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SS Veracruz


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Do you know what ever happened to Vic Serra who was the Cruise Director on the VeraCruz in the early 1980's?

 

Thanks

 

 

My husband, Nenito Estose, worked as a musician in the mid to late 80's on the Veracruz. We took a cruise in about the mid to late 90's, and ran into Vic! He was the Cruise Director on that ship (I wish I could remember what ship, but I cannot!). He tried to talk Nini into coming to work for him again! I LOVED the Veracruz, as that is where I met him.

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  • 5 months later...

I went on the cruise to nowhere in 1986, which was a blast. Then my husband and I went on the cruise to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen in 1987 and we got to eat dinner at the captain's table. We had the best time on that cruise, the price was great, food was awesome and the excursions were not overpriced. I loved reading all of the comments on here about the Veracruz, it was a great cruise ship!

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How could I forget the SS Veracruz? I have a story to beat all stories. I believe it was the late 70s/early 80s. I was a young lady traveling with my mom. We flew from NYC to Florida to catch the ship bound for Key West, Cancun and Cozumel. Our plane was delayed. We arrived in Florida and there was transport provided to the ship. I recall about 20 passengers including a lady who may have been the Cruise Director or some other ship crew member was with us. She radioed the ship to inform them that we were late. The ship informed her that there was a storm coming and they needed to leave port. Oh no! Leave us behind? But, no. Even better. The ship anchored in Tampa Bay. We were transported by bus to a dock where we were loaded onto a tugboat. Mind you, it was winter so we all had coats on and all our luggage. So, we're on this tug and it takes us up to the side of the Veracruz and they throw a rope ladder out the side and yes, Folks, we had to climb up the rope ladder into the ship. My mom was terrified. Of course, I thought it was hilarious! The crew were very helpful. The funniest thing is that everyone on the ship was having dinner at this point and were oblivious to what was happening. It was quite an unbelievable story (aka, nobody believed us). Anyway, we received an apology but no compensation for our "hardship." I think it would have been a different story if this were to happen today!!! In the end, we had a great time on the cruise. I remember a lot of fun Jamaican crew members [emoji4] The ports of call were quite different from what they are today-much less developed! I loved traveling with my mom, who passed away several years ago. I will always have this hysterical "I Love Lucy" to tell and to cherish. If anyone else was on the same adventure, I'd love to hear about your memory of that night!!!

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
How could I forget the SS Veracruz? I have a story to beat all stories. I believe it was the late 70s/early 80s. I was a young lady traveling with my mom. We flew from NYC to Florida to catch the ship bound for Key West, Cancun and Cozumel. Our plane was delayed. We arrived in Florida and there was transport provided to the ship. I recall about 20 passengers including a lady who may have been the Cruise Director or some other ship crew member was with us. She radioed the ship to inform them that we were late. The ship informed her that there was a storm coming and they needed to leave port. Oh no! Leave us behind? But, no. Even better. The ship anchored in Tampa Bay. We were transported by bus to a dock where we were loaded onto a tugboat. Mind you, it was winter so we all had coats on and all our luggage. So, we're on this tug and it takes us up to the side of the Veracruz and they throw a rope ladder out the side and yes, Folks, we had to climb up the rope ladder into the ship. My mom was terrified. Of course, I thought it was hilarious! The crew were very helpful. The funniest thing is that everyone on the ship was having dinner at this point and were oblivious to what was happening. It was quite an unbelievable story (aka, nobody believed us). Anyway, we received an apology but no compensation for our "hardship." I think it would have been a different story if this were to happen today!!! In the end, we had a great time on the cruise. I remember a lot of fun Jamaican crew members [emoji4] The ports of call were quite different from what they are today-much less developed! I loved traveling with my mom, who passed away several years ago. I will always have this hysterical "I Love Lucy" to tell and to cherish. If anyone else was on the same adventure, I'd love to hear about your memory of that night!!!

 

 

 

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Good story.

 

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  • 3 months later...

As a boy (13), I sailed on the Veracruz in February 1978 with my parents and sisters. It was a 2 week cruise through Strand Cruises and we went out of Kingston Jamaica. We first went to a Go Bananas hotel before we boarded the ship. Our cabin was on the lowest floor near the back of the ship. It was so small with a fold down couch and 2 fold down bunk beds. I can’t imagine 2 adults in those rooms because I thought it was small for 3 young teens.

 

If anyone remembers being on this 14 day Cruise I would love to know all the ports we stopped at. I do remember Port au Prince, Haiti was our first stop. Then it was San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas ; Barbados and Caracas Venezuela. I kind of remember docking in a channel in a city on one of the islands. I know today’s ships are too big to go down this channel now.

 

I have such a great time on this ship. The staff was the best always looking out and entertaining us 3 kids. Even a couple bartenders would pour the extra Piña Colada from the blender into an small glass and give it to me and tell me to go away and don’t tell anyone where you got it from. Lol What a great cruise, 13 years old drinking Piña Coladas and Daiquiris for 2 weeks while floating around the Caribbean. I can’t understand how I got hooked on cruising.

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  • 3 months later...

I worked as a band member on the Veracruiz when it sailed to Alaska, I was the bass player in the 3 piece band in the front bar. Long time ago, it was the first and last time I worked on a cruise ship.:D I think it was 1976 or there about.

Some interesting crew for sure.

Phil

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  • 1 year later...

I just found this thread when I was doing an internet search to find out some information on the Vera Cruz. She was the first ship that I ever cruised on. We left from Tampa and cruised to Cozumel. We still have the blanket that we bought in Cozumel, we use it in the trunk of our car. I have our boarding picture (we look so young) and by the big hair that I am rocking it must have been the late 70's or early 80's. It has been so much fun and a trip down memory lane reading this thread.

We are going on a cruise in September on the Symphony of the Seas so it is poetic justice that my cruising history started with one of the tiniest cruise ships in the world and in September will progess to the largest cruise ship ever. 

It's amazing what you can find on Cruise Critic!

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On 10/1/2011 at 8:27 AM, boyetsacramento said:

i dont know if we are talking about the same vera cruz but when i worked for this cruise ship as a musician, our chief purser was an oriental and her wonderful :)assistant was a canadian named janet, the ship captain was a german. i was on board the vera cruz way back 1979. i would like to know whatever happened to this ship too. i worked on that ship for a year and i am very curious to know what ever happened to my former crew mates there.

Janet is my sister. She still keeps in touch with some of her crew mates, after all these years, snd has so many memories of her time on the Vera Cruz. 

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  • 1 year later...

How could I have forgotten about this ship?  It was way back in '79-'80, when my then boyfriend and I finally joined her in Kingston.  I say finally as fog had delayed us for 10 hours at LAX and we had to make a run for her.  We went everywhere:  Port Au Prince, San Juan, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, Martinique (thrown in as their was Cholera in Trinidad, or something), Caracas, Aruba and Curacao.  How this was accomplished in 10 or 11 days is remarkable.  Our cabin was so small we had to climb over the bed to get to the bathroom.  I loved it.   

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  • 4 weeks later...

My husband and I were just reminiscing about our first cruise which was on the Bermuda Star Line VeraCruz. It has been such fun and a trip down memory lane to read all these posts.

My parents and my uncle boarded with us to see us off (remember the good old days when family and friends could come on board with you and see your room and tour the ship)

After they left my parents told me that my uncle was laughing about how tiny the ship was. We had no idea as it was our first time on a cruise ship.

We loved that cruise. I just wish I had taken more pictures but the only one I have is the formal one taken by the ship photographer when we boarded.

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  • 2 months later...

The "yacht like" Veracruz out of Tampa, 1988, was my first cruise.  A 2 night cruise to nowhere, the inside room had opposing cot beds, exposed pipes, and was 100 square feet if that.  But the dining room was impressive and the entertainment was amusing and the drinks were cheap.  Good enough to come back on a 5 day cruise to Cozumel the next year.  

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  • 8 months later...

The stories are great to read and I have one to add. From 1981 to 1992 I started and operated a Locksmith business in St Petersburg Fl. A representative from the Veracruz came to my shop and asked if I could rekey some existing locks and replace all the stateroom locksets. While the ship was in port I went and looked at what it would take to complete the job. I was able to order the necessary replacement locks and rekey them with a grand master key and submasters for each stewards area.

My son and myself scheduled to complete the work while on a seven day cruise to Cozumel and back.

The crew, the passengers and all aboard were gracious about us making noise and a mess while completing the task.

This was my first cruise and they did provide us with several rooms to store our tools and beds to sleep in.  Great Memories.

 

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/18/2021 at 10:20 PM, St Pete Cruiser said:

The "yacht like" Veracruz out of Tampa, 1988, was my first cruise.  A 2 night cruise to nowhere, the inside room had opposing cot beds, exposed pipes, and was 100 square feet if that.  But the dining room was impressive and the entertainment was amusing and the drinks were cheap.  Good enough to come back on a 5 day cruise to Cozumel the next year.  

My husband-to-be would have been in the 4-piece band that played on the ship back then.  Such a quaint little tug boat, lol!

 

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  • 10 months later...
On 5/22/2022 at 4:16 PM, fredMon2soon said:

The stories are great to read and I have one to add. From 1981 to 1992 I started and operated a Locksmith business in St Petersburg Fl. A representative from the Veracruz came to my shop and asked if I could rekey some existing locks and replace all the stateroom locksets. While the ship was in port I went and looked at what it would take to complete the job. I was able to order the necessary replacement locks and rekey them with a grand master key and submasters for each stewards area.

My son and myself scheduled to complete the work while on a seven day cruise to Cozumel and back.

The crew, the passengers and all aboard were gracious about us making noise and a mess while completing the task.

This was my first cruise and they did provide us with several rooms to store our tools and beds to sleep in.  Great Memories.

 

I sailed out of St. Petersburg the same year in October. Went under the collapsed Sunshine Skyway Bridge and hit rough weather in the gulf on the way to Cozumel. Huge waves breaking on the bow. Quite a ride. I was 17 so it was a memorable experience.

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On 10/17/2014 at 10:24 AM, RetiredandHappy2 said:

Hi Doug. I was on the Veracruz for my first and only cruise in 1980. Do you have any pics?

 

Thanks

 

Ian

Ian,

 I have pictures onboard from October 1980 if you’re still interested.

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On 10/17/2014 at 10:24 AM, RetiredandHappy2 said:

Hi Doug. I was on the Veracruz for my first and only cruise in 1980. Do you have any pics?

 

Thanks

 

Ian

I sailed the Veracruz in October 81and sailed through Tropical Storm Lidia. Reminiscent of a scene from The Poseidon Adventure. I have photos it you’re still interested.

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18 minutes ago, Dano24 said:

I sailed out of St. Petersburg the same year in October. Went under the collapsed Sunshine Skyway Bridge and hit rough weather in the gulf on the way to Cozumel. Huge waves breaking on the bow. Quite a ride. I was 17 so it was a memorable experience.

Actually it was Tampa, and the storm we barreled through was Tropical Storm Lidia. Had to look it up.

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