Meet our Captains

Captain Kim Tanner

Hailing from the island of Jersey, where his parents lived on the coast and spent much of their time on the water, it was hardly surprising that Captain Kim became attached to the ocean at an early age. Educated in the highlands of Scotland, he partook in his first ocean yacht race across the Atlantic at the age of 16 during the school holidays, having truly fallen for the sea.

After leaving school and a short spell as a fireman, Kim got carried away travelling the world for almost three years before his father reminded him it might be a prudent idea to have a career in mind. Having spent much of his final year abroad as a charter yacht skipper in the Whitsunday Islands on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, he promptly applied for an officer cadetship with P&O Cruises.

Kim studied in Southampton, and thereafter worked his way up through the ranks on various ships of P&O, Cunard and Princess Cruises. After reaching second in command, he was offered a spot at Saga Cruises in late 2015.

Kim has since been at the helm of Saga Pearl II, Saga Sapphire, Spirit of Discovery, and is delighted to have been the new-build and delivery Captain of our newest vessel, Spirit of Adventure.

When not at the helm of our ships, he lives on the island of Mallorca, but is also fulfilling his lifelong dream of slowly sailing around the world on his own boat. He stays busy with a variety of activities including water-sports, skiing and flying private aeroplanes.

Captain Franko Papic

To Captain Franko, life at sea is a family tradition. He followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great grandfather, becoming the fourth-generation seafarer in his family. He was born and raised on the Croatian coastline, in the small village of Bakarac.

Being at sea has always been a part of his life. Ahed 16, his first job was on a cargo ship in the North Sea, after his second year at Nautical College. After graduation, he commenced his cadetship on Croatian coastal ferries. After three years, he graduated from the Maritime University of Rijeka and went back to sea as a Third Officer in 2005.

The following year, Franko joined Seabourn Cruise Line, where he spent the next 10 years, progressing through the ranks to Staff Captain, and being a part of four new-build ship deliveries. In late 2016, just as the final newbuild was being delivered, he was approached with an offer to join Saga Cruises. He has relished being part of Saga family for seven years now and he is delighted to be a Saga Captain.

He still lives in Croatia, just on the other side of the bay from where he grew up. Franko has been happily married to his wife Sonja since 2006. They have two children, a daughter called Sara and son called Maro. His passion is music along with playing and collecting guitars and singing, often for guests during service as well!

Captain Steve James

While he is the newest Master to take Command of our boutique ships, Captain Steve James is no stranger to Saga.

Growing up in Cheltenham, far from the ocean, his fascination with life on the water began during family seaside holidays. However, his journey truly started at age 12 when he joined the Sea Cadets, igniting a lifelong passion for a maritime career. At 18, he joined the Royal Navy as an officer and was selected to serve aboard submarines – a role he describes as both challenging and rewarding.

After six years of service, he needed to complete more sea hours to progress his career and was unexpectedly assigned to Saga Rose, our first-ever cruise ship. It was his first taste of life working on the sea rather than beneath it, and he quickly fell in love with the fresh air, open skies and diverse itineraries. After completing a further year with the Navy he returned to Saga, working on Saga Ruby, Saga Pearl II and later Saga Sapphire, whilst progressing through the ranks from Third Officer to Staff Captain over eight years.

A desire to broaden his experience then took him ashore, but it wasn’t long before he realised his heart was at sea. Back on the ocean waves, Captain Steve gained more experience with Columbia Cruise Services, and then spent five years as a Captain for Marella Cruises.

Now, returning as a Captain for Saga, he reflects “It’s an incredibly friendly company to work for – the unique atmosphere and the wonderful crew and guests are a highlight, and really make me feel like I’ve come home”. When he’s not at sea, Captain Steve enjoys spending time with his family and exploring parts of the world you can’t quite get to by sea.