Saga wins best specialist small cruise line at British Travel Awards - and here's why

Saga Pearl II

Saga has scooped the British Travel Award title for the Best Specialist Small Ship Cruise Line. Saga Cruises left other companies in the shadows because with Saga everything is taken care - from the minute guests leave their front door.

The Saga cruise price includes a myriad of extras that often come at an additional price on other cruise lines, so it’s no wonder 98% of Saga passengers describe their cruise as 'good' or 'excellent'.

Elegant 700-passenger Saga Sapphire and 400-passenger Saga Pearl II are small, friendly and intimate ships yet boast spacious and comfortable lounges, bars and dining areas. The ships also get into the heart of destinations that many other ships cannot reach, including Venice.

Here’s 20 reasons to demonstrate that, while Saga ships may be small, they are big on value and why 75% of customers choose to sail with us time and time again:

1. Door-to-door chauffeur service to the port and return, up to 250 miles each way
2. Free shuttle bus from the ship’s port to the nearest town, if the distance is more than 500 yards
3. Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover
4. 24-hour room service
5. Ratio of two crew to three passengers
6. All onboard gratuities included
7. Free wifi
8. Free fitness classes and use of fully equipped gym
9. Daily classes, quizzes and activities
10. Free sauna and solarium
11. Inside and outside pools
12. Porterage of luggage
13. Full evening entertainment programme including guest musicians and comedians
14. Free lectures by A-list authors, historians, celebrity gardeners & wildlife experts
15. Bridge visits to meet the captain, plus captain’s welcome cocktail party
16. Themed cruises – including food, wine, music, literary, arts, gardens, architecture & history
17. Fine dining – choose from buffet or waiter service, plus barbecues when weather permits
18. Full afternoon tea each day
19. Thermos-cooled water in each cabin and bottled water on all shore excursions
20. 24-hour quality tea and freshly ground-bean coffee

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One Saga Pearl II cruise - One raft of new adventures

Saga Pearl II

Four-wheel drives, trekking in the Atlas Mountains, stargazing, a RIB adventure.....and much more
In answer to fun-loving passengers’ insatiable appetite for adventure tours, Saga has introduced a selection of action-packed excursions on Saga Pearl II’s new Canary Island Coasts cruise.

In Madeira, a four-wheel drive safari will take guests on and off-road through hidden valleys and mountain roads. There also be a RIB adventure to watch for whales and dolphins in the sea around Madeira, accompanied by a team of marine biologists.

Tenerife’s Teide National Park has ideal conditions for stargazing and this sparkling experience starts with guests sipping champagne at sunset before dinner. As night falls, under the stars a guide will point out distant constellations and impressive planets using professional telescopes.

In Morrocco, jump into a 4x4 vehicle for a scenic drive to Imouzzer Paradise Valley, leaving behind the palm groves and gorges of the River Tamrhakht to view the ever-changing landscape with traditional houses set among the Argan trees.

For those who prefer to stretch their legs, trekking in the Atlas foothills is another new option. Walk across the rugged landscape of arid mountains and ochre-red rocks softened by lush palm and banana groves.

Those who can’t get enough of four-wheel drive experiences can take to the roads of Cascais and Sintra.  Cascais is one of Portugal’s most popular seaside resorts and a favourite spot for windsurfers and kite-surfers. Travel along dusty roads to the Sintra mountain range with its beautiful trees, passing pretty villages to reach Cabo da Roca where the land ends and the sea at Sintra. Stop at a café and take a stroll to savour this westernmost point of mainland Europe.

16 nights from £1915, departing Southampton on March 19, 2016.

Price includes UK travel package to and from Southampton, all meals and entertainment, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee in selected venues, free Wi-Fi internet, all on-board gratuities, porterage, free shuttle bus to nearest town centre (whenever possible and when the ship is berthed more than 500 yards away) and Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover

(Photo credit to Saga Travel)

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Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins Saga cruise in search of the Northern Lights

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is the world’s greatest living explorer and he will be joining Saga Pearl II in search of the Northern Lights when she sails from Southampton on March 4, 2015.

Norway is Saga passengers’ favourite cruising destination and Sir Ran, as he is usually known, will make the sailing even more fascinating as a guest speaker on the 400-passenger ship.

Sir Ran is looking forward to talking about his ’40 years of explorations’ as well as joining guests to watch the skies when they cross the Arctic Circle, hoping to witness the Aurora Borealis.

Saga Pearl II will dock for two nights in Alta, one of the best places on earth to witness the phenomenon, during this Norway nights and the Northern Lights cruise. Here, when heavy snow falls and temperatures drop to sub-zero, the clear dark skies become the arena for the dazzling displays.
Guests will take an early dinner on board the ship, attend a lecture to learn the best location for viewing the Northern Lights that evening, and travel to the selected viewing point.

Wearing an Arctic jacket supplied by Saga, passengers will also be able to keep warm by a campfire while waiting for a glimpse of the colourful night sky.

The 16-night cruise also includes many other winter sporting and social activities in Alta, including snowmobiling and dog-sledding or visiting a traditional Sami settlement of reindeer herders.

Another option is to call in or stay overnight in the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel which is built from snow and ice every winter. The indoor temperature varies from -4 to -7°C, but guests will be snug in a sleeping bag on a bed of luxurious reindeer fur. Of course, there is only one drink served at this hotel – a bright-blue vodka tipple served in a glass made from ice!

Although the Northern Lights are expected to be the cruise highlight, further ports of call also offer some exciting tours in Bergen, Tromso,  Andalsnes, Flam, Alesund and Leknes. New excursions include the Vossbanen steam railway in Bergen and a musk ox safari or a twilight moose safari in Andalsnes.

16 nights from £3299 departing March 4, 2015. Price includes VIP travel service, all meals and entertainment, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee, free wifi, all gratuities, porterage, shuttle bus to town centres from the port of call and travel insurance and cancellation cover.

(Photo credit to Saga Travel)

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Look back at the biggest cruise stories of 2014

Britannia receiving her contemporary Union Jack inspired hull artwork

As it is the last day of the year I thought it would be appropriate to look back at the most popular news articles posted on the Time Spent at Sea blog during 2014. I've looked at the total number of views and have pinpointed the five most popular cruise stories of 2014.

5) Three die in cruise ship engine room fire

At number five is the sad news that three people - two contractors and a crew-member – died in a tragic engine room fire on-board Oceania Cruises' Insignia cruise ship earlier this month. John Honeywell reported that the incident happened in port at Castries, on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

4) P&O's Britannia is put through her paces for the first time

Next is the news that P&O Cruises' Britannia had been put through per paces in her first sea trials off the coast of Italy. The course tracked by Marine Traffic shows hair-raising turns and loops during her first open water sailing. John Honeywell noted that the path was reminiscent of a particularly drunken version of Join the Dots!

3) P&O Fly The Flag - In Pictures & Video

The third most popular story the year is the unveiling of plans by P&O Cruises to roll out the contemporary Union Jack inspired hull artwork fleet-wide starting at the end of 2014. Simon and Susan Veness explained how the bold new look celebrates the company's heritage and its popularity as Britain’s leading cruise line. Aurora was the first cruise ship in service to receive the new artwork earlier this month.

2) First pictures of P&O's newest cruise ship, Britannia, in her red, white and blue Union Flag livery

In September the first pictures of P&O Cruises' Britannia were released showing the contemporary Union Jack inspired hull artwork for real. Until this point all we had seen were computer-generated graphics of the design. John Honeywell noted that at 94 metres long, it was the world’s largest contemporary version of the Union Flag and that it took 420 litres of paint to complete this artwork.

1) Cruise ship Saga Pearl II sails to the rescue of injured yachtsman in mid-Atlantic 

The biggest news story by far this year was reported by Lesley Bellew and told of the rescue of an injured yachtsman in the mid-Atlantic by crew on-board Saga Pearl II. On route to Cape Verde, Captain Wesley Dunlop of Saga Pearl II answered a call for assistance from the Portuguese marine authorities and made a 90-mile diversion to meet the catamaran Coco Jet III.

(Photo credit to P&O Cruises)

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Cruise ship Saga Pearl II sails to the rescue of injured yachtsman in mid-Atlantic

To the rescue: Saga Pearl II diverts from cruise to aid injured yachtsman

EXCLUSIVE  by LESLEY BELLEW

 

Cruise ship Saga Pearl II made a dramatic rescue in the middle of the North Atlantic last night (Saturday, Nov 22) to bring aboard a seriously injured French yachtsman.

On route to Cape Verde, Captain Wesley Dunlop answered a call for assistance from the Portuguese marine authorities and made a 90-mile diversion to meet the catamaran Coco Jet III.

Nicolas Hauzy, 36, needed 28 stitches after he lacerated his left leg on the drive shaft of his yacht’s engine while cruising from the Canary Islands to Martinique.

Within four hours from the distress call on Saturday afternoon, Saga Pearl II came in sight of the yacht. As darkness fell, Capt Dunlop manoeuvred the ship to allow the catamaran to come leeside, thereby cutting out the wind.

In two-metre swells the yacht drifted close to the ship and Mr Hauzy made a dramatic jump on board the 400-passenger cruise ship.

Capt Dunlop had been expecting to put out a pontoon to allow the ship’s doctor to board the yacht and assess the patient.

Capt Dunlop said: “It was a most difficult operation because of the swell and the crew dealt with it very well.

“We had intended to get onto the yacht but when it came right alongside Mr Hauzy made the jump. In an emergency you always plan ahead but very often have to adjust those plans depending on the situation when you arrive on scene.

“Mr Hauzy is a very brave man.”

Mr Hauzy, who was part-way through a year’s sailing trip with his family, said he there had been a problem with the yacht’s hydraulic motor and as he was attempting to fix it his trouser leg got caught in the engine drive shaft.

He said: “I bandaged myself up and put a distress procedure in place because I was worried that I would not be able to take care of the yacht and my family.

“Captain Dunlop is the very best captain I have ever encountered. My worst fear was that I would not be able to board the ship. It was so impressive that a big ship came to my rescue and changed course to come to help a small vessel. I cannot thank the captain and medical team enough.”

The ship’s doctor David Townsend had been prepared to board the catamaran but instead attended the Parisian businessman in the ship’s medical centre.  He said: “It was a severe laceration to the inside left of the ankle, needing 28 stitches.”

Mr Hauzy said: “I was surprised to see such a professional medical set-up on the ship. I did not realise there would be a doctor and nurses on board. I am again very thankful. They said that they had dealt with worse than this!”

The drama unfolded when Saga Pearl II was within 200 miles of Sao Vicente, in Cape Verde. Capt Dunlop made a public announcement to say he had received a message from the Portuguese Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) that a French yacht had reported one of its crew was injured and in need of urgent medical assistance.

As Saga Pearl II was the nearest vessel with a doctor on board, Capt Dunlop took the decision to change course to answer the call.

Passengers were kept informed throughout the operation with a further message from the captain at 6pm, stating he had received further information that the passenger had suffered a ‘very nasty gash’ on the leg.  He explained that the plan of action was for two of his crew to board the yacht, exiting from a lower deck shell door, and put out a pontoon for the yacht to come alongside.

Capt Dunlop also gave passengers good notice that he would be turning the ship sideways and reducing speed, explaining that the stabilisers would therefore not be as effective.

During the rescue passengers continued with their formal dinner, the ladies dressed in glamorous cocktail gowns and the men in dinner suits and bow ties.

Mr Hauzy is expected to rejoin his family, including his wife Adelaide and his four children, Tristan, 10, Hadrien, nine, Athenias, four, and Ignace, two, when Coco Jet III arrives in Porto Grande on Monday.

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One Saga Pearl II cruise - One raft of new adventures

In response to fun-loving passengers’ appetite for adventure tours, Saga has introduced a selection of action-packed excursions on Saga Pearl II’s new Canary Island Coasts cruise.

In Madeira, a four-wheel drive safari will take guests on and off-road through hidden valleys and mountain roads. There also be a RIB adventure to watch for whales and dolphins in the sea around Madeira, accompanied by a team of marine biologists.

Tenerife’s Teide National Park has ideal conditions for stargazing and this sparkling experience starts with guests sipping champagne at sunset before dinner. As night falls, under the stars a guide will point out distant constellations and impressive planets using professional telescopes.

In Morocco, jump into a 4x4 vehicle for a scenic drive to Imouzzer Paradise Valley, leaving behind the palm groves and gorges of the River Tamrhakht to view the ever-changing landscape with traditional houses set among the Argan trees. For those who prefer to stretch their legs, trekking in the Atlas foothills is another new option. Walk across the rugged landscape of arid mountains and ochre-red rocks softened by lush palm and banana groves.


16 nights from £1,915, departing Southampton on 19 March 2016. Price includes UK travel package to and from Southampton, all meals and entertainment, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee.

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Adventure Cruising blog

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Spend Christmas at sea on a Saga cruise

Forget the cold winter and the cooking over Christmas and the New Year on a sunshine Saga cruise. There are still a few cabins available on Saga Sapphire or Saga Pearl II.

Christmas in the Canaries

Have yourself a merry little Christmas on Saga Sapphire’s (above) 20-night Christmas in the Canaries cruise. This special sailing includes a chance to spend the night in Marrakech and watch the fireworks over Madeira on New Year’s Eve.
Cruise on the chic and friendly Saga Sapphire from Southampton on 21 December with further ports of call including four of the Canary Islands, Agadir, Casablanca, Lisbon and Gibraltar.  Price from £3,699

A Mediterranean Christmas

Saga Pearl II will be sailing into the sunshine on a Mediterranean Christmas cruise which will give passengers time to explore the glorious historic cities of Rome, Nice, Florence and Barcelona, as well as the contrasting islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily.
Christmas Day will be spent at sea so passengers can get into the full Christmas spirit and on Boxing Day Saga Pearl II will sail in to Almeria, just the place to walk off the excesses!

A highlight of this festive 23-night cruise will be the spectacular fireworks over the harbour in  Valletta, in Malta, on New Year’s Eve. Price from £4,099, departing Southampton on 21 December

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Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins Saga Pearl II cruise in search of the Northern Lights

Sir Ranulph Fiennes will be joining Saga Pearl II in search of the Northern Lights when she sails from Southampton on March 4, 2015.

Saga Pearl II will dock for two nights in Alta during this Norway nights and the Northern Lights cruise. Here, when heavy snow falls and temperatures drop to sub-zero, the clear dark skies become the arena for the dazzling displays.

Guests will take an early dinner on board the ship, attend a lecture to learn the best location for viewing the Northern Lights that evening, and travel to the selected viewing point.

Although the Northern Lights are expected to be the cruise highlight, further ports of call also offer some exciting tours in Bergen, Tromso,  Andalsnes, Flam, Alesund and Leknes. New excursions include the Vossbanen steam railway in Bergen and a musk ox safari or a twilight moose safari in Andalsnes.

16 nights from £3,299 departing 4 March, 2015. Price includes VIP travel service, all meals and entertainment, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee, free wifi, all gratuities, porterage, shuttle bus to town centres from the port of call, and travel insurance and cancellation cover.

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Saga announces 2015 maiden ports of call to meet demand for new destinations

In 2015 Saga ships will make inaugural calls to destinations in Spain, Finland and Denmark.

Alcudia, Majorca (above)
Saga Pearl II will make her maiden call to Alcudia, in Majorca, as part of a 16-night Springtime in the Mediterranean cruise. Although Alcudia will be new to Pearl II, the town is steeped in history; it has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and the Romans put it in the history books when they arrived in the bay and captured Alcudia in 123 BC.
The vast stretch of sandy beach is now lined with cafes, restaurants and shops and the old town, surrounded by a medieval wall, is well preserved with houses dating to the 13th century.
Saga Pearl II departs Southampton on April 26 for 16 nights, prices from £2,989

Rauma and Kemi, Finland
The Gulf of Bothnia cruise includes two new ports of call and guests will be able to witness the white nights of summer and immerse themselves in Scandinavia's fascinating past.
Rauma, on Finland’s west coast, flourished until the 17th century when it was devastated by two fires. The town centre was rebuilt in a neo-Renaissance style and guests will love visiting the now listed UNESCO  World Heritage Site.
The second maiden port of call, Kemi, was founded in 1869 at the mouth of the River Kemijoki, a natural deep-water port. 
Saga Pearl II departs Dover on June 23 for 15 nights.

Fredericia, Denmark
On the Voyage of the Vikings, Saga Sapphire will make her first call at Fredericia on the Jutland peninsula. Founded in 1650 by King Frederick III, it was intended as a fortress to protect Jutland and remains a military base to this day. Visitors can take the sentry path and walk around the ramparts that encircle the town or stroll 500 yards to Øster Strand beach, which has been awarded the European Blue Flag.
Saga Sapphire departs from Dover on August 12 for 11 nights, prices from £2,257

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Saga & The Western Mediterranean Way Of Life

Feb. 13.- It's Day Three of Saga Week here at World of Cruising magazine, with stories, features and special offers from the classic British cruise line. Today - a great Mediterranean experience... 
 

They call it the Mediterranean Medley, and it really does highlight a great range of Med port experiences, but there is a lot more en route that makes this voyage a true classic.

Just to start with, it is hard to beat for ports that provide great arts, culture and shopping, like the Catalan capital of Barcelona, the British outpost of Gibraltar and Portugal's fabulous Lisbon (above), with its colourful yellow-and-red trams and "Street of the Restaurants," plus the incredible mosaic pavements, squares and streets. 

Yet guests on this cruise will also call at quieter ports to enjoy the simpler pleasures of the Mediterranean way of life, strolling in the sun, browsing the markets and people-watching over a glass of local wine. 

To that end, there is Mahon, the ancient capital of Menorca with its Georgian Bow Window style as a legacy of British rule but Mahon still boasts attractive neo-Classical, Baroque and Romanesque buildings. Then there is the unspoilt coastal town of Propriano, situated in the Valinco Gulf on the island of Corsica, and Toulon, another beautiful coastal resort approximately 32 miles from Marseilles, with a picturesque old town of colourful markets and elegant fountains.

Valencia is one of Spain's most beautiful cities,with a lively culture and rich history. Having experienced rapid growth during the last few years, the city now rivals both Barcelona and Madrid in terms of economic importance but boasts buildings dating back to Roman and Arabic times.

Finally, dating from Roman times, the Galician city of Vigo is home to a fine natural harbour, where the English and Dutch defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1702. Today, the attractive marinas stand in contrast to the industrialised areas of the city, while further exploration will reveal the characteristic 17th-century architecture and attractive countryside beyond. 

Saga Pearl II (above) herself recalls the same stylish surroundings and superb service that cruise-goers have come to expect from the company's elegant ships, with a smaller size that offers a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere. 

Mediterranean Medley:15-night cruise departing October 30 from Southampton and calling at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Mahon, Corsica, Toulon, Barcelona, Valencia and Vigo, with prices from £1,773 per person.

 

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

For a longer version of this story see our News pages at the World of Cruising website, presented by Saga Cruises, on this link.

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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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 Sets Sail With E-Book Library

Saga Cruises' adventuring voyager Saga Pearl II is setting sail later this month with an all-new e-books library curated by Penguin Books.

From November 22, passengers will be able to pick up a tablet and choose from 36 titles specially curated by Penguin’s experts, a world-first on cruise ships.

The tablets will carry a selection of Penguin titles downloaded in 12 genres, including crime and adventure, escapist fiction, travel writing, literary gems, historical fiction and celebrity biography to match Saga passengers’ reading preferences. Penguin has also donated physical copies of all 36 books to Pearl II’s library.

The ship sails from Southampton and arrives in Venice on December 3, where passengers can extend their stay in a 4 star-rated hotel for three nights. There will be a Venetian masked ball, performances from soprano Hayley Westenra, The Operababes, The Three Tenors tribute act and The Gondolier Trio, plus the opportunity to visit the ancient ruins of Cartagena, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, mythical Corfu, historic Split and the beautiful city of Venice.

Prices for this all-inclusive cruise start from £1,679 for 11 nights (Nov 22-Dec 3), £1,999 for 13 nights (Dec 3-16) or £2,749 for 24 nights. The three-night stay in Venice costs from £399 including breakfast. The price also includes UK door-to-door travel service, all meals, soft drinks and house-branded alcohol, entertainment, gratuities, room service and travel insurance and cancellation cover.

More info: call 0800 051 3355 or visit saga.co.uk/cruises.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Raise A Glass To Saga's New Deals!

Saga Cruises is offering special all-inclusive cruises on selected Saga Ruby, Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II departing in November.

The holiday price includes all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, all soft drinks, house-brand spirits and cocktails, all entertainment, UK door-to-door chauffeur service, gratuities and travel insurance.

And there's more on each voyage, too. Take your pick from:

Saga Sapphire

Brendan Lynch, a finalist in TV’s the Great British Bake-Off, will be cooking up a treat with talks and demonstrations during the Western Mediterranean Explorer cruise. As well as fun on board, destinations are steeped in history and offer the opportunity to discover remnants of Cartagena’s Roman remains in Spain to Lisbon’s stunning architecture in Portugal. This 16-night cruise also includes call to Tunis, Valletta, Palermo, and Algiers, and is priced from £1,899 per person, departing Southampton on November 15.

Saga Pearl II

Choose the full 24-night Adriatic Homecoming classic cruise or take an 11-night outward journey or 13-night return. Saga Pearl II sails from Southampton on November 22 and arrives in Venice on December 3, where passengers can extend their stay in a 4Q-rated hotel for three nights. On this melodic cruise there will be a Venetian masked ball, performances from soprano Hayley Westenra, The Operababes, The Three Tenors tribute act and The Gondolier Trio, plus the opportunity to visit the ancient ruins of Cartagena, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, mythical Corfu and historic Split. Prices start from £1,679pp for 11 nights (Nov 22-Dec 3), £1,999 for 13 nights (Dec 3-16) or £2,749 for 24 nights. The 3-night stay in Venice costs from £399, including breakfast.

Saga Ruby

Trade in the darker nights for sun-kissed shores on a Voyage to the Canaries. There are pretty villages to discover, volcanoes to explore and colourful gardens to enjoy on this 12-night cruise from Southampton. Priced from £1,599pp, it departs on November 23 to visit Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Agadir in Morocco. Sandy beaches, lush landscapes, wine-tasting and dolphin-spotting will all be on offer during the day and, in the evening, guests can dance to the best sounds from Berry Gordon’s Motown music machine.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's leading specialists cruise agents.

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