Saga Cruises

Spirit of Adventure Cruises
This page is devoted to postcards of Saga Cruises, and associated Spirit of Adventure 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 - ex-Astoria
Saga Rose - ex-Sagafjord (Saga: 1996- )
Saga Pearl - ex-Minerva (Saga: 2003-2005)
Saga Pearl II - ex-Astoria
Saga Ruby - ex-Vistafjord/Caronia (Saga: 2005- )
Saga Sapphire - ex-Europa, Bleu de France
Spirit of Adventure (Spirit of Adventure Cruises: 2006- )

Associated Pages:-
Cunard Line
Norwegian America
Transocean Tours
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Ferry Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
- Simplon Postcards facebook 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 Explorer 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. It was planned that she would be joined in Spirit of Adventure Cruises in 2009 by the Quest for Adventure, previously the Astoria of Transocean Tours. However, the Astoria initially became Saga Pearl II in the main fleet.

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 - Saga Pearl II
(Saga 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-South 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). In the event she replaced Saga Rose in the main fleet and became Saga Pearl II. She may still become Quest for Adventure when the Bleu de France arrives at the end of 2011. Transocean Tours postcard of Astoria - later Saga Pearl II
Click to open larger image in new window
Astoria arriving at Tilbury - later Saga Pearl II Photo: © Ian Boyle, 14th September 2008 Click to open larger image in new window Saga Pearl II at Ghent Photo: �2010 Richard Danielson Click to open larger image in new tab/window Saga Sapphire Official Saga postcard of Saga Sapphire Cunard Line - Norwegian America Line - Transocean Tours Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards - Ferry Postcards Top of Page - Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards - Home Page �1999-2012 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site) All Rights Reserved Free Web Counter Times viewed since 12/07/2007:

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