Cruise Lines

Actually it's the first glimpse and the last one for a while, because if all goes according to plan, the 446-passenger Saga Pearl II will be off today on its inaugural cruise in its new colours - an 18-night voyage from Southampton to the Norwegian fjords.

I say "if all goes according to plan" because the refurbishment of the ship, which was built in 1981 and formerly called the Astoria, has not gone quite as smoothly as Saga might have hoped.

But I saw it in Southampton yesterday and although there are workmen crawling all over it still, it is looking smart and everyone is confident things will be in place and ship-shape when the first paying passengers come aboard today.

Saga has done a lovely job with the refurbishment, which unusually was carried out in Swansea. Flying the flag for Britain.

OK, they have thrown £20 million at the ship (that's the official figure but I suspect the final cheque will be quite a bit more) to practically rebuild it - much of it has gone on techie bits the passengers will never see like the engines but they have also installed new balcony cabins - so you should get something good.

But it's more the look and feel they have gone for that impressed me.

For one thing, they have opened up the ship so you can see from one side to another, which gives a real feeling of space. For another, the furnishings are bright and modern, not at all how I would have imagined a Saga ship to be (this is the first time I have been on one). The wood floors give it a real yachty feel, as does the colour scheme they have chosen for the cabins.

On the Bridge Deck, outside the Sundowner Bar, there are al fresco soft sofas to lounge around on - very Celebrity I feel - and a modern hi-top table which I could see myself sitting at, glass of wine in hand, watching the sun go down. Well at any other tme as well, actually!

Shackleton's Bar looks very smart and I like the way it is open to the corridor where there is more comfy seating. I just wonder if there is enough seating in the area altogether as it could be a popular place for pre and post-dinner drinks.

The library is next to the bar - there are a staggering 3,400 books - forward is the Discovery Lounge, the main entertainment venue but more suited to concerts than shows as the stage is not very big, aft is the main dining room.

Saga is being very daring on Pearl II and switching from fixed dining to open seating, where passengers turn up to eat when they want, sitting with whom they want. It works a dream on sister brand Spirit of Adventure, so it'll be interesting to see how Saga passengers take to it.

I suspect there'll be talk of rebellion initially, but after a while they'll realise actually it's quite nice to be able to sit with friends - much like when you go out to a restaurant at home, after all - or alternatively that's it's an easy way to meet new people. The real joy is, if you don't like them, you never have to sit with them again.

The only downside is that the dining room is not big enough to hold all 446 passengers at once, so many will have to dine upstairs in the Verandah (the last picture in the sequence above).

That's the self-service by day but it will be waiter service in the evening, serving exactly the same food as in the dining room.

I'd be very happy to eat there as it's a nice airy room but I reckon many passengers will see it as second best, which will lead to an evening stampede for the dining room.

I would not like to be the maitre d'.