Saga Ruby after Saga

[pete cain]

June , she's been at Sattahip for some time now, she was supposed to be on the Yangon river earning her keep after her conversion,
 guess they move her offshore to make space alongside for other shipping, but only a guess ,what  is it with classic ladies like this, they bought the boat, refit her for cruising or hotel alongside, use her for goodness sake

[Roy Warrender]

Hi Pete
It appears she is for sale Guess the Yangon river dried up

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1973/Cruise-Ship%2C-561-Passengers---Coverted-To-Floating-Hotel---Stock-No.-S2125-2811397/Thailand#.V4jNEb_EzCT

[pete cain]

Would to love to know why , Burma up & coming country, Rangoon (excuse my non PC) big tourist place, what's not to loose except the chance.

[Louis De Sousa]

Greetings!
A bit off topic.
Today we had some sad news for those of us who love the "traditional" and classic ocean liners.
The famous former "MS VISTAFJORD (1972)" originally of Norwegian American Line is sold for demolition..!
She was one of the last remaining true classics, and has a special place in the heart of many of us, as she represents an era of beautiful Cruise ships that included the former Kungsholm 4 among others...
She was the last cruise liner built in the U.K, and had different names and operators over the years, (SAGA RUBY, CARONIA) and now at the end was called "OASIA"..
Last year we as we were starting up the new SAL, we looked into her situation with serious intent.
The plan was to purchase her and utilize her in much the same way as our plans was for the K4, but with the difference that the VISTAFJORD is still SOLAS compliant and can move at own power..
She had left SAGA CRUISES fleet a couple of years ago, and was according to the media "sold to Myanmar in order to be a floating hotel"...
We had some negotiations with the owner, and found the ship in Sattahip, Thailand, at a Naval base. No hotel use.
We had the vessel inspected at the site in Thailand, and unfortunately we found pretty much the same thing as with the K4.. A beautiful ship, recently upgraded for several millions usd, and then left wind for wave.. Nothing of the new upgrades used, everything nicely packaged and the new furniture covered in plastic..
The owner had purchased her for well over 10M usd and had thrown another 10M usd on upgrading the vessel.. What a waste..
She was still in savable condition last year, even though some upgrades to her technical equipment and a good cleaning and painting outside would have been needed. BUT the owner was not prepared to negotiate at the price range we wanted.
The thought was to have her start up the new SAL, and be the first ship enter the fleet before the launch of the new KUNGHOLM 5..
She would have been perfect with a stationary role, as our head-office, restaurant, hotel, museum.
As the owner did not want to discuss the price, we closed the case and decided to use all our energy and efforts on the upcoming K5.
So sad that they now decided to sell her for scrap to India instead, and no actual marketing or other was done to the UK or Norway, to let other entrepreneurs know about the possibilities.
BUT, these events gives us even more "fuel" to create a new timeless masterpiece, as the former ones are slowly almost all leaving us, but the demand and love for these special and beautiful ships is not.
Bon Voyage, MS VISTAFJORD!
Team K5
Pictures copyright Rederi Swedish American Line AB

https://www.facebook.com/SALCRUISES/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED for those on Facebook photos can be seen too

[Chris Thompson]

Very sad news, I worked on the Vistafjord during the 90's, beautiful ship and a great working atmosphere. One of the last cruise ships that actually looked like a ship!!

[pete cain]

Really, really gutted to read this, another waste of a fine lady,  obviously too much money  some folk have , she was real nice to travel on  & a very welcoming atmosphere , very like QE2..

[June Ingram]

I have been searching the web, and the only reference that I can find to Ruby being sold for scrap is the SAL FaceBook page quoted by Louis.  So I am wondering if this is really a done deal or the assumption made by SAL. 

If Oasia (Ruby) has been sold for scrap, her "For Sale" listing has not been removed from the firm handling her sale.  It is showing her for sale at $26,000,000 USD.

[Twynkle]

I understand from very good friends that recently, Saga Ruby very nearly made it back to the UK.
Unlike QE2 she remains SOLAS compliant, and further details are confidential.

In their statement, SAL ciuises have announced on their Facebook page that she has now been sold for scrap and will be soon taken to India.
http://www.swedishamericanline.com/

[Rob Lightbody]

I understand from very good friends that recently, Saga Ruby very nearly made it back to the UK.
Unlike QE2 she remains SOLAS compliant, and further details are confidential.

In their statement, SAL ciuises have announced on their Facebook page that she has now been sold for scrap and will be soon taken to India.
http://www.swedishamericanline.com/

Its a tragedy, it really is, and mirrors QE2.  The UK built some of the greatest liners the world ever saw, and here's the last, and she's smaller and in good condition, and we can't even save her.  Its so sad.

Our children will look back and wonder how we lost all the beautiful ships and didn't keep any at all.

[Pete Hamill]

Took a while for me to realise Saga Ruby was Cunard's Caronia . . . .

Then I remembered I had some video footage I took of her leaving New York (when we got back off a cruise on QE2). She was indeed a nice looking ship.
QE2 departed New York shortly afterwards and that was the saddest sight ever - watching her sail away with my feet on dry land.
That was the only time I saw them both together.

Sorry to see her go.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Took a while for me to realise Saga Ruby was Cunard's Caronia . . . .

Then I remembered I had some video footage I took of her leaving New York (when we got back off a cruise on QE2). She was indeed a nice looking ship.

We cruised on her once, as Caronia. Captain : Nick Bates. We had been on QE2, and we went back to QE2 again afterwards. Nick Bates joined us there .

Now at that time I was not yet so interested in the details of ships, but at that particular time anyway, I could not be sure which of the two ships I liked better -- QE2 or Caronia... I wish I could have those voyages all over again, now that I am so much more aware...

Caronia was a wonderful ship, and those passengers on board who had been loyal to her since her Vistafjord days, said she was even better then. And the crew loved her. I never did venture on board again when she was Saga Ruby... did not want to spoil the memories...

[June Ingram]

This just in -

https://travelswithanthonytwo.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/vistafjord-for-scrap/

[Trevor Harris]

Hello! New here.

Supposedly to be renovated into a floating hotel.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_Ruby

[cunardqueen]

Sad to see her go, Vistafjord was my very first ship visit away back in 1986. l was taken by tender out to her, met at the gangway given a grand ship tour with lunch and shown round by Perr and then put back on the tender to go back to Kirkwall, with a lovely gift.
This was a great intorduction to Cunard as a visitor, as l was sailing on QE2 later that year for my first time.

Years later on QE2 on the Hotel Managers table l recounted my ship visit story to a Norwegian host The Purser, (do they still use such names on the new wonder fleet ?) on the table, his name lm afraid totally escapes me just now, but he had  a white beard and glasses, he told me he used to work with Perr on Vistafjord and now alas he was sadly very ill.   

[Trevor Harris]

Sad to see her go, Vistafjord was my very first ship visit away back in 1986.

Vistafjord was only 14. Huh.