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Saga Cruises

 

 

This page is devoted to postcards of Saga Cruises. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in chronological order.

 

 

Ships on This Page:-

Quest for Adventure (Spirit of Adventure Cruises: 2009- )

Saga Rose - ex-Sagafjord (Saga: 1996- )

Saga Pearl - ex-Minerva (Saga: 2003-2005)

Saga Ruby - ex-Vistafjord/Caronia (Saga: 2005- )

Spirit of Adventure (Spirit of Adventure Cruises: 2006- )

 

 

Associated Pages:-

Cunard Line

Norwegian America

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Ferry Postcards

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

 

 

Table of Ship Histories

Name	Other names	Built
Saga Rose	Sagafjord,Gripsholm	1965
Saga Ruby	Vistafjord, Caronia	1973
Spirit of Adventure	Berlin, Princess Mahsuri, Orange Melody	1980

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saga Fleet List

 

 

Saga Rose

(Saga Cruises: 1996- )

 

Saga Rose was built as the Sagafjord completed for Norwegian America Line in May 1965 by Soc. des Forges de la Méditerranée (La Seyne sur Mer). The builders lost so much money on her construction that they went into liquidation the following year. Sagafjord was 24002grt and carried 85 First and 704 Tourist passengers on Atlantic crossings, 462 in one class when cruising. She was powered by two 9cyl Sulzer diesels totalling 27000shp. In 1980, Sagafjord and Vistafjord passed to Norwegian American Cruises (NAC), 90% owned by NAL. In 1983, Trafalgar House acquired NAC, and the ships joined the Cunard fleet, Sagafjord retaining her name. In 1996 Sagafjord was chartered to Transocean Tours as the Gripsholm, followed in the same year by sale to Saga Cruises as the Saga Rose.

 

A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Rose (ex-Sagafjord) (Saga SHR015).

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Rose (ex-Sagafjord) (Saga SHR015).

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Rose (ex-Sagafjord).

Painting: Stephen Card.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Rose (ex-Sagafjord).

Painting: Stephen Card.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Rose (ex-Sagafjord).

Painting: Stephen Card.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Sagafjord.

Painting: Stephen Card.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Sagafjord.

Painting: Colin Verity

 

 

Chantry Classics release CC/S290 of Saga Rose.

Photo by Clive Harvey.

 

 

Various cruise ships in the Nord-Ostsee Kanal (Kiel Canal) including the Saga Rose.

The card was published by Bernd Broux for the centenary of the canal.

 

 

An enlarged view of the Saga Rose from the postcard above.

 

 

Saga Rose leaving Brest, past the Pointe du Petit Minou.

Photo: © Daniel Jégou, May 2006

Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

 

 

 

Saga Pearl

(2003-2005)

 

Saga Pearl was built in 1996 as the Minerva of Swan Hellenic (part of P&O), using the partially completed hull of a Soviet-ordered research ship. She is owned by V-Ships, and was chartered to Swan Hellenic. She was replaced in 2003 by Minerva II in the Swan Hellenic fleet, and passed to Saga Cruises as the Saga Pearl. She will be shared with Abercrombie & Kent, operating as Exporer II in the winter, and Saga Pearl in the summer. Her Saga charter ended in 2005, and she was replaced with the Spirit of Adventure.

 

 

A Swan Hellenic official postcard of the Minerva.

 

 

Saga postcard of the Saga Pearl.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Pearl.

Painting: Stephen Card.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Official Saga postcard of Saga Pearl.

Scan: Nigel Thornton.

 

 

Photograph of Saga Pearl.

Photo: © Adolfo Litmanovich (Minerva II - Chief Engineer).

 

 

 

 

 

Saga Ruby (2005- )

 

In May 2003, Caronia (ex-Vistafjord) was reported sold to Saga Cruises, to rejoin her former fleet-mate Saga Rose, from 2005. Vistafjord was completed in April 1973 by Swan Hunter (Wallsend, River Tyne). Vistafjord was 24292grt and carried 830 passengers on Atlantic crossings, 550 when cruising. She was powered by two 9cyl Sulzer diesels totalling 24000shp. In 1980, Vistafjord and Sagafjord passed to Norwegian American Cruises (NAC), 90% owned by NAL. In 1983, Trafalgar House acquired NAC, and the ships joined the Cunard fleet, Vistafjord retaining her name. In 1999, Cunard renamed the Vistafjord as Caronia. By this time she carried 736 passengers and tonnage had increased to 24492 following additional cabins on the upper deck. She will be named Saga Ruby when she transfers (after suggestions that it would be Saga Star).

 

Complete postcard history of Vistafjord - Caronia - Saga Ruby

Photographs of Vistafjord & Caronia in Cunard service

Photographs as Saga Ruby

 

 

A Cunard Line official postcard of Caronia (ex-Vistafjord).

 

 

A painting by Stephen Card of Saga Ruby, as she will appear in Saga colours.

 

 

An enlarged image of the ship from the painting above by Stephen Card.

 

 

A very limited edition postcard (10 copies only) created by Phil Potter for the inaugural cruise of Saga Ruby.

The card has been signed by her captain, Philip Rentall.

 

 

A very limited edition postcard (10 copies only) created by Phil Potter for the inaugural cruise of Saga Ruby.

 

 

 

Saga Ruby at Dover, 7th May 2005.

Photo: © Ian Boyle.

 

 

Saga Ruby leaving Dover, 7th May 2005.

Photo: © Ian Boyle.

 

 

Saga Ruby leaving Dover, 7th May 2005.

Photo: © Ian Boyle.

 

Saga Ruby at Brest.

Photo: © Eric Jégou, 12th June 2006

Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit of Adventure

(Spirit of Adventure Cruises: 2005- )

 

Spirit of Adventure was originally the Berlin of Peter Deilmann. In 1979, Peter Deilmann ordered his first new cruise ship, the Berlin. She was owned by a consortium of German investors, and Deilmann only had a minority share. Whilst awaiting delivery, he also bought the Regina Maris. Berlin was chartered for far-eastern service as the Princess Mahsuri between 1982-1985. Berlin was lengthened by 20m in 1986. Her charter to Deilmann was terminated in 2004, and Berlin was laid up. Following a short charter to a Russian operator, she was sold to Saga Cruises to replace Saga Pearl. It was thought that she would be named Saga Opal, but she entered service as Spirit of Adventure, for the separate Saga brand Spirit of Adventure Cruises. Unlike the other Saga ships, she does not have a 50 year minimum age limit. She will be joined in 2009 by the Quest for Adventure, previously the Astoria of Transocean Tours.

 

Complete history of Spirit of Adventure

 

 

Official postcard of Spirit of Adventure.

Scan: Ivo Batricevic

Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

Spirit of Adventure at Dubrovnik

Photo: © Ivo Batricevic

Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

Spirit of Adventure passing under the Tancarville Bridge near le Havre, 10th July 2007

Photo: © jolifotodebato@club-internet.fr
Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

Spirit of Adventure leaving Harwich

Photo: © Ian Boyle, 18th July 2007

Click to open larger image in a new window

 

 

 

 

 

Quest for Adventure

(Spirit of Adventure Cruises: 2009- )

 

18591 grt - 164.5 m long - 500 passengers - 9700 kW - 18 knots

 

Quest for Adventure was the first of two near sisters named Astor built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Hamburg. She was delivered to the Hadag Cruise Line, Hamburg, in December 1981, and was originally to have been named Hammonia (patron goddess of Hamburg). She was sold in 1984 to Safmarine, who planned to use her to re-establish UK-Sout Africa liner voyages. She was found to be under-powered for this, and was sold Deutsche Seerederei (though various intermediaries) in 1985. They renamed her Arkona. Ownership passed to Deutsche Seetouristik in 1994, and Arkona Touristik in in 1998. She passed on charter to Transocean Tours in 2001 (who already had the other Astor), and renamed Astoria. The charter ends in April 2009, and she has been sold to Saga to become Quest for Adventure, joining Spirit of Adventure with Saga's Spirit of Adventure brand (open to over-21s, unlike Saga Cruises which are for 50+ passengers).

 

 

Transocean Tours postcard of Astoria - to become Quest for Adventure in 2009

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

Astoria arriving at Tilbury - to become Quest for Adventure in 2009

Photo: © Ian Boyle, 14th September 2008

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

 

 

 

 

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