When Saga announced that they were going to launch our first ever new build ship in 2019, they also stated that we had an option for a second new ship.
This position remains unchanged. They have not taken a decision about whether to exercise the option to purchase a second new ship. The option expires at the end of 2017 and we will make a decision before then.
The option for a second ship with Meyer Werft at Papenburg, would be the second new ship. The first will have a length of 236m, a beam of 31.2m and a gross tonnage of 56,850.
Although rather larger than the existing ships, passenger capacity has been kept below 1,000 (conveniently 999), giving a passenger to space ratio not greatly dissimilar to that of the 700-passenger, 37,049gt Saga Sapphire.
Possible names have not yet been announced with the ship due to enter service in the summer of 2019.
Meanwhile, Saga Sapphire will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Saga Cruises in May, when she embarks on a voyage that replicates some of the port calls made by Saga Rose on her first cruise in 1997.
In the intervening 20 years the company has operated just five ships, the others being Saga Ruby (now Oasia, to become a hotel in Burma), Saga Pearl (currently Minerva) and Saga Pearl II, which is still in service. William Mayes
