Blue Sapphire

Blue Sapphire is a cruise ship owned and operated by ANEX Tour. She was originally built in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan of Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as Europa. In 1999, Europa was sold to Star Cruises and she was renamed SuperStar Europe and a year later, Superstar Aries. In 2004, she was sold to Pullmantur Cruises and renamed Holiday Dream. In May 2008, she was transferred to the fleet of CDF Croisières de France and renamed Bleu de France. In November 2010, she was sold to Saga Cruises, but retained on charter by CDF for a further 12 months. Following an extensive refit in Italy from November 2011 to March 2012, the vessel was renamed Saga Sapphire. Most recently, she was sold to ANEX Tour in June 2020 and renamed Blue Sapphire, scheduled for an official debut in 2021.

Blue Sapphire was built in 1982. Vessels of this generation reflect the design conventions of their construction era: atrium layouts, public-room programming, balcony cabin ratios and propulsion systems all evolved measurably between the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s shipbuilding cycles.

Key reported specifications for Blue Sapphire include a gross tonnage of approximately 37,049 GT, a passenger capacity in the vicinity of 600, an overall length of approximately 200 metres.

Onboard programming on a vessel of Blue Sapphire's profile typically includes multiple dining venues, a central showroom, pool deck areas, a spa and fitness facility, themed bars, and on family-oriented brands children's and teen spaces.

Itineraries assigned to Blue Sapphire reflect the operator's seasonal deployment plan, which moves vessels between regions to follow demand and weather. Researching the ship's current and upcoming season gives the most accurate picture of where it will sail.