Saga Sapphire returns today (Saturday) from her first cruise of the summer, following two months of extended maintenance work in the engine room.
The 34-year-old ship – originally built as Europa for German company Hapag-Lloyd – has been in dock at the Blohm and Voss yard in Hamburg. She welcomed groups of new-to-Saga customers for a gala night in Dover on Monday, before leaving for the short cruise to Portland, Dorset, and St Malo and Le Havre in France.
Saga’s Stuart McQuaker said the work on Sapphire’s main engines will “ensure continued reliability for the years of service ahead.”
He added: “While in the yard, we also took the opportunity to complete a range of other maintenance including the freshening up of some passenger and crew areas.
“In particular, regular passengers will notice we have introduced a new deck covering around the exterior swimming pool area, and an extension to the popular Aviators Bar (above).”
Sapphire sets out again from Dover today for a five-night cruise to Amsterdam and Bremen, while sister ship Saga Pearl II leaves tomorrow for a two-week White Knights cruise to Stockholm and a clutch of off-the-beaten path ports in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Saga Shipping has ordered a new 1,000-passenger all-balcony cabin ship scheduled for delivery in summer 2019.
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