Saga Cruises has agreed an order for a new ship and an option for a second with Meyer Werft shipyard.
The new ship will be launched in 2019, with fewer than 1,000 passengers, to retain the intimacy and personal touch for which Saga is renowned, but with some new features including balconies for all cabins.
If the option on the second ship is confirmed, it will be delivered in 2021.
Research commissioned by Saga into the UK’s over 50s spending on travel and tourism, found that spending on cruising is expected to increase by 43% to £2.2 billion by 2020.
This compares £1.65 billion in 2014 out of a total over 50s spend of £41billion on travel and tourism. Nearly a third (32%) of over 50s in work said they were planning to increase their spending on cruises after retirement.
