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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » SAGA RUBY - VISTAFJORD (Page 1)

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Author

Topic: SAGA RUBY - VISTAFJORD

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-23-2013 06:28 PM

Built on the Tyne and launched in 1972 she has been sailing for Saga Cruises since 2005 as SAGA RUBY. Her time is nearly up with only a short 2 night cruise after the current one, before her Farewell Cruise departing Southampton on 7 December.

Speculation/rumour has been rife over the last year as to her future - scrap, hotel ship, further use in the German or Asian markets and more. She has had a few technical problems of late, winding down perhaps - some 'technical maintenance' in The Azores on 19th Nov led to her being a few hours late arriving at Southampton this morning, giving me an opportunity to take some photos in glorious sunshine as she berthed.

many more

I am sure many of you have photos from times past sailing her as VISTAFJORD, CARONIA or SAGA RUBY? I have never been aboard. Ernst has some video clips of her passing through the Cape Cod Canal, with a lot of links to her history, also this lovely overhead view from Petrofilm in Geirangerfjord as VISTAFJORD:-

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

JonC
First Class Passenger
Member # 28831

posted 11-23-2013 07:53 PM

Thanks for sharing these great images, Pam. You have captured some of her best angles - I particularly like the first shot. The Cunard refits made her look a bit 'top heavy', but she retained her overall good looks. For me, she is the 'last beauty' and is right up there with Kungsholm (1966), Rotterdam (1959) and Oceanic in terms of exterior styling.

For those of us in Sydney, it was disappointing that her final world cruise was curtailed and we didn't have the chance to bid her farewell. Saga Rose was a given a traditional fireboat welcome on her final call, but she had had a much longer association with the port than Saga Ruby/Vistafjord.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for her, but I fear it will not be a bright one.

Posts: 36 | From: Seoul, South Korea | Registered: Nov 2009 | IP: Logged

Johan
First Class Passenger
Member # 4458

posted 11-24-2013 08:26 AM

Thanks for the beautiful pictures !
J

Posts: 1895 | From: Antwerpen, Belgium | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 11-24-2013 08:29 AM

Pictures of her original interior are available at thecaptainslog.org.uk

[ 11-24-2013: Message edited by: Ernst ]

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-24-2013 06:54 PM

Compare to 2007 on ShipParade. I can't seem to find a collection more recent than that - must be some somewhere.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 11-24-2013 09:13 PM

Peter Knego posted interior and exterior pictures on the Maritime Matters site when Saga Ruby visited L.A. several years ago. Her interiors looked very tasteful and in line with far newer ships.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 11-24-2013 09:19 PM

Petrofilm in Geirangerfjord as VISTAFJORD:-

She was gorgeous as built and her aft lidos were perfection. She has been one of my favorites since I was a kid.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 11-24-2013 09:20 PM

Petrofilm in Geirangerfjord as VISTAFJORD:-

She was gorgeous as built and her aft lidos were perfection. She has been one of my favorites since I was a kid.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 11-25-2013 08:08 AM

As built she was truly beautiful. Along with Kungsholm of '66, Rotterdam of 59, she was one of my all time favorites. I traveled on her several times with her original interiors, but having been on her once as Saga Ruby I must say she has never been more beautiful inside. As built she carried a max of 550 pax. What space! I am one of the few who liked her better than Sagafjord. I hope she finds a new home, but I fear it's doubtful.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 11-25-2013 09:51 AM

Opening credits and end titles of the first 'Traumschiff' TV series episode - this series is the German 'Love Boat' equivalent, Vistafjord was the first 'Traumschiff'.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 11-25-2013 04:35 PM

Thanks for posting that Ernst. Great images of a classic beauty. Can we even call any newbuilds 'beauties' today?

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-26-2013 04:53 PM

I was trying to find some photos of her grounding at Spitsbergen.. but can only find one set of such small images one can't really see much or anything at all. I am pretty sure there were some good ones on the net at one time.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-26-2013 04:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
Can we even call any newbuilds 'beauties' today?

I am sure some newbuilds of today might be deemed beauties in a few years, but Was VISTAFJORD thought of as such when she began service. What was the general opinion of her back then?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 11-26-2013 08:35 PM

When new, VISTAFJORD was considered an improvement on SAGAFJORD externally. She had over 100 single cabins, and rarely sailed with more than 500 pax. Internally she was considered less appealing than her running mate. It was SAGAFJORD's beautiful two-story dining room that made the difference. Many thought SAGAFJORD's cabins were larger. I couldn't see much of a difference. She was always considered a great beauty when new along with Kungsholm and Rotterdam V.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

SSTRAVELER
First Class Passenger
Member # 15170

posted 11-28-2013 10:59 AM

She is such a well balanced ship (better as built). It would be so sad to lose her because there is really nothing like her left in the business.

Posts: 757 | From: New York | Registered: May 2008 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 12-01-2013 05:46 AM

The end of Saga Ruby's career is not only about a famous ship being retired. She is the last Norwegian America Line ship that exists - in a few weeks our only connection to that era will be some artefacts in museums.

visitBergen.com on Norwegian America Line exhibit at Bergen Maritime Museum

Bergens Sjøfartsmuseum

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 12-01-2013 03:54 PM

Although we have not seen the Norwegian America Line funnel colors in some time, I will always remember them as one of the handsomest. The colors were most handsomely displayed on VISTAFJORD, and also a great funnel in its graceful shape.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 12-01-2013 06:05 PM

There's a nice photo of Vistafjord with Cunard Princess [sister of Ocean Countess now burning] in dock at Valletta on shipspotting

A rather long but nice clip of SAGA RUBY departing New York in 2009

Pam

[ 12-01-2013: Message edited by: PamM ]

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

thundergod
First Class Passenger
Member # 5619

posted 12-02-2013 04:34 AM

Is there any comfirmed news that she will go to the scrapyard or is it any interest to make something out of her for future use? Is there any interest in NAL in Norway? Here in Sweden there is still quite a lot of interest in SAL with the salship.se, several books released just in recent years etc.

Posts: 138 | From: Sweden | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

tonyg
First Class Passenger
Member # 6484

posted 12-02-2013 12:11 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PamM:
[QB]There's a nice photo of Vistafjord with Cunard Princess [sister of Ocean Countess now burning] in dock at Valletta on shipspotting

Thanks for the link to my photo. Glad you liked it. It was not easy to get a good view over the dry dock.

Tony

Posts: 11 | From: South Midlands. U.K. | Registered: May 2006 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 12-02-2013 02:40 PM

Another thing I forgot to mention is the wonderful sheer in the VISTAFJORD. It was and is most noticeable in what Saga Cruises calls the Britannia Lounge. NAL called it The Garden Lounge.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 12-04-2013 03:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tonyg:
[....]
Thanks for the link to my photo. Glad you liked it. It was not easy to get a good view over the dry dock.
Tony

I appreciate your efforts - thanks for sharing that picture.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 12-08-2013 12:14 PM

A super photo Tony from somewhere not many get to

Well she was back on 5 Dec, did a 2 night pre-farewell cruise to Honfleur and set sail on her Farewell yesterday. Originally due to depart at 16:00 she then had her departure time changed to 17:15 when it was dark and finally left just after 17:30. There were no fireworks scheduled or anything special as far as I know. I took a few pictures of her alongside during the day:-

more.

She's back in Southampton on 7th January - 2014 - then what?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 12-13-2013 05:12 PM

She's had a tantrum and broke a generator resulting in poor A/C. Spent 2 days in Tenerife and now heading for Almeria, Spain with her Caribbean itinerary cancelled. Her farewell cruise will now be around the cooler waters of the Med.

More comment on the link about a hotel ship in Asia, but has anyone seen anything official from Saga?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 12-14-2013 07:09 AM

She is now scheduled to call at Gibraltar on 29 December. She will be back here in the second week of Jan after her Saga decommissioning, to go into drydock, pending her sale and new life as a hotel ship.

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

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