The Saga Sisters

In 2005, Saga Cruises took delivery of the Saga Ruby. Originally built in 1973 for the Norwegian America Line as Vistafjord, she was the last passenger liner built on Tyneside. She was to sail with Saga Rose, her older French-built sister. Saga Rose had been built as Sagafjord, and in the early 1980s the two ships passed from Norwegian America ownership to Cunard. Sagafjord was first to leave the Cunard fleet and joined Saga Cruises as their first ship in 1996. Vistafjord was renamed Caronia and it was in 2004 that she also left the Cunard fleet for a AGBP17 million refit in Malta that will see her sail for at least the next ten or fifteen years as Saga Ruby. As much a history of the linea s former owners, Norwegian America Line, as it is the story of the two ships whose lives have been so closely intertwined, The Saga Sisters is a unique tale of two ships, skilfully crafted by Clive Harvey and Roger Cartwright, two acknowledged experts on cruise- and ocean-liner history.