Cruise Lines

Did you know that people who turned 21 in 1981 will be turning 50 this year. Well of course you did, if it was something you bothered to think about.

I admit I didn't until Saga reminded me at a gathering in London the other evening.

Age is important to Saga, and especially the second coming of age, as they like to call hitting 50, because that's when you can start to travel with them.

Now before all you over-50s out there switch off, swearing blind you are not old enough to cruise with Saga, I'll let you into a secret.

That's what I thought until last year, when I cruised on Saga Pearl II, an old ship they bought and spent on a fortune on (and actually it's true, I wasn't old enough to cruise with Saga, but they gave me special dispensation, all in the interests of research).

You can read my report about the cruise, published in the Daily Telegraph, here, but suffice to say I am going back on Pearl in a couple of days.

But more on that later. For now, back to the 1980s.

In a fun film, we were reminded how many similarities there were between then and now. The country was an economic basketcase, unemployment was rising and people were going on Saga holidays.

But boy, have attitudes changed.

In the 1980s, the over-50s were prepared to do without a holiday if they couldn't afford it, according to research group Populus. Today no one wants to give up on holidays, financial crisis or not.

In the 1980s, the over-50s went on holiday in the UK and Europe; now they want to go to the US, Australia, Nepal, Africa and Bolivia.

No wonder Saga has dropped coach holidays to Brighton in favour of tours in Borneo.

Susan Hooper, Saga's boss, admitted their problem is trying to persuade Saga sceptics that the company is not all about old people on holiday.

It's what that great TV ad they had on recently was all about and, I guess, why they chose to wine and dine us at the Sanctum Soho Hotel (which is not actually in Soho but is very trendy).

It must have so upset their chef that instead of some pretentious-sounding dish with "jus", Saga wanted them to serve cheese-and-pineapple on sticks and yummy sausage rolls. The food of the '80s, Susan reminded us.

If so, bring back the '80s. Not for the cheese. But those sausage rolls went like hot cakes - and were still being talked about at a Celebrity Cruises gathering the next day!