MS Saga Ruby is a cruise ship owned and operated by Saga Cruises. She was built as the combined ocean liner/cruise ship MS Vistafjord in 1973 by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders in the United Kingdom for the Norwegian America Line. In 1983 she was sold to Cunard Line, retaining her original name until 1999 when she was renamed MS Caronia. In 2004 she was sold to her current owners.
Concept and construction
The Vistafjord was ordered by Norwegian America Line (NAL) from Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Newcastle, United Kindgom. She was based on the company's 1966-built MS Sagafjord, but with an enlarged hull, additional superstructure deck and improved interior layout. However, as the cost of building the Sagafjord had put her builders, Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee, out of busines, the Vistafjord had to be built at a different shipyward.[citation needed] Like the Sagafjord, the Vistafjord was built with the hull strength and baggage-handling facilities required for ocean liner service across the North Atlantic. She was launched on 15 May 1972 and delivered to the Norwegian America Line exactly a year later on 15 May 1973.
Service history
On 22 May 1973 the Vistafjord set on her maiden voyage, a transatlantic crossing from Oslo to New York. After this initial crossing she was used exclusively in cruise service from New York to the Bahamas. At the time the Norwegian-flagged Vistafjord was considered to be amongst the most luxurious cruise ships in the world, sharing the top 5 in Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising with the Sagafjord and Royal Viking Line's Royal Viking Star, Royal Viking Sky and Royal Viking Sea for several years.
Although their ships were high-rated, Norwegian America Line had trouble making profit. In 1983 Trafalgar House, the owners of Cunard Line, purchased NAL and in October 1983 the Vistafjord joined the Cunard fleet. She retained her original name and the grey NAL hull colour, but received Cunard Line funnel colours and was re-registered to the Bahamas.Despite the flag change she retained Norwegian command staff.
In 1999 the decision was made to rename the Vistafjord with a more traditional Cunard Line name. On 10 December 1999 she was renamed MS Caronia and re-registered in the United Kingdom. She continued service with Cunard until November 2004, when she was sold to Saga Cruises. Following a £17 million refit at Valletta, Malta the Caronia reappeared as MS Saga Ruby in March 2005.In the Saga Cruises fleet she joined her former Norwegian America Line fleetmate Sagafjord (now named Saga Rose).
Design
Exterior design
The Vistafjord was built with a very traditional ocean liner profile, with the funnel placed amidship and a notable sheer on her hull. The superstructure is terraced both at the fore and aft of the ship. In two refits during her Cunard Line career additional structures were added to the rear and top of the superstructure.
In Norwegian America Line service the Vistafjord carried the traditional NAL livery, with a grey hull, white superstructure, yellow mast and a yellow funnel with red, white and blue (colours of the flag of Norway) stripes. Following sale to Cunard she retained the grey hull colour, but her funnel was painted in the red/black Cunard colours and her mast white. A red "Cunard" text was later added to her superstructure. Coinciding with her renaming into Caronia in 1999 the ship's hull was repainted black. As Saga Ruby her hull was repainted dark blue and her funnel yellow, with a dark blue top and a narrow white stripe separing the two colours.
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