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. 

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Saga Launches 2014 Cruise Collection

Join Dame Stella Rimington to uncover tales of espionage; remember the fallen 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War; or join Viking expert James Hodge in Norway - these are just three of 37 exciting new cruise ideas for 2014 unveiled this week by over-50s travel specialist Saga Cruises.

Saga has combined new and surprising itineraries in its latest brochure, with first-time ports of call, expert lecturers and fascinating history all featuring aboard Saga Sapphire and the Saga Pearl II.  There will also be some West End showtime!

The ships will sail from Dover and Southampton, with choices from four-night taster cruises in Europe to a 48-night voyage to the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa or a 35-night Caribbean cruise.

Lest We Forget …

8 nights from £1,071 per person - departs 22 July, 2014

Military experts, authors and historians offer fascinating insights into the human cost of the First World War on this cruise to Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. Some 100 years on, visit the islands of Heligoland, a naval base for the German Empire and the site of the first naval battle of the war; see trenches in The Somme and explore Mons, which saw the first casualties as the British Expeditionary Force held back the first German advance.

Heart of the Mediterranean

19 nights from £2,339 per person – departs 11 September, 2014

Join the celebrations as Malta celebrates 50 years of independence. On this themed history and archaeology cruise, guests will soak up the lively atmosphere with an overnight stay in Valletta on the island’s birthday weekend, as well as exploring the Moorish heritage of Almeria in Spain and unearthing the secrets of historic Lisbon, Cagliari and Tunis.

Summer in the Baltic

15 nights from £1,819 per person – departs 12 September, 2014

Join Dame Stella Rimington, former Director General of MI5, and former BBC foreign correspondent Martin Sixsmith to hear tales of double agents and espionage on this cruise to Sweden, Finland, Russia and Denmark. It also includes visits to three of Europe’s newest states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - with an overnight stay in beautiful St Petersburg.  Learn the facts and fiction of national security, including code-breaking at Bletchley Park and undercover Cold War missions.

Mediterranean Medley

15 nights from £1,689 per person – departs 30 October, 2014

There’s no business like show business - that’s the glitzy appeal of this West End-themed cruise to Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar and France. Compare the islands of Minorca and Corsica, explore the culture and architecture of Barcelona and enjoy French Riviera atmosphere in Toulon. While on board Saga Pearl II, guests will hear anecdotes from cast and crew and enjoy fabulous music from London’s Theatre land. 

Three new adventure cruises are also offered aboard Saga Pearl II, which include £100 per person towards the cost of excursions for every seven nights spent on board. Select from the 15-night ‘Arctic Explorer’ and ‘Icelandic Explorer’ cruises or take a shorter trip:

On the Trail of the Vikings

7 nights from £974 per person – departs 5 September, 2014

Join Viking expert James Hodge to learn more about these resourceful and feared people as passengers discover Norway’s breathtaking coastline. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage waterfront of Bergen, marvel at the 222 mountain peaks surrounding the town of Molde - with the chance to sail in a replica 11th century Viking ship to the island of Haholmenaor - and take a safari in search of moose and musk-ox.

For more info, follow this link to Saga's cruise pages, or, for more adventure cruising ideas, see this link for The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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.