Ship - Cruise Liner Saga Rose / Sagafjord- postcard c.1990s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  Saga Rose in her distinctive new livery - cruise liner
• Publisher:  Saga Rose
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s):  n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

Please ask if you need any other information and I will do the best I can to answer.

Image may be low res for illustrative purposes - if you need a higher definition image then please contact me and I may be able to send one.

------------------------------------------------

Postage & Packing:

UK (incl. IOM, CI & BFPO): 99p

Europe: £1.60

Rest of world (inc. USA etc): £2.75

No additional charges for more than one postcard. You can buy as many postcards from me as you like and you will just pay the fee above once. (If buying postcards with other things such as books, please contact or wait for invoice before paying).

Payment Methods:

UK - PayPal, Cheque (from UK bank) or postal order

Outside UK: PayPal ONLY (unless otherwise stated) please.   NO non-UK currency checks or money orders (sorry).

NOTE: All postcards are sent in brand new stiffened envelopes which I have bought for the task. These are specially made to protect postcards and you may be able to re-use them. In addition there are other costs to sending so the above charge is not just for the stamp!

I will give a full refund if you are not fully satisfied with the postcard.

----------------------------------------------

Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

*************

MS Sagafjord was an ocean liner built in 1965 by Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée for Norwegian America Line as the combined ocean liner/cruise ship. Between 1983 and 1996 the Sagafjord was operated by Cunard Line. In 1996—1997 she was shortly operated by Transocean Tours as MS Gripsholm prior to being sold to Saga. She was lastly owned and operated by Saga Cruises on worldwide cruises targeted at the senior market out of the United Kingdom, known as the MS Saga Rose .^[2][2] She was retired from service in October 2009.

The Sagafjord was built by Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, France, who received the original plans and specifications for the vessel from the as the Norwegian America Line during the summer of 1960. The build contract was undertaken on 24 September 1962 and the keel finally laid on 19 June 1963 before her launch on 13 June 1964. She underwent sea trials from May until September in 1965 and was finally christened on 18 September 1965 Sagafjord in Toulon. The construction of the Sagafjord was so expensive that it put the shipyard out of business.^{[citation needed]}

The Sagafjord undertook her maiden voyage from Oslo to New York on 2 October to 11 October 1965. At the time she was built to set the mark of luxury. She sailed with Norwegian America Line until 1983, when the company was taken over by Cunard Line. The ship retained her original name throughout her service with Cunard.

In 1996—1997 the Sagafjord was chartered to Transocean Tours as part of a 6 month deal.^[4] While in service with Transocean Tours she was renamed MS Gripsholm. During this time, she damaged a screw while being grounded not far from Copenhagen. She was sold to Saga Shipping in 1997, who renamed her MS Saga Rose. The ship was refurbished prior to entering service with her new owners.^[3]

On 11 June 2008, during a visit to Southampton the second bosun died after entering a ballast tank which had a reduced oxygen atmosphere due to corrosion.^[5]

The Saga Rose was retired from service in October 2009^{[citation needed]} due to her not fulfilling the requirements of the new SOLAS 2010 regulations^[6] and was left with an uncertain future.^[7]

On 21 February 2010, Saga Rose was reported as setting out from Gibraltar, where she had been laid up since her final cruise with Saga Cruises, with her destination listed as Kenya. Rumors circulated about a possible sale for use as an accommodation ship. The stories proved false, as the ship was merely repositioned to a new anchorage and remained in Gibraltar.

In early April, Saga Rose finally put to sea, with Port Elizabeth, South Africa listed as her destination. Once again, rumours of a conversion to a hotel ship circulated. On 29 April, Saga Rose docked in Durban for refuelling, and was under-way again with her destination now reported to be Maputo, Mozambique. Rather than dock again in Africa, Saga Rose next headed into the Indian Ocean, with Saga Cruises refusing to comment on the ships' possible sale for scrap or any other use. By 23 May, the ship was off the Taiwanese coast with her destination being reported as Japan.

On 27 May, Saga Rose reached the harbour of Shanghai, China. After a few days at anchor, she continued further inland up the Yangtze River, docking in the Jiangyin district on May 29, seemingly confirming speculation that the ship had been sold for scrap, as Jiangyin is home to the Changjiang Ship Recycling Yard, China's largest ship dismantling facility. In 2003, the same yard scrapped Sea World, the former King Alexander and Nanny, a 245,000 ton oil tanker that ranked as the 4th largest ship ever built. In October, 2011 scrapping had begun.^[8]

The Saga Rose currently holds the record for the most World Cruises ever completed by a ship with 44 altogether. Even surpassing the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2.^[9][10]

type=printed postcards

theme=transportation

sub-theme=sea

transportation type=cruise liners

number of items=single

period=1945 - present

postage condition=unposted