Saga Launches 2014 Cruise Collection

Join Dame Stella Rimington to uncover tales of espionage; remember the fallen 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War; or join Viking expert James Hodge in Norway - these are just three of 37 exciting new cruise ideas for 2014 unveiled this week by over-50s travel specialist Saga Cruises.

Saga has combined new and surprising itineraries in its latest brochure, with first-time ports of call, expert lecturers and fascinating history all featuring aboard Saga Sapphire and the Saga Pearl II.  There will also be some West End showtime!

The ships will sail from Dover and Southampton, with choices from four-night taster cruises in Europe to a 48-night voyage to the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa or a 35-night Caribbean cruise.

Lest We Forget …

8 nights from £1,071 per person - departs 22 July, 2014

Military experts, authors and historians offer fascinating insights into the human cost of the First World War on this cruise to Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. Some 100 years on, visit the islands of Heligoland, a naval base for the German Empire and the site of the first naval battle of the war; see trenches in The Somme and explore Mons, which saw the first casualties as the British Expeditionary Force held back the first German advance.

Heart of the Mediterranean

19 nights from £2,339 per person – departs 11 September, 2014

Join the celebrations as Malta celebrates 50 years of independence. On this themed history and archaeology cruise, guests will soak up the lively atmosphere with an overnight stay in Valletta on the island’s birthday weekend, as well as exploring the Moorish heritage of Almeria in Spain and unearthing the secrets of historic Lisbon, Cagliari and Tunis.

Summer in the Baltic

15 nights from £1,819 per person – departs 12 September, 2014

Join Dame Stella Rimington, former Director General of MI5, and former BBC foreign correspondent Martin Sixsmith to hear tales of double agents and espionage on this cruise to Sweden, Finland, Russia and Denmark. It also includes visits to three of Europe’s newest states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - with an overnight stay in beautiful St Petersburg.  Learn the facts and fiction of national security, including code-breaking at Bletchley Park and undercover Cold War missions.

Mediterranean Medley

15 nights from £1,689 per person – departs 30 October, 2014

There’s no business like show business - that’s the glitzy appeal of this West End-themed cruise to Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar and France. Compare the islands of Minorca and Corsica, explore the culture and architecture of Barcelona and enjoy French Riviera atmosphere in Toulon. While on board Saga Pearl II, guests will hear anecdotes from cast and crew and enjoy fabulous music from London’s Theatre land. 

Three new adventure cruises are also offered aboard Saga Pearl II, which include £100 per person towards the cost of excursions for every seven nights spent on board. Select from the 15-night ‘Arctic Explorer’ and ‘Icelandic Explorer’ cruises or take a shorter trip:

On the Trail of the Vikings

7 nights from £974 per person – departs 5 September, 2014

Join Viking expert James Hodge to learn more about these resourceful and feared people as passengers discover Norway’s breathtaking coastline. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage waterfront of Bergen, marvel at the 222 mountain peaks surrounding the town of Molde - with the chance to sail in a replica 11th century Viking ship to the island of Haholmenaor - and take a safari in search of moose and musk-ox.

For more info, follow this link to Saga's cruise pages, or, for more adventure cruising ideas, see this link for The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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