‘I fell in love with the world’ :Meet Jacqui Nobile, Head of Destination Experiences

Saga Cruises’ Head of Destination Experiences Jacqui Nobile has worked in cruise and travel for more than three decades and along the way ‘fell in love with the world’. Here she reveals the forensic planning that goes into shore excursions from Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure – and a few of her own favourite destinations.

What new cruise experiences are you excited about for 2027?

There are so many! When I look on paper at the range of itineraries, it’s massive: Egypt, Canada, Greenland, the Eastern Mediterranean and, of course, the Grand Voyage of South America which sets sail on 7 January.

This flagship 73-night Grand Voyage on Spirit of Adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and also marks 30 years of Saga Cruises.

We have carried out site visits across South America to curate the right shore excursion programme so the itinerary is packed with incredible experiences, including overland tours which take in iconic destinations such as the Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu.

South America has many different landscapes and varying vibes. One minute, guests are in the hills of Rio, the next they are soaking up the culture of Buenos Aires before driving through the Patagonia’s Pampas landscape to see the penguins in Puerto Madryn. I did that tour and it’s amazing to see penguins in their natural habitat, crossing the paths so we had to stop to let them go by.

There’s also Salaverry, the port for Trujillo in Peru, where expert guides bring pre-Inca history to life, while in Chile, a winery tour takes guests into the Casablanca Valley from the Port of Valparaiso.

Tell us more about the overland tours

Our three-night overland options on the Grand Voyage are a great adventure, leaving one port and returning in another.

Brazil

The Iguazu Falls tour from Salvador, Brazil, includes the Brazilian Foz do Iguaçu National Park – declared a Natural World Heritage site in 1986. Saga guests will experience the view from both Brazilian and Argentinian side of the Falls.

Guests arrive in Rio for the third night and join a tour to Corcovado before rejoining the ship.

Peru

For Machu Picchu, the incredible lost city of the Incas, guests leave Callao and return to Salaverry. It’s a fascinating tour that includes meeting rural Andean communities and visiting Cusco, the historic empire of the Incas.

Tell us more about the ship’s overnight stays

Spirit of Adventure moors overnight in Buenos Aires. This allows time to explore the city and stay out late to enjoy the passion and elegance of a typical Argentinian tango. Then by visiting an estancia ranch, guests can see the gauchos and their beloved horses.

The Falklands is another destination where more than a day is needed to take in the landscape and wildlife. Guests arrive in the capital, Stanley, by tender boat and will immediately recognise the British architecture.

And an included tour takes guests to see Magellanic penguins in Gypsy Cove, a National Nature Reserve on the Cape Pembroke peninsula.

What is the destination teams’ most important role?

Our role is to ensure each destination delivers the best possible experiences. It’s essential we get every detail right so itinerary planning is a very important process. The Marine team work on the logistical side – the berth, getting from A to B, speeds and distances – while we consider the time in port, the sites that can be seen and the day of the week. Sundays are a challenge, particularly the availability of guides and buses.

How do you get the all-important local knowledge?

My team of five all look after different deployment areas and so they become experts within their region, building up a strong knowledge of each of those ports of call and destinations.

We source local experts in each of our ports and they have the local knowledge to support us. Operating to Saga standards means my team ensures the operators understand the profile of our guests, the requirements and standards we expect.

During site visits, we work closely with agents to review and tweak the proposed programme where necessary, taking into consideration the length of tours, walking distance, mobility needs, comfort stops and pace of the tour. The care and attention taken to arrange shore excursions is a priority and we are forensic in our planning.

How do you plan for unforeseen events?

This is very much about logistics, practicalities and the time of year we're visiting.

There's so much outside of our control so it’s trying to manage what we can control.

We have to consider many things such as the probability of rain. Do we need shelter? Do we need an inside venue? Daylight hours in the winter can be short, so does the tour come back in the light or dark?

The team has to make swift decisions and ensure good communication. There’s no point having the captain on the bridge, the crew on the mooring ropes and engine room on standby if there’s a traffic jam and guests are still on land.

How do you keep the excursion programme fresh?

Our excursion programme is constantly being reviewed. For 2026 all ports of call have an included excursion and where possible we offer guests a choice of tours.

While this provides variety, we have to ensure sufficient capacity. That’s a challenge in smaller destinations but, equally, in bigger destinations, when docked alongside other cruise ships we can be fighting for bus and guide availability.

Can guests book tours in advance?

We launch our excursions around three months before the start of a cruise. We then work on capacity management, monitoring bookings to ensure, where possible, to add additional spaces if something books up quickly. Some experiences have limited numbers so it’s not always possible.

What if a guest wants to explore independently?

We’re not here only to provide the excursion programme, we’re here to ensure guests enjoy the destinations, including heading ashore independently. The Explore Ashore team (opposite the reception desk) will always help guests with their destination plans.

What makes Saga Cruises’ itineraries stand out?

We create variety and every sailing is unique and the itinerary, duration, combination of ports and timings are all chosen by us. Sailing from the UK allows our ships to head north or south and they can get into the smaller ports. We always try to include new destinations.

Do you listen to feedback?

Absolutely. The final piece of the jigsaw is feedback. Did we deliver to our guests’ expectations? Did everything go well and what should we adjust or tweak for future trips? Our guests’ opinions are important, and we listen to what they say.

And finally, tell us about your favourite ports

My love of travel and my love of the world has just grown over the 30 or so years I have worked in the sector. There are so many places I adore: Kotor in Montenegro, where you sail into what feels like a Mediterranean fjord, is stunning, whether heading into port with the sun rising behind the mountains or sailing out past ‘Our Lady of the Rocks’ island at sunset, it’s magical.

An all-time favourite is Dubrovnik, Croatia. I went there as a child with my parents when it was Yugoslavia, so being able to go back on a cruise ship was wonderful.

I’ve only once visited Canada, but fell in love with the Canadians and the ports of Halifax and Saint John.

Taormina in Sicily is also a beauty, the amphitheatre with its view of Mount Etna and sparkling sea below is unforgettable.