The first journey on a cruise ship service that began 20 years ago was retraced.

The exact same sailing from Dover to the Mediterranean was retaken to mark Saga Cruises’ anniversary last Saturday night.

Saga Sapphire took the place of Saga Rose to revisit all the ports from the 1997 inaugural cruise.

Meanwhile the company’s Saga Pearl II sailed from Dover that night for Norway.

People packed Dover seafront to watch the vessels leaves and view a fireworks display.
Visitors were also able to enjoy the sounds of a jazz band.

Ports of call for Saga Sapphire, on a 17-night voyage, included Lisbon, Malaga, Livorno (for Florence) and Civitavecchia (for Rome), which were visited during in the inaugural cruise, as well as Marseilles, Corsica and Gibraltar.

Entertainment and music during the cruise is being themed to celebrate the last 20 years. Special guests joining the cruise included past and present Saga VIPs.

Saga Pearl II’s cruise was an eight-night one to the fjords of Norway.

Both ships had been berthed at the port’s Cruise Terminals 1 and 2 during the day.

There had also been a presentation on the gangway of Saga Sapphire for Capt Phillip Rentell who retired after 13 years’ service with the company.

He had been presented with a Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service last November by the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.

Tim Waggott, Port of Dover chief executive, said: “We’re very proud that Saga Cruises chose to mark 20 extremely successful years in the industry at the very place where it all started for them - the Port of Dover.

“Ever since the Saga Rose sailed from our berths on her inaugural voyage, the company’s ships have been regular and popular visitors to our harbour.”

Robin Shaw, chief executive of Saga Cruises, said: “It seemed fitting that we held our 20th anniversary celebrations at the Port of Dover, it’s been an instrumental port in Saga’s cruise business success.”

Saga Sapphire carries 720 passengers and Saga Pearl II, 449.

While they are from the same fleet they are not sister ships because they are not identical.

A new vessel joins the fleet in 2019, Spirit of Discovery.

Saga Cruises currently takes more than 20,000 passengers a year on luxury cruises around the world.

It is part of the wider Folkestone-based Saga business providing other services such as holidays and insurance for the over-50s.