I took my first cruise on the SS Uganda in December 1980.
Flew from Gatwick on a DanAir BAC1-11 to Malta where we boarded and the plan was to disembark in Split in what was then Yugoslavia.
Like most people seem to have, we sailed into a storm. This was a force 11 gusting 12 (as I remember) off the coast of Egypt. The ship rubbed against the sea bed trying to get into Alexandria harbour. She started taking on water and abandoned the attempt. We sailed back and forth just out of sight of Alexandria for a bit over a day, then headed for Haifa. The Alexandria pilot was still on board and had to be hidden until we left Israeli waters.
After this the itinerary was changed. We headed for an unscheduled stop in Cyprus and then headed on to Greece where the cruise terminated and the ship had repairs. Due to the change of country for the flight home, no plane was available and we were put up in a hotel in Athens until the plane arrived in the middle of the night. Laker DC-10 back to Gatwick.
My memories of the cruise:
Going in the space of a few days from Sun and T-shirts in Malta to torrential rain in Israel to Snow in Greece.
The Maltese bus drivers - cross themselves then drive straight down the middle of the road.
Falling asleep in the lecture theatre due to the rocking of the ship.
Sliding across the floor on the plastic chairs as the ship rocked from side to side in the storm.
"Action Man" describing the use of Huey bags (no idea of the spelling) :)
Quiz night when one of the questions was "Which 3 Beatles are still alive" - It was the day that John Lennon was killed.
The preparation for the Cairo marathon, that we never got to put into practice.
Glen Dormitory.
Buying a dusty bottle of Coke in Cyprus where they would only take pre-decimal British money.
I got quite nostalgic when I saw her again in Naples harbour getting kitted out as a hospital ship for the Falklands.
Your first Cruise was it on the SS Uganda
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted · Edited by MrBod
I took my first cruise on the SS Uganda in December 1980.
Flew from Gatwick on a DanAir BAC1-11 to Malta where we boarded and the plan was to disembark in Split in what was then Yugoslavia.
Like most people seem to have, we sailed into a storm. This was a force 11 gusting 12 (as I remember) off the coast of Egypt. The ship rubbed against the sea bed trying to get into Alexandria harbour. She started taking on water and abandoned the attempt. We sailed back and forth just out of sight of Alexandria for a bit over a day, then headed for Haifa. The Alexandria pilot was still on board and had to be hidden until we left Israeli waters.
After this the itinerary was changed. We headed for an unscheduled stop in Cyprus and then headed on to Greece where the cruise terminated and the ship had repairs. Due to the change of country for the flight home, no plane was available and we were put up in a hotel in Athens until the plane arrived in the middle of the night. Laker DC-10 back to Gatwick.
My memories of the cruise:
I got quite nostalgic when I saw her again in Naples harbour getting kitted out as a hospital ship for the Falklands.