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Saga Sapphire’s five-cruise finale includes the Med, Baltic and best of Britain

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Saga Sapphire to bow out from Saga in 2020
1981-built Saga Sapphire, which has been sailing with the UK cruise line since 2012, is to bow out with an epic 33-night Grand Finale sailing from May 6 to June 8, 2020, immediately after a circumnavigation of the British Isles.

The ship’s farewell tour also features the Baltic, a gastronomically-themed cruise to Europe’s Atlantic coast and Morocco, and a Norwegian fjords exploration.

A final port of call in Gibraltar

Before her last return to Southampton, Saga Sapphire’s final port of call will be Gibraltar, marking the start of a farewell party for up to 720 guests and 415 crew.

It will complete a cruise taking in Valletta, Messina, Alexandria, Israel, the Greek islands, Athens and Istanbul, with chances to visit Bethlehem, dine in the shadow of the pyramids and attend a special event in an underground 4th-century cistern in Istanbul.

The 15-night British Coast to Coast cruise from Dover visits Newcastle, Belfast and Liverpool, the Orkney and Channel Islands, as well as the Jurassic Coast, with entertainment including a highland feast, talks on the Royal Family, Shakespeare-inspired performances and a Beatles party.

Among the optional tours are a heritage train ride over the monumental Glenfinnan Viaduct and visits to Trinity College, Dublin, and Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh.

Guests can enjoy flamenco and Andalusian cuisine on the 19-night Tastes of Spain and Portugal sailing from Dover, as well as a cookery class in Casablanca, while the 10-night Musical Norway cruise, also from Dover, features the nine-mile long Geirangerfjord, with musical excursions and on-board jazz, and experience driving a Porsche 911 on a frozen lake.

Two newbuilds arriving

Saga takes delivery of its first-ever cruise ship newbuid Spirit of Discovery in 2019 followed by Spirit of Adventure in 2020. Both 58,250gt ships are being built by Meyer Werft.