AFT VIEW
Part of the galley team
A Real Saga I
n their advertising, Saga Cruises’ slo- gan is ‘Cruising done properly.’ And, having just spent two delightful weeks on their new baby, Saga Pearl II, I can endorse their claim. Because Saga does do it properly, with an attention to detail that is often absent on other ships. When I joined, she had been in service only about a month, and I was agog to know how such standards had been achieved in such a short time as there appeared few of the teething problems that often beset maid- en seasons. In search of the answers, I talked to the Hotel Director and Executive Chef. Hotel Director Horst Pint told me Saga had been seeking a fl eet sister for Spirit of Adventure, and, in 2008, they found Asto- ria, on charter to Transocean Tours. An offer was made and accepted, and a substantial deposit was paid to secure the deal. Shortly after, the owners went bankrupt; Trans- ocean walked away from their contract and the ship was impounded in Barcelona. The administrators decided the ship
would be auctioned and handed Saga’s de- posit back. Astoria went under the hammer in July 2009 and Saga bid successfully. On board, her standards were a far cry from Saga’s and refi t tenders were invited. A British yard won the contract, agree- ing to a deadline of January 2010. By this time, the Credit Crunch had bitten deeply, and Saga decided the ship should replace Saga Rose, being withdrawn in 2009. Horst was chosen to oversee the work, and he and his team took up residence as soon as the ship arrived. “The mess generated
88 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
Peter Rushton offers another offbeat view of his life as a cruise ship lecturer
was horrendous,” he told me. “The only way to keep on top of it was to have a team of cleaners following the contractors all the time. But it didn’t end there. Our role was to keep a time-line in place, and this was a constant battle as one unforeseen event after another conspired to shoot the programme to hell.” Repair of the freezer units was sched- uled to take a week, but actually took three; in February, with scheduled shake- down cruises on the horizon, one of the main generators disintegrated; repair was impossible, and a new unit had to be sourced, ordered and installed. Meanwhile, a hard-pressed catering department headed by Executive Chef Gavin Baxter had to feed upwards of 350 people (crew and contractors alike) from a galley also undergoing major overhaul. “It was a challenging time,” he told me. “The former regime had a more casual dining approach, with buffets high on the agenda. Although the basic equipment was in place, much had been unused for some time and had to be thoroughly revitalised.” Gavin clearly knew his business; several
years in fi ve-star hotels, followed by a num- ber of contracts on large charter yachts be-
Horst Pint, Hotel Director Gavin Baxter, Executive Head Chef ‘We now have a CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP with every DUCT, PIPE and SCUPPER in the galley’
fore spells with three other cruise lines had preceded his career with Saga and, when he took up his new appointment, he knew precisely what was required. “We spent a back-breaking amount of time dismantling, cleaning and re-assembling. We now know every nook and cranny, have a close rela- tionship with every duct, pipe and scupper, and know exactly how everything works.”
I
n the meantime, other work was proceeding. “In some cases, we felt the contractors didn’t understand the mean- ing of a deadline, and even when they achieved one, they left the mess for us to clear up,” Horst said.
But clear up they did and, although the
shake-down had to be cancelled, the ship was ready to embark passengers on March 15 – only two weeks had been lost. More importantly, all the effort proved
worth it. For, when it all came together, the outcome far exceeded expectations: the ship is a delight, with outstanding service and cuisine providing the lustre that will glow for a very long time. No, she may not be the Rose or the Ruby, but this Pearl is a treasure indeed.
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