Saga Sapphire, the 37,300 gross ton addition to the Saga Cruises' fleet, has arrived at Southampton in the UK for the first time after a four month long refurbishment at Fincantieri's shipyard in Palermo in Italy.

The 1981 built vessel that started life as Europa of Hapag-Lloyd and last traded as Bleu de France for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's Crioisieres de France brand, received additional balcony cabins and underwent complete renovation of its public areas and cabins.

It will join the 1973 built Saga Ruby of 24,292 gross tons on cruises that embrace most parts of the world over a year, with most of those in the summer and autumn sailing from Southampton or Dover. In addition, the Saga group operates a second brand, Spirit of Adventure, whose 1981 built 18,835 gross ton Quest for Adventure operates mainly fly cruises.

The Saga Group, which is headquartered in Folkestone in Kent,  sells its products to customers over the age of 50 only and its portfolio includes  a wide range of products, from holidays to financial services .