Ships Monthly Magazine No.591 Norwegian Getaway - March 2014 Back Issue

What a contrast there was in
Southampton in January as
the last British-built cruise
ship took her curtain call
and the latest mega cruise
ship steamed into port a few days later. It
was a fond farewell for Saga Ruby as she left
Southampton for the last time on 10 January,
and a warm welcome for Norwegian Getaway.
Saga Ruby was built on the Tyne by Swan
Hunter in 1972 as Vistafjord, becoming Caronia
in 1999. She took her current name, Saga Ruby,
in 2004 when acquired by Saga Cruises, and
became something of a favourite. But the
40-year-old ship has now retired from service
and is to become a floating hotel in Singapore.
Saga Ruby measured 24,292grt and could
carry a maximum of 670 passengers –
impressive figures for the 1970s. But she is
totally dwarfed by the massive new Getaway
which, at 145,655gt, is almost six times as big
in terms of gross tonnage and, at 325.7m in
length, almost twice as long.
These stark differences reflect the changes
in the cruise business in the four decades that
separate the building of these ships. No longer
is the destination what matters – now the ship
itself is the destination, and passengers on
Norwegian Getaway need never leave what is in
effect a resort. They have everything to hand
for their comfort and entertainment.
Norwegian Getaway provides everything that
is expected from a modern cruise ship in terms
of facilities and accommodation and more,
but it is unlikely she will match the notable
longevity achieved by Vistafjord/Saga Ruby.
And as Gateway prepares for a Miami career,
Saga Ruby goes into retirement and brings to
an end the era of British-built cruise ships.