Tag Archives: Saga Cruise

Saga Welcomes Two New Captains

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Saga Cruises is welcoming two new captains for the Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure, as they return to service.

Darin Bowland and Jason Ikiadis will join Kim Tanner as the Captains of Saga’s cruise ships that are exclusively designed for guests who are over 50.

Bowland will take the helm of Spirit of Discovery on June 27 as she heads off around the British Isles, and Captain Tanner will take Spirit of Adventure on her inaugural 15-night cruise around the British Isles on July 26, according to a press release. 

Bowland has previously held positions with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation (Holland America), after starting his career as a cadet with the Royal Canadian Navy in 1985.

On joining Saga Cruises, he said: “When I first joined the cruise industry the business was all about the guests. After many years of driving larger ships with 3000+ passengers, I am really looking forward to getting to know our guests and crew. Also, I love exploring, and I can’t wait to show our guests the many fantastic destinations that Saga offers.”

Ikiadis comes from a long line of seafarers, including his own father who was a ship’s captain, and his paternal grandfather who was in the Royal Navy.

“Following in their footsteps was inevitable” he added.

Ikiadis first went to sea in 1984 and has held many positions since, working up the ranks to Captain for cruise lines such as Azamara and TUI.

“Saga is a well-established and well-known brand, with a loyal base of guests who enjoy that personal experience,” said Ikiadis. “Being able to Captain two brand-new ships is really exciting. The sister ships give a respectful nod to previous Saga cruise ships but these are thoroughly modern and contemporary in design. They’re also a dream to drive thanks to the fact they boast the very latest in ship technology.”

Regular Saga Cruisers will also recognize Captain Kim Tanner who has been with the cruise line for five years and is popular with guests and crew alike. C

Captain Tanner said: “I’m so looking forward to getting out to sea on our ships again. Although we successfully delivered Spirit of Adventure last year she still hasn’t had any of our guests on board and I really can’t wait to show everyone how beautiful she is. The best part of the job is being out on the ocean and showing our guests what Saga cruising is all about with our fantastic modern and contemporary boutique cruise ships.”

Saga Holidays Reports 127% Increase in Booking Inquiries

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Saga Holidays has experienced a 127-per cent increase in the number of booking inquiries to its contact centres in the week after the UK government released a report suggesting that international travel can be resumed from May 17.

The increase was measured against the same period two weeks before, Saga said in a press release.

“We’d already received a surge in inquiries when the vaccine roll-out started and in the week since the Government’s announcement around international travel, we’ve seen another spike from travellers keen to secure holidays,” Nick Stace, CEO of Saga Travel, said.

“Our European river cruises are also experiencing high levels of demand, and we’re looking forward to launching our latest ship, the Spirit of the Rhine, later this year,” he added.

According to the press release, Saga’s website saw the largest spike in online searches on Saturday, Apr. 10 – up 43 per cent from the Saturday before.

Cruise searches have focused on the launch of the tour operator’s modern boutique ships the Spirit of Discovery and the brand new Spirit of Adventure in summer 2021, of which all but one are now sold out, Saga said.

The tour operator also said that it had already seen evidence that cruises are a popular option for travellers as bookings were up 20 per cent for 2021-22 and 2022-23 combined even before the government announcement.

The Global Travel Taskforce published its findings on the potential resumption of travel for UK residents from May 17 to April 9. The resumption would be done under a traffic light system.

Customers that book a 2021 Saga holiday before the end of April are covered by a Reassurance Promise, which enables them to amend their travel plans for no fee if they wish to, the tour operator said.

Saga also offers a price promise, which means that should they ever reduce their prices or bring in a new special offer after a customer has booked, they will calculate the difference and pass the value of the saving back.

The tour operator is asking all guests to have both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14-days in advance of travel. Saga Holidays also said that it will monitor the COVID-specific requirements of each destination and is committed to communicating those details to customers ahead of departure.

“Our customers want something really special and trust Saga to look after them – they know their wellbeing and enjoyment are our top priorities. It’s why we require our customers to have received both doses of the vaccine, and that’s just one of a number of stringent measures in place to keep our guests safe,” Stace said.

SAGA POSTPONES SHIP LAUNCH AND TOURING PROGRAMME UNTIL 2021

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Spirit of Adventure had been due to take its first passengers this summer, but the inaugural sailing was first shifted to November and will now be on 5 February next year.

Sister ship Spirit of Discovery will not sail until 7 March next year and tours are postponed until 31 January 2021.

A Saga spokesperson said: “Over the past few months, we have worked hard to put in place detailed plans to safely return to cruising and have made fantastic progress with all this work.

“Sadly, however, with Covid-19 again on the increase and most countries still not accepting cruise ships, we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of our cruise operations to next year. This includes the postponement of the inaugural cruise of the Spirit of Adventure.

“We are in the process of contacting all our guests to discuss their options, which include rolling over their booking or receiving a full refund. We look forward to welcoming our guests onboard our ships and on our tours as soon as we are practicably able to do so.”

Saga said 2022 cruise bookings were “extremely strong” and showed pent-up demand. Covid precautions mean ship capacity will be limited to 800, with enhanced cleaning and upgraded air conditioning.