# Saga Rose



## Tonyd

Saga Rose (ex Gripsholm ex Sagafjord) arriving Napier 2/3/2005


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## John Rogers

Thats a fine looking ship.
John


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## Dave Edge

Built for dual North Atlantic liner service and off season cruising so has a 'proper' hull form and is also very elegant internally.


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## fred henderson

Built 1965 as Sagafjord by Forges & Chantiers de la Mediterranee, La Seyne for Den Norske - Amerikalinje (Norwegian America Line). 24,002 grt, twin screw, two Sulzer 9RD68 diesel engines, 20 knots. On line service she carried 76 first and 760 tourist class passengers. In fact she only performed a handful of Tranatlantic crossings in her life and from 1966 she was used exclusively for cruising. 
On cruise duties Sagafjord was restricted to 462 passengers. It would seem as though all the tourist cabins were 4 berth, but only used as 2 berth when cruising. A good example of how unsatisfactory line ships were for cruising.
Very well built. Perhaps as a result she drove the builders into liquidation.
In 1982 she was extensively rebuilt by Blohm & Voss and an additional part deck added above the bridge. The accommodation was completely revised and she emerged as 24,109 tons, 509 passengers.
In 1983 she was sold to Cunard for $73 million. No change of name. 
In 1996 she was sold to Saga Holidays for $19.25 million and renamed Saga Rose. Further rebuilding and now carries 620 lower berth passengers, 747 max. 

Fred


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## fred henderson

Tonyd said:


> Saga Rose (ex Gripsholm ex Sagafjord) arriving Napier 2/3/2005


There is no connection between Gripsholm and Sagafjord, Tonyd.
Gripsholm was a slightly bigger ship (23,190 grt) with two funnels. Built by Ansaldo, Genoa in 1957 for Swedish American Line. Sold to Karageorgis Lines 1975 and renamed Navarino. After which, she had a very troubled life, involving groundings, fire and even being in a floating dock that capsized!

Fred


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## Tonyd

Fred - You are obviously referring to a different Gripsholm. I know the twin funnelled vessel you are referring to.

According to Lloyds the Saga Rose carried the name Gripsholm for a short period.

The Internet Ships Register shows her as being renamed from Sagafjord to Gripsholm in July 1996 and then Saga Rose the following year.

The DNV Register with whom she is registered also shows her as having the name Gripsholm.

The following entries were copied directly from the DNV Site:

1965 - 1996	Sagafjord
1996 - 1997	Gripsholm

Tony d


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Here a link to DNV:

https://exchange.dnv.com/Exchange/Main.aspx?EXTool=Vessel&VesselID=04821

Here from MaritimeData:
Name:*Saga Rose* IMO No:*6416043*Ex:*Gripsholm* Built:*9/1965*Type:*Cruise* Status:*In Service*SubType: Flag:*Bahamas*DWT:*6,353* Draft:*8.26* Builder:*Lemos C.M. & Co.*GT:*25,147* LOA:*188.88* Owner:*Saga Shipping*NT: Beam:*24.49* Speed/Cons:*20.00/51.00*Class:*NV* Depth:*16.90* Engine Type:*Forges*

Here from Equasis:
*IMO number:*6416043*Name of ship:*SAGA ROSE*Call Sign:*C6ZU*Gross tonnage:*24528*Type of ship:*Passenger (Cruise) Ship*Year of build:*1965*Flag:*Bahamas*Status of ship:*In Service*Registered owner:*SAGA SHIPPING*Address:*Enbrook Park, High Street, Sandgate, Folkestone UNITED KINGDOM*Ship manager:*SAGA SHIPPING*Address:*Enbrook Park, High Street, Sandgate, Folkestone UNITED KINGDOM*Last update:*26-07-2004

Here from Lloyds;


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## Frank P

If you follow this link it also says that one of the former names is Gripsholm.

http://www.cruiseships.fsnet.co.uk/saga_rose.htm

Frank


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## fred henderson

Very interesting. I have also found a fleeting reference to Gripsholm. My information is that Sagafjord was sold by Cunard to Saga Marine in November 1996. Lloyds indicate that she was delivered to Saga in April 1997. A delay of this sort is not uncommon, Saga probably did not want her until April, in time for conversion prior to entry into service for the summer season. 
It is possible that she was chartered to some other company for the intervening period. If so, who was it? It is also possible that Gripsholm was a temporary lay-up name use by Cunard whilst they were seeking a buyer and it continued to be used until Saga renamed her. In what month did Cunard withdraw her from service?
Any additional information would be most welcome.

Fred


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## fred henderson

I think I have the answer. Sagafjord's last Cunard cruise was in September 1996. She was sold to Saga in November. It seems that Cunard chartered Sagafjord to Transocean Tours of Bremen from September 1996 until March 1997 under the name Gripsholm. At the end of the charter she was delivered to Saga and was given her current name of Saga Rose.
Thank you guys for correcting my earlier post.

Fred


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## Bunkerbarge

Fred,

At the end of that charter she actually had a fire and had to undergo some refurbishment in Singapore before relocating to Europe (I think Bremerhaven.) for a more in depth refit. 

I joined her from a Tug off Gibraltar as she passed to help out training the complete new crew before passing her over to Saga. She was out of service for all this time.


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## shipmate17

*Sagafjord*

Hi,
Have just put nice pic of her in the gallery.
cheers.


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## macjack

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful cruie on her :- Caribbean Carnival Cruise,
6th November - 4th December, 2001. Southampton - Southampton. It coincided with the 50th anniversary of their founding of Saga Holidays. Upon departure a magnificent firework display. On board Sidney DeHaan (Founder of Saga holidays) and son Roger,delightful people, FREE booze for the entire 28 day cruise !! wonderful watercolour print,20"x 10", limited edition by Michael Harte, Crystal decanter, top name entertainers - could go on and on.A wonderful Cruise. Saga Rose, has now been joined by sister ship Saga Ruby ( ex vista fjord/Caronia ) Two very beautiful and elegant old ladies (30 0dd yrs ) and very very comfortable ships.

Mac.


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## nevillethorndike

*Gripsholm picture*

Hi,

Seeing all the above: does anybody have a scan/pic of her, as Gripsholm,which can be used on a web site history I am compiling?

Thanks
NT




macjack said:


> My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful cruie on her :- Caribbean Carnival Cruise,
> 6th November - 4th December, 2001. Southampton - Southampton. It coincided with the 50th anniversary of their founding of Saga Holidays. Upon departure a magnificent firework display. On board Sidney DeHaan (Founder of Saga holidays) and son Roger,delightful people, FREE booze for the entire 28 day cruise !! wonderful watercolour print,20"x 10", limited edition by Michael Harte, Crystal decanter, top name entertainers - could go on and on.A wonderful Cruise. Saga Rose, has now been joined by sister ship Saga Ruby ( ex vista fjord/Caronia ) Two very beautiful and elegant old ladies (30 0dd yrs ) and very very comfortable ships.
> 
> Mac.


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## macjack

*Gripsholm*

Hello NT
"Seeing all the above: does anybody have a scan/pic of her, as Gripsholm,which can be used on a web site history I am compiling?"

Hope attached link assists you.
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Gripsholm_Regent.html#anchor1414266
also see link http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Sagafjord.html#anchor82433 for fuller history.
Regards,
Mac.


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## ronnie r

I took my Father for a run out to Northumberland recently (To get some kippers).whilst in the vicinty of Dunstanborough castle i saw a passenger ship out at sea .i assumed it was the Norwegian ferry ,only after i saw an ad in the News of the world for a round UK cruise did i recognise the ship i'd photographed
Date of sighting was Thurs 24th Aug.
Ronnie R


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## nevillethorndike

Mac,

Thanks very much, I'm following that up now!

Rgds
Nigel T




macjack said:


> Hello NT
> "Seeing all the above: does anybody have a scan/pic of her, as Gripsholm,which can be used on a web site history I am compiling?"
> 
> Hope attached link assists you.
> http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Gripsholm_Regent.html#anchor1414266
> also see link http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Sagafjord.html#anchor82433 for fuller history.
> Regards,
> Mac.


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## Old Se Dog

macjack said:


> Hello NT
> "Seeing all the above: does anybody have a scan/pic of her, as Gripsholm,which can be used on a web site history I am compiling?"
> 
> Hope attached link assists you.
> http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Gripsholm_Regent.html#anchor1414266
> also see link http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Sagafjord.html#anchor82433 for fuller history.
> Regards,
> Mac.


taken in capetown


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## Stephen J. Card

She always looked best in grey hull. The dark blue under Saga she looked 'small'. Great ship to sail in. Made several cruises in her including her final, 30 days to the Med. Ten years ago. A lifetime ago!

Stephen


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## Stephen J. Card

Ah, but I knew the ship when 'as built' and say her for the first time in 1966 at Bermuda. Unbelievable beauty! The other ship in my painting was also a stunning beauty, the GRIPSHOLM. 

Sad that SAGAFJORD lost a bit of her looks with the added penthouses etc. The Cunard colours that did not belong. As GRIPSHOLM, OK but the name and the colours did not belong either! As SAGA ROSE. The yellow funnel was too bright. The blue was not that great. She would have been perfect in grey, 'normal' buff, wide white band and a wide black top. Perfect Ellerman colours!!!!!


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## CliveH

Stephen

What was perfect about the grey of the hulls of both Sagafjord and Vistafjord was that it was a green/yellow shade. When the ships were taken on by Cunard this was changed to a more regular pale grey. A perfectly acceptable colour but nowhere as smart as the distinctive NAL shade. The livery that Sagafjord wore during her brief time as Gripsholm is a total mess. The Transocean logo looks all wrong on her shapely funnel and the two shades of blue stripes along her hull are wholly unnecessary. They are placed too low and accentuate her sheer, which does not need to be accentuated. It was fortunate that this was only a brief time in her lengthy life. The Saga livery was a great improvement and I think she looked better in Saga colours than in Cunard colours. However, the scheme that you suggest would have been better still.

Clive


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## Stephen J. Card

Clive, 

A better description of the NAL 'grey' was more of a 'warm grey', not greenish but grey with a touch of ochre or buff. The shade of grey works with the funnel buff. definitely not just a 'fluke', NAL were quite right to pick a perfect colour. Transocean was a mess as you said, but I could live with it... with eyes half shut! What I didn't like, apart from the messy stripes, was the white funnel. Blah! Sadly, when Saga bought the wanted a new livery. They kept the Transocean thin black top but changed to blue with a very thin white stripe and then the canary yellow. It didn't carry very well. The funnel already had great welded stripes from NAL, it would have been so easy to make the blue top wider and then a nice white stripe and the yellow. Even if the yellow was more buff! Someone told me that wanted a Britannia type blue. Imagine of the funnel had gone for Britannia pale buff. Nice!

Now it is 2019 and the new Saga ship is close to completion. The Saga livery is going to be stunning in their blue and yellow. She will look perfect compared to almost 99% 'all white' ships.

Stephen


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## Engine Serang

What's got 90 legs and smells of urine?
The front row of the theatre on a Saga ship.


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## Stephen J. Card

Naughty!

The best one for of the comedians said after his show, "Great show. Not a dry chair in the lounge!"


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## Old Se Dog

*sagafjord - gripsholm - saga rose*

she indeed carried the name gripsholm - attached images show her as sagafjord - gripsholm - saga rose and at the breakers


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## Stephen J. Card

Saga stipulated that no photographs were to be taken of the ship during the scrapping. The surveyor was on site was there to ensure that all legal requirements as far as disposal of any asbestos, lead, unused oils etc. The surveyor also took photos that were given to Saga. All of this material is not available and is kept in the company vault. This photo shown above was one that was taken 'illegally'. To my knowledge this is the only photo that has ever surfaced.

When the ship arrived in the yard the ship was hosed down with fresh water. All flags up. The ship was clean and even all of the beds were made up! A team of the final voyage did all of the work when the handover was made. Sad ending of a great ship.

Stephen


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## Old Se Dog

*saga rose - saga ruby*



Stephen J. Card said:


> Saga stipulated that no photographs were to be taken of the ship during the scrapping. The surveyor was on site was there to ensure that all legal requirements as far as disposal of any asbestos, lead, unused oils etc. The surveyor also took photos that were given to Saga. All of this material is not available and is kept in the company vault. This photo shown above was one that was taken 'illegally'. To my knowledge this is the only photo that has ever surfaced.
> 
> When the ship arrived in the yard the ship was hosed down with fresh water. All flags up. The ship was clean and even all of the beds were made up! A team of the final voyage did all of the work when the handover was made. Sad ending of a great ship.
> 
> Stephen


 thank you for the feed back regarding the image of the saga rose scrapping - and to be honest - surprised at your comment - not because i disagree with it - but because there were a lot of images of her counter part - the saga ruby - at the breakers - all images obtained on public domain fyi


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## Stephen J. Card

Ye Old Se Dog,

Great photo of the RUBY. First photos of her scrapping I have ever seen.

The difference between RUBY and ROSE.... Saga were in charge of the ROSE right to the end. With RUBY the ship had been sold for further 'use' and Saga could not control over the event.

Thanks for the RUBY photos. I'd love to see all of the cruise ships that SHOULD be scrapped!!!

Stephen


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## RHP

Ruby: https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1047858/title/oasiaex-saga-ruby-o/cat/all


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