Which? Travel puts Saga Cruises on a crest of the wave – Consumer champion highlights Saga’s no-tipping policy and free WiFi
Which? Travel Magazine recently investigated add-on prices and extras for cruises and found that Saga’s total service charges per person on a 14-day cruise were £0.
This compares to charges of up to an extra £123 on top of the cruise package price for some other operators.
The consumer champion campaigns to make its readers’ lives fairer, offering advice so passengers can make informed decisions.
Saga cruises include all gratuities but Which? Travel found many other cruise lines added in daily service charges, despite stating they were discretionary, and for 14 nights the costs added up to a final surprising bill of more than £100.
The article said: “Some companies are ripping off passengers from the moment their feet hit the gangplank.”
Free WiFi is offered to all passengers on Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II while some other cruise lines stood out in the article for the wrong reasons, with an example charging package shown at £35 for 100 mins or 35p a minute.
Saga cruises pride itself on great value for money and Robin Shaw, Chief Executive of Saga Shipping commented on the research: “We are delighted to be highlighted by Which? Travel for our cruise add-ons pricing. It is not only tips and WiFi that are free – our passengers start their cruise with a complimentary (within 250 miles) VIP door-to-door chauffeur service to the port so holidays start in a special, relaxed style.”
Robin continued “On board, all meals, snacks, water, tea and coffee are all-inclusive plus complimentary wine and beer is served at lunch and dinner. We also pride ourselves on fine dining and a friendly and efficient service. Drinks prices are more often than not, cheaper than pub prices, for instance, a pint of draft beer is £3.20 and a 50ml Gordon’s gin with tonic is £3.95.
“Entertainment, activities and lectures are included so our passengers know before they step on board the actual price of their cruise. We also ensure there is a free shuttlebus at every port if the nearest town is more than 500 yards away. Our tours are priced separately and competitively. Many passengers prefer ‘to do their own thing’ when they go ashore so we do not include excursions in the price” said Robin.
Which? Travel also scrutinised the varying cost of insurance. Robin Shaw said: “All of our cruises include insurance and cancellation cover but if passengers have their own cover, we will offer a discount on their cruise.”
