Saga gets Astoria at long last!

UK cruise operator Saga has finally got the vessel it has wanted as a replacement for its ageing Saga Rose, with the acquisition of the former Club Cruise owned Astoria at auction in Gibraltar.

Saga was in the process of buying Astoria earlier this year just before Club Cruise went into receivership and the vessel arrested in Barcelona. The UK operator already had a slot booked at Malta Shipyards for a refit, but this was lost as the delay in the vessel’s purchase went on. Astoria will now undergo a £14m refit at a yet to be named European shipyard this winter before entering service as the 446 passenger capacity Saga Pearl II in March 2010. During the refit the 1981-built vessel will be fitted with new balcony cabins, upgrading of the show lounge, spa and two swimming pools, the addition of a library, new galleys and a new Veranda Restaurant.  

The vessel’s inaugural cruise, an 18 night voyage to Norway and the Northern Lights, will sail from Southampton, UK on 15 March. Calls will be made at Bergen, Analyses, Alta, Tromso, Marvin, Sondheim, Alesund, Olden, Flåm and Stavanger. This was an early season cruise pioneered by Saga this year.

Saga Pearl II’s first season will see the vessel offer a series of cruises to North Africa, the Canaries, France and the Mediterranean, Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic, the Baltic and Scandinavia and the British Isles and Ireland, 

One special cruise during 2010 will be the seven night ‘Remembering Dunkirk’ voyage, which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of northern France during WWII. This cruise departs Dover, UK on 29 May and calls at Dunkirk, Rotterdam, Ghent, Boulogne, Cherbourg and St. Peter Port (Guernsey).

Meanwhile, the final cruise of the much loved Saga Rose will see the vessel undertake a 37 night round-trip ‘The Farewell Voyage’ from Southampton sailing on 30 October 2009 with calls at Vigo, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Venice, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon, Heraklion, Rhodes, Limassol, Haifa, Alexandria, Piraeus, Valetta, Toulon, Alicante, Casablanca and La Coruna. Aboard the final sailing, which is ‘all inclusive’, will be a host of famous Brits, including Katherine Jenkins, Des O’Connor, Ronnie Corbett, Sally Gunnell, Terry Waite, Nicholas Parsons, Baroness Boothroyd, Lord Carey, Sir Bernhard Ingham, Tom O’Connor, Edwina Currie and Peter Sissons.  Sphere: Related Content

Saga looses Malta conversion slot

As talks continue between the UK cruise line Saga and the receivers/bondholders of bankrupt Club Cruise on the purchase of the Dutch company’s 18,600grt, 1981-built Astoria, at appears that Saga has lost the slot it had at Malta Shipyard’s for the conversion of the vessel.

Saga was in the early stages of buying Astoria from Club Cruise for €30m before the Dutch owner went bankrupt, and was then to spend a further €15m on converting the vessel as a replacement for the 1965-built Saga Rose.  Sphere: Related Content

Saga still looking for replacement for Saga Rose

UK cruise operator Saga is now actively seeking a replacement for its ageing Saga Rose which is being retired from service at the beginning of 2010 because of the new SOLAS regulations. 

Saga was hoping to buy Club Cruises’ Astoria and have her converted in Malta before entering service at the end of this year. However, following the collapse of Club Cruise, and the arrest of Astoria in Barcelona, the deal has run into difficulties. Saga even paid a 10% deposit for the ship and is advertising her in its latest brochure re-named Saga Pearl II.

Saga is now looking for another ‘classic’ cruise ship with a passenger capacity of between 550 and 650 passengers.   Sphere: Related Content

New boss at Saga

UK cruise operator Saga Holidays has a new boss in the shape of Susan Hooper, formerly senior vice president at RCCL. She takes over from outgoing CEO Ian Coghlan. Sphere: Related Content

Killybegs to get its first direct cruise call

The Irish fishing port of Killybegs, the largest in the country, will receive its first direct cruise call this July when Saga Cruises’ Saga Rose visits the port, while on a 16-day cruise to Greenland from Liverpool. Sphere: Related Content

Saga continues with purchase of Astoria

UK cruise line Saga is continuing with its purchase of Club Cruises’ Astoria, despite the vessel being involved in a forced sale following the collapse of the Dutch cruise line. However, Saga has now stopped selling cruises on the vessel in 2010 until the dispute is resolved. 

Saga had agreed to pay €30m for the 1981-built vessel before Club Cruise defaulted on loan payments for its fleet and was forced to put the fleet up for sale. The 500 passenger capacity Astoria is currently under arrest in Barcelona, although Saga hopes to start cruises on the vessel from the spring of 2010.

Astoria is being bought to replace the ageing Saga Rose. She was to have been renamed Quest for Adventure, but will now to name Saga Pearl II, if the deal goes through. While negotiations continue on the purchase of Astoria, Saga is also looking for an alternative ship should the sale fall through. Sphere: Related Content

Saga’s new ship plans in the air!

UK cruise operator Saga’s replacement plans for its ageing Saga Rose are up in the air following the financial problems at Holland’s Cruise Club. The British operator was in the process of buying Club Cruises’ 500 passenger capacity Astoria and following a multi-million £ refit in the summer of 2009 was to have entered service for Saga as Pearl II in October.

However, all of the Club Cruise fleet are now expected to sold at auction. Sphere: Related Content