer a contrasting experience and a tempting programme of voyages, varying from 3 days to extended 20 and 30-day grand voyages to the Black Sea, Caribbean and further afield, with most setting sail from Dover but many from Southampton as well. There are themed cruises and Christmas cruises, plus special guests like Dame Stella Rimington (ex-MI5) and Dr Ann Birchall of the Antiques Roadshow and a 100th anniversary commemoration of the Gallipoli campaign in April 2015.

Intimate and casual, the 18,591-ton Saga Pearl II (left) is small enough to go where many big ships can't and features more off-the-beaten-track ports of call as a result, but still with a full array of amenities and facilities on board, including excellent dining, a choice of bars and lounges, plus an indoor pool, sauna and the latest fitness equipment.

The 37,301-ton Saga Sapphire (below) is the former five-star Europa of stylish Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, fully renovated and redesigned internally for British guests and maximum comfort, with a rather more contemporary style but still carrying only a maximum of 720 passengers. The vessel boasts spacious cabins, a state-of-the-art Spa, full promenade deck, three dining venues and a great range of public rooms, including the classic Britannia Lounge for afternoon tea.

All Saga dining is fully open seating (although there are fixed-seating tables if you prefer),

meaning you can dine when you like with whom you like, and it all comes with a friendly, efficient service that marks Saga out as one of the true individuals in the cruise world today. All cruises also feature a specialist lecture programme into the areas and ports visited by the ships, with expert guests to add real depth to the voyage.

Other Saga extras include:

• Door-to-door chauffeur service
• Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover
• All onboard gratuities
• 24 hour room service
• Free shuttle bus to take you to the nearest town centre
• Porterage of luggage

Now, be sure to tune in to Time Spent At Sea every day this coming week for more great news and offers on Saga cruises, and see more on our main website. And get ready to set sail!

More info: call 0800 096 0074 or visit http://travel.saga.co.uk/holidays/ocean-cruises.aspx.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link. 

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.