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Place the cursor over the photos to read the
descriptions; if you click on any of the thumbnail pictures,
the full-sized photo will open in a pop up screen. Please note
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Page 1 of 5 |
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She is one of the grand ladies of ocean cruising.
Originally designed for a combination of transatlantic
crossings and worldwide cruises,
Saga Ruby
started her career in
1973 as
Vistafjord. After a
spell as Cunard's
Caronia, UK based Saga Cruises bought
the ship in 2004 and threw in a multi-million dollar
refurbishment program that turned their new
Saga Ruby
into a 'classic elegant' lady.
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Back in
1985, I had the opportunity to sail on Cunard's
highly-acclaimed Vistafjord on a short cruise from Hamburg
to Southampton. I was thrilled to sample the five-star
service and cuisine on board this elegant liner. Now, 22
years later, Vistafjord has found a new home in the Saga
fleet. This large British company (active in everything
from insurance to travel) operates |
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two classic
cruise ships and one semi-expedition vessel and targets the
buoyant senior market. In fact, you must be over 55 to sail
on Saga Ruby and her fleet mate Saga Rose
so expect the average age
on board to be high. Saga Ruby's cruises usually start and finish
in the UK and all but a few voyages are under two weeks.
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Curious
to see how the former Vistafjord is doing in Saga colors,
I ventured to Amsterdam on a sunny Sunday in May to visit
this traditional ocean liner. And what joy it was to
re-acquaint myself with this handsome lady that has never
looked better. |
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Cruise Line: |
Saga Cruises |
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Built: |
1973 |
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Building Yard: |
Swan Hunter,
UK |
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Gross Tonnage: |
24,492 |
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Length: |
191.1 m
(626.9 ft) |
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Beam: |
25.0 m (82.1 ft) |
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Passengers
(norm.): |
666 |
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Passengers
(max): |
668 |
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Crew: |
379 |
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Service speed: |
21.0 knots |
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Sister ships: |
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