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Where there TV's on old cruise ships?


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This question is for all of the old time cruisers (like myself). My co-worker and I are trying to remember when was the first time we had a television in a cruise ship cabin. I sailed on Home Lines's Atlantic in 1981 and I thought there was a TV in our cabin, my co-worker disagrees. Does anyone out there remember these details? My first cruise was on the Carnivale in 1979 (I think) and I thought we had a small TV. We would appreciate any info from those of you who remember.

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This question is for all of the old time cruisers (like myself). My co-worker and I are trying to remember when was the first time we had a television in a cruise ship cabin. I sailed on Home Lines's Atlantic in 1981 and I thought there was a TV in our cabin, my co-worker disagrees. Does anyone out there remember these details? My first cruise was on the Carnivale in 1979 (I think) and I thought we had a small TV. We would appreciate any info from those of you who remember.

 

I believe the Atlantic did have Closed Circuit TV (at least she did with Premier). The Carnivale never had TV. It didn't really become big until sometime in the 80s.

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This question is for all of the old time cruisers (like myself). My co-worker and I are trying to remember when was the first time we had a television in a cruise ship cabin. I sailed on Home Lines's Atlantic in 1981 and I thought there was a TV in our cabin, my co-worker disagrees. Does anyone out there remember these details? My first cruise was on the Carnivale in 1979 (I think) and I thought we had a small TV. We would appreciate any info from those of you who remember.

I sailed both the Carnivale, and the Mardi Gras in 1979, and I don't remember any TV. But, then again, I was in my 20's, and who cared about TV on a cruise ship back then,...hahaha. Seriously, I still have the Capers from the May, and Sept cruises out of Boston to bermuda, and I'll take a look at them and get back atcha. R.A. and the Cat....btw.....who are you calling an "Old Foggie" hahahaha (an old Tar, maybe)

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I remember a TV in our cabin in the late 60's on the Italian Line "MichelAngelo". I went with my parents and it was a 1st class suite(those were the ONLY cabins that had TV's on that ship, then) It was closed circuit, on board broadcasting only.

Edited by marco
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My mom worked on Holland America as a social director in the 1970s (mainly on the Rotterdam). She always had a passenger cabin and they never had TVs. The rooms did have radios though that broadcasted a few themed stations on board. She still laughs about the non-stop Barry White radio station that they had on board in the staterooms.

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My first cruise was in 1980 on RCI Song of Norway and we didn't have a TV. The first time I can remember having a TV was on the SS Norway in 1987 and it only carried close circuit TV and movie selections. I think TV was added when NCL convert it over from the ss France in 1980. TV's on a cruise ship was a real novelty for it's time. No Satellite stations like CNN or local TV in port as I recall. In 1986 I went on Carnival's new build Tropicale and it had TV - I remember watching Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman. You could get local Mexican stations in port. So my guess that TV's were introduced and fairly standard in cabins sometime in the 1980's on most new builds and satellite programing came later in the 1990's followed by the internet.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I remember sailing on the Universe in the 90's. It had no radios or even phones in the cabins. It was used as a floating university most of the year and did Alaska in the summer. It was one of my favorite cruises ever.

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First cruises were on the Festivale on 2/23/86 and 4/27/86 and there were no TVs. I was just turning 30. Following cruise was on Holiday on 2/21/87 and she did have TV although we did not use it. We were there for the fun of a cruise...not to do what we could do anytime at home. Still don't think I would care whether or not a ship had TV.:)

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First cruises were on the Festivale on 2/23/86 and 4/27/86 and there were no TVs. I was just turning 30. Following cruise was on Holiday on 2/21/87 and she did have TV although we did not use it. We were there for the fun of a cruise...not to do what we could do anytime at home. Still don't think I would care whether or not a ship had TV.:)

 

I agree. For us cruises are all about getting away.

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We cruised on Costa Riveria April 1987 and had the "radio" in our cabin but no TV. As I remember, there was 1 TV in a bar that they would play Italian Video on. Never was the set on. We also had a phone and glad we did as we got locked in our room and had to call the steward on duty to get out.

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First TV in the cabin I remember was on the SS Norway in 1988--though it probably was the first cruise my parents took on a non-budget level ship. Digging out the "Cruise News" (this was long before "Freestyle Daily") I found the TV Guide which listed lots of current first-run movies, daily showings of "The Only Way to Cross" and the CBS Evening News when in range of the St. Thomas affiliate.

 

On the long-gone Dolphin Cruiseline ships there was a "radio" built into the wall next to the bed that played canned music of various genres. I still remember on the cruise I took for my 25th birthday in 1989 one station had the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on a continuous loop. Maximum volume was so low you that if you took one step away from the bed it was all but inaudible.

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First TV in the cabin I remember was on the SS Norway in 1988--though it probably was the first cruise my parents took on a non-budget level ship. Digging out the "Cruise News" (this was long before "Freestyle Daily") I found the TV Guide which listed lots of current first-run movies, daily showings of "The Only Way to Cross" and the CBS Evening News when in range of the St. Thomas affiliate.

 

On the long-gone Dolphin Cruiseline ships there was a "radio" built into the wall next to the bed that played canned music of various genres. I still remember on the cruise I took for my 25th birthday in 1989 one station had the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on a continuous loop. Maximum volume was so low you that if you took one step away from the bed it was all but inaudible.

 

I remember the radio days. They'd pick up local stations when they were docked. One Christmas we were docked in San Juan and every few minutes they'd play "Feliz Navidad". I remember in the early days of TV's on board they play the local channels while in port.

I'm surprised they don't have "on demand" yet. Not that it matters we rarely watch TV after one of us snaps it off in port when we suddenly realize we've listened to the same things 43 times.

Edited by Kentskie
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I sailed on several lines in the 70's (Italian Line, Greek Line, Holland America, Sitmar) and there were no TVs in the cabins that I had.

I was on the Homes Lines' Oceanic when Reagan was shot in 1981? and we found out via the daily "newspaper" that was printed each day and delivered to the cabins.

TVs started showing up in the mid-late 80's and then only with sporadic local channels in port or satellite news.

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I sailed on several lines in the 70's (Italian Line, Greek Line, Holland America, Sitmar) and there were no TVs in the cabins that I had.

I was on the Homes Lines' Oceanic when Reagan was shot in 1981? and we found out via the daily "newspaper" that was printed each day and delivered to the cabins.

TVs started showing up in the mid-late 80's and then only with sporadic local channels in port or satellite news.

 

I loved the daily newspapers and miss them.

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  • 3 years later...

In 1968 - the Chandris America Lines "Amerikanis" was one of the first Liners where every cabin was equipped with TV.

She was planed as a transatlantic liner for the route Greece - New York as a replacement for the old "Queen Frederica" which didn´t pass the new safety regulations of 1966.

Her maiden trip Greece - New York was direct and without passengers. Only some guests from Chandris Lines where aboard.

She was since always used as a cruiseliner and got very popular. Planed as liner - she had also a seperate first class section, a large cinemahall deep down aft, a carcargohold with carlift and a synagogue.

 

Other ship which was equipped with TV in every cabin was "Hamburg" 1969 - built also original for Transatlantic service for German Atlantic Line.

Maiden yoyage was a cruise - down to South America from Germany. She got popular later as the "Space Ship" in USA and switched after bankrupty from German Atlantic Line 1973/74 to soviet Black Sea Shipping as "Maxim Gorkij" - mainly chartered to german operators Neckermann Reisen and PhoenixReisen.

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  • 1 month later...

I sailed in 1991 on the original 'Love Boat', the Pacific Princess, which was built in 1972 as the "Sea Venture", for Flagship Cruises.

I do not recall our porthole cabin having any tv, but do remember a "radio" that had a few push buttons to choose different recorded music, or ship announcements...

 

In 2008, I sailed the last Winter Crossing of the QE2, which was built in 1969. I don't know if it originally had tv or not, but by the time I sailed on her, the cabins did have tv.

 

I like to see live local, over-the-air broadcasts some times when we are docked in ports, so I bring a small hand-held tv amongst my other 'gear' on cruises....:)

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I sailed on several lines in the 70's (Italian Line, Greek Line, Holland America, Sitmar) and there were no TVs in the cabins that I had.

I was on the Homes Lines' Oceanic when Reagan was shot in 1981? and we found out via the daily "newspaper" that was printed each day and delivered to the cabins.

TVs started showing up in the mid-late 80's and then only with sporadic local channels in port or satellite news.

 

Was the Oceanic one of the first ships to have TVs put on board, or was its most notable feature the sliding magrodome?

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  • 11 months later...
Was the Oceanic one of the first ships to have TVs put on board, or was its most notable feature the sliding magrodome?

 

I sailed Oceanic twice in 1973 and there were no TVs in cabin, inside and OV. EM

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In 1987 and 1989 we sailed on the Fairsea and Fairwind (Sitmar). No in room TV's. There were two TV's in a public lounge that were under the control of the communications dept.

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