Smoother sailing: Saga cruise bookings back to pre-Covid levels
Holidays group Saga has reported smoother sailing with bookings for cruises in 2022 back to levels seen before Covid.
The group – which caters to over-50s – said its current booked cruise load factors were at 70 per cent for 2021/22, following legal restrictions on capacity for early cruises.
It posted tour operations bookings for 2021/22 of £18m and £109m for 2022/23 but said there was still some uncertainty within the travel sector about the long-term Covid impact.
However, Saga’s shares dropped 4 per cent on Wednesday morning after reporting heavy losses across its travel divisions.
In its interim results for the six months ended 31 July, Saga reported an underlying pre-tax loss of £51.2m from its travel arm, heavier than the £34.2m loss in the same period last year.
“As we plan to relaunch our brand in the coming months, I am confident that we have the right strategy, team and structure in place to return Saga to sustainable growth and create significant long-term value for all our stakeholders,” Euan Sutherland, Saga’s group chief executive officer, said.
The firm was continuing to work towards a “full return to service”, while being mindful of “future potential volatility” regarding the pandemic.
Cruise passengers must be vaccinated in order to holiday with Saga, after cruise operations resumed in June.