Who remembers when.....

having to select smoking or non-smoking tables in the Dining Room...believe it or not we always chose smoking even though neither of us did as we thought the smoking tables were always more fun!

On our 1st cruise, on the Dolphin, every night there was one free bottle of red and white wine on each table in the dining room! This was 1985!

Think they may have stopped it because I couldn't see crew pouring not emptying bottles of wine down the drain!

We had ash trays in our cabin and on our dining room table- you could smoke where ever you wanted to.

Captain usually won skeet shooting off back deck.

Captain ate, 2nd seating, in dining room every night with passengers. (we were invited to dinner 3 times with different captains.)

We had keys for our cabin.

You could not wear jeans or shorts in the dining room.

The only buffets were breakfast and lunch.

Horse racing was fun on the deck.

Wow, things you forget when you no longer have them!

I remember when there was only one "extravaganza" lunch buffet during the entire cruise. All lunch and dinners were served in the dining room, by sitting. Open sitting was breakfast (always) and lunch only on days whilst in port. No other buffet meals. A mixed drink was 85 cents and an after dinner liqueur like an amaretto, was 35 cents (I still have a couple of bar guides in the attic in the "cruise memorabilia" box.) All pre "Carnivalization" of the cruise industry.

I remember when passengers were not fat.

I remember when passengers had good manners.

I remember when passengers were not concerned with "eating their money's worth".

I remember when there was no such thing as "formal jeans".

I remember when passengers spoke more languages than English and "English louder".

I remember when passengers demanded more and better, rather than cheaper.

I remember when cruise line executives were interested in making cruising better rather than more profitable.

Post of the month!

I remember going on cruises with my girlfriend.

Then with my fiance.

Now with my wife.

I remember dressing formal every night and 7 course dinners. Also, having the captain and his hostess greet you as you entered the dining room. It was fun.

So many great past memories posted by many of us!

Happily, we are all still cruising and have many more memories to make from the "way things are now"! :D (y)

I remember when passengers demanded more and better, rather than cheaper.

I remember when cruise line executives were interested in making cruising better rather than more profitable.

There are passengers demanding just more and better and couldn't care less about their bills. They are catered for by the luxury lines. The cruiselines were nice enough to make cruising a viable option for tens of millions of other, new, passengers, for whom money is not virtually unlimited.

I don't think cruise lines would even exist if profits weren't their main motive from the very beginning.

I remember cruising on the Norwegian Majesty where there were several different dining choices and no additional charge for any of them. And I still get dressed up every night for dinner no matter what line I'm sailing!

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I remember when cruise lines mailed our boarding documents and luggage a tags. We did the 'doc dance' when they arrived I I remember Dutch Night on HAL and the wonderful dover sole they served. Partof how special it was when steward would take the whole long bone ou t in one piece for us. Wonderful to watch how skilled they y were at de boning the fish.

I remember when cruise lines mailed our boarding documents and luggage a tags. We did the 'doc dance' when they arrived I I remember Dutch Night on HAL and the wonderful dover sole they served. Partof how special it was when steward would take the whole long bone ou t in one piece for us. Wonderful to watch how skilled they y were at de boning the fish.

Yes - the way they deboned fish showed real expertise -- which was widely demonstrated in so many ways with the table-side preparation and service.

I remember when we could buy the duty free alcohol and take it back to our cabin for in-cabin consumption. Now HAL charges BIG prices to buy alcohol for in-cabin consumption.

First cruises -- got to throw streamers from the ship -- I just threw out a couple of "rolls" that I had saved.

I remember when there were more staff -- in the dining room they had time to talk and get to know you. Cabin stewards -- had less cabins to take care of.

Theme nights -- gone.

And the list could go on and on.

Just remembered more than what I already posted.

On a 7 day cruise most men wore a tux on 2 formal nights. If not a tux then a suit. Then on 2 informal nights they had to wear a jacket but did not have to wear a tie. If men didn't have a jacket then they weren't allowed in the dining room. (And, there was no buffet!)Then casual nights they didn't have to wear a jacket or tie. They could wear Dockers and a polo shirt. My husband has colored jackets for informal nights but never wears them any more. We both miss the way it used to be!

I remember using a priority line on the gangway to the ship after an excursion or beach day in port.

Royal has brought back the ability to buy liquor and consume it in your stateroom:

 

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/onboard-delivery/packages/other-packages/

Looks like these are only available on the Oasis and Allure. All other ships exculded.

Looks like these are only available on the Oasis and Allure. All other ships exculded.

I remember when MDR dinner menus had lovely photos, drawings, prints on the cover and at the end of each cruise , stewards gave guests a full set of dinner menus from the whole cruise for them to take home.

I remember chocolates on the pillow at turn down and towel animals every night.

 

Erika

On NCL we still get chocolates on the pillow at turn down and towel animals every night.

I remember when MDR dinner menus had lovely photos, drawings, prints on the cover and at the end of each cruise , stewards gave guests a full set of dinner menus from the whole cruise for them to take home.

We have received a collection of menus with lovely notes from our waiters on every Cunard cruise, including the one we just finished.

One thing I remind myself is that while some things have changed there are things we find on cruises of today that did not exist on our first cruises.

Keith

I remember when our cabin steward sat on his stool at the end of the hall waiting for passengers to leave their cabins. He then went in and tidied up. I also remember on our first cruise that our server at dinner had an assistant who got drinks and stood between his two tables. Filled glasses, assisted in any way and as people finished their dinners he was there to remove the dirty dishes immediately. Lastly I remember formal nights when men looked like gentlemen in their tuxes and women looked like ladies in their long gowns. Such a wonderful atmosphere.

One thing I remind myself is that while some things have changed there are things we find on cruises of today that did not exist on our first cruises.

 

Keith

I absolutely think that while there certainly have been changes, not all are negative. There are many things about cruisin g which exist today that I really like and we did not have when we first started cruising.

The question in the thread, as I understood it is: What do you Remember?

I remember over and under beds (bunk beds) and a board in the hall where we hung our cabin keys when we left.

When duty free really meant duty free instead of high prices and a huge duty free sign.

I remember sitting on a seat on the promenade deck whilst the lady next to me kept topping her glass from a bottle of Smirnoff.

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I remember the New York Times Fax at Sea and real libraries. I miss both of them!:(