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SS Azure Seas


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Does anyone here know what happened to the Azure Seas that did 3 or 4 night sailings out of Longbeach/LA in the late 80's? Went to Ensenada mexico. It was our first cruise and I can't recall the cruise line name (Western or Royal?) but just remember that was how we got hooked on cruises. Small ship, excellent food, and a wonderful time.

 

Thanks for any info provided.

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Azure Seas, which was originally built as Southern Cross, eventually became OceanBreeze, which sailed for Dolphin, Premier, and finally Imperial Majesty. Imperial Majesty replaced OceanBreeze with Regal Empress a couple of years ago.

 

Sadly, Azure Seas/OceanBreeze is no more. She was scrapped about a year-and-a-half ago. I loved this ship -- we were onboard in the mid 1990s and had a wonderful time. The food was also magnificent then. She was truly a classic.

 

Here's a wonderful history of the ship, from Maritime Matters:

OceanBreeze history from Maritime Matters

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Azure Seas, which was originally built as Southern Cross, eventually became OceanBreeze, which sailed for Dolphin, Premier, and finally Imperial Majesty. Imperial Majesty replaced OceanBreeze with Regal Empress a couple of years ago.

 

Sadly, Azure Seas/OceanBreeze is no more. She was scrapped about a year-and-a-half ago. I loved this ship -- we were onboard in the mid 1990s and had a wonderful time. The food was also magnificent then. She was truly a classic.

 

Here's a wonderful history of the ship, from Maritime Matters:

OceanBreeze history from Maritime Matters

 

Lisa63:

 

Thank you for sending me to that website! As I said it was our first cruise and definitely started our love affair with cruising! I recall the wonderful menus, very classy, and remember standing on the deck, seemingly one of the pictures in this article, and looking at a totally calm, sparkling sea and had such a feeling of peace came over me, I will never forget it. So sad to hear of her demise. May she rest in peace. Thanks again Lisa.

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hi all:

 

the azure seas was also our first cruise, took a 4 day monday to friday, just took a short one to see if we liked cruising :D , boy were we hooked, just took a ten day to alaska, have been on about 6 total. and do we love cruising.

 

btw, i thought i had my brochure but i think it was admiral cruises.

 

happy sailing

gerry

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Funny how a ship like that can have such an influence! Our first family cruise was on her out of LA to Ensenada over Christmas one year. We had the two least expensive cabins on the ship. All the way below, and all the way forward. In fact the passage way was slanting in and met right in front of our two cabins (port and starboard). What a great time we had! We rented tux's (my high school aged son and I and my nephew) and the Ladies (wife, daughter, and sister in law) all wore fancy dress for every meal! That included the wonderful midnight buffet's that were really outstanding. We sure ate a lot. I kinda remember going to bed, so we must have done so, but probably not much.

 

That was over 20 years ago. Still have great memories of her and we still talk about that trip! She was one of the first to have the funnel in the aft section. Great sea boat we thought. Sailed on a second Admiral Cruise Lines ship (Star Dancer) a few years later and had a good time. Wonder what ever happened to Admiral?

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Wonder what ever happened to Admiral?

Admiral was owned (indeed, created out of the former Eastern and Western Cruise Lines and Sundance Cruises) by Gotaas-Larsen, who at the time were part owners of Royal Caribbean.

 

Royal Caribbean and Admiral were operationally merged into a company called Royal Admiral Cruises in the late 1980s. However, soon after, Gotaas-Larsen's shares were bought out by two other major owners of RCCL, Anders Wilhelmsen and the Pritzker family. At this point, with Gotaas-Larsen out of the picture, the decision was taken to phase out the Admiral name.

 

This began in 1990 when STARDANCER became Royal Caribbean's VIKING SERENADE, operating alongside Admiral's AZURE SEAS on the 3- and 4-day Baja itineraries. STARDANCER's 7-day Alaska and Mexico itineraries were assumed by other Royal Caribbean ships.

 

Then in 1990, a new ship - which was supposed to enter service for Admiral and be called FUTURE SEAS - became Royal Caribbean's NORDIC EMPRESS instead. She entered service on the 3- and 4-day Bahamas itineraries operated by EMERALD SEAS. Like AZURE SEAS, the older ship continued to sail on under the Admiral banner.

 

In 1991, AZURE SEAS was sold. VIKING SERENADE was already positioned as her replacement.

 

EMERALD SEAS, and thus Admiral themselves, continued to soldier on until 1994 when the ship was sold. As with the West Coast operation a few years before, she was not replaced as NORDIC EMPRESS was already in place. At this point the Admiral name disappeared completely.

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How interesting I have found the replies to my question regarding the Azure Seas and especially since we all seemed so fond of her. I remember the social director and staff and how they led a cheer that used the cruise line initials. My first advice on seasickness was from a blackjack dealer who said just "keep something in your stomach at all times" something we have never failed to do on any cruise yet!:D The casino was pretty non descript by today's comparisons, but the menu's and food were fantastic. Our stateroom was small, double bed against a wall, but we were so impressed with the room steward, how he hung up anything we left about, and the fact that we never really saw him. We had a porthole and could hear creaking at night. Would probably freak me out today.

 

Anyway, it was nice to hear from those who recall this ship with special memories also.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow, does this bring back memories. We sailed on her in January 1990 and I've never forgotten just how special that trip was. Thank you all for putting butterflies in my belly this morning. I'm going to go home today and find those pictures (I know there in a shoe box somewhere! :D )!

 

How sad to know she is gone forever. The megaships today just are not the same. :(

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Our first cruise Dec. of '83 and again on her in the spring of '90 shortly before she left L.A. Two level movie theater and non-descript casino in '83, they swiched locations by '90. The only two level casino i have ever seen. We had an inside cabin forward also where the hallway was uphill. We were right above the disco. when you were out on the dance floor you would drift because of the angle to the bar! Cruise 3,4, & 6 on Commadore's Enchanted Isle twice from San Diego and once from New Orleans (also now scrapped) and cruise #5 on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam (now retired)

Loved those small ships. We have done 10 since but loved the first 3 ships.

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Even working on board the Azure Seas was generally fun, despite the time we left many of the passengers in Ensenada due to bad weather, and picked them up in San Diego later the same night.

 

Very happy memories of passengers and crew.

 

Anyone visiting Edinburg, Scotland, take a trip around the Royal Yacht Britannia, many similarities in build

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  • 3 months later...

Our very first cruise was a 4-nighter out of San Pedro, CA to San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada on the Azure Seas. We were hooked immediately! One of my fondest memories from the trip was a night that the crew provided entertainment; the captain was there, and he played the accordion for everyone. I don't remember much more (it was in 1990), but I'll remember that part forever. I was sorry to hear that she was scrapped.

 

Dave

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  • 4 weeks later...

Remember going on the Azure Seas in the mid 80's. While docked in San Diego met some New Zealand Officers from their ship docked across pier. In those days you could sit on the pier between the ships. They invited us on to see their ship and had a couple drinks of the 'Queens rum'. Then we brought them over to take a look at "our" ship to the stunned amazement of the officer on deck. He got permission to let them on and one of the officers even came by and invited them to lunch. They did look fine in their "Whites". Memories!! ;)

 

I am now a very happily married woman and need to stop going down that Memory Lane!! Thanks for the tread. Oh by the way the food was great on the ship.

 

Barb

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think my DH and I took our honeymoon on Azure Seas in 1988 but it was out of Miami and it was a 7 day. It was one of the last trips before they sold to it someone. It was a long time ago and I was young and can't remember details. I do know everything about it was AWESOME and got us hooked. Now we have 2 kids and they are hooked as well. (Poor future spouses) We have lots of photos somewhere too. We talk about it all the time. Especially "If I Were Not Upon the Sea". We loved that skit. Does anyone know why they don't do that on ships anymore?

 

We're getting ready to take a Christmas cruise on RCCL.

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Choobez

 

Princess still does "If I Were Not Upon the Seas" as part of their London Pub Night. When doe right, it is uproaringly funny.

 

There is a whole thread about that somewhere further down the page of this forum.

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Dh set me straight tonight. We went on Azure in '92 out of Lauderdale right before they sold it to RCCL. This was our 2nd and everything about it was awesome. Thanks for letting us know about "Upon the Sea". I hope that RCCL decides to do it.

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  • 1 month later...

Reading these posts brought back lots of very fond, happy memories! We cruised on the Azure Seas out of LA for our Honeymoon in June 1988. Sadly I only have a hand full of poor quality pictures (what was I thinking taking only a few pictures!?!?!).

 

I still have our room key, which says Room 511. All I remember of the room was that it was teeny tiny--the size of a bread box! :) However, being our honeymoon--who cared? :) The bathroom had to be the size of a broom closet!

 

The food was EXCELLENT, best lobester tail I ever ate. The service superb!

We've only been on one other cruise since, & even though it was wonderful, I was so disappointed in the food---not even close to what I remember eating every night on the Azure Seas.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Interestingly enough we sailed from England to New Zealand in 1957 on the original version of the Azure Seas - the SS Southern Cross to begin a new life in NZ. At that time the ship was still virtually brand new having only just been launched. Pretty sad to see the images of the ship being dismantled on the beach in Bangladesh.

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

Oh what a great memory! My first cruise was on the Azure Seas. I went with my brother on a 4 day Ensenada trip in 1986. It was pure heaven. I fell in love with cruising. I have only been on three cruises, none recently though. I just remember the Seas with such fond memories: skeet shooting off the stern, ping pong and losing the balls over the edge so much that the steward brought us a whole bag of them just so he wouldn't have to keep coming back, the theater (saw Top Gun!) and the marvelous food. I, too, do not remember sleeping although I am certain I did! Thank you all so much for this little trip dpwn memory lane.

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I had never seen this thread before and it brought back memories. Our first cruise was on the Azure Seas for the three day cruise out of Long Beach. It was special because my nephew was the Third Officer on board and when we left port we were able to be on the Bridge. What a cool vantage point. He's now a Master in Alaska and we are getting ready for our next cruise in September on Carnival's Freedom.

 

Northern Bob

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  • 1 month later...

I was a crew member on the Azure Seas (Photographer) for 4 years between 1986 and 1990. Prior to that I worked for a year on her sister ship, the Emerald Seas, also as a Photographer.

 

Overall I spent 10 years at sea, and worked on 20 different vessels, but the Azure Seas was far and away my favorite ship. I even met my first wife on there who was a Dancer at the time!!

 

I recently saw some pictures of the Azure being scrapped and it was completely heart breaking. There were also a lot of images of several other old vessels meeting the same fate, many of which I'd worked on before, including the Bermuda Star, Amerikanis, SS Rhapsody, Dolphin IV, the Norway, and a bunch of others.

 

It was so sad to see all these lovely old ships looking so beat-up and meeting their end.

 

I still work in the cruise industry and I'm now in my 24th year, but I still miss those old days back int he 80's during the real renaissance of cruising. Back then, the staff members used to have almost as much fun as the passengers, and it showed. I think the passengers used to get a real kick out of that too because it meant there was always a happy and positive vibe on the ships (this was especially true of the Azure Seas).

 

Things are just not like that any more, and even though our big huge ships are amazing and beautiful, they're just not the same, and that's a sad thing.

 

The Azure Seas will always remain among my fondest life-long memories. Oh the stories I could tell!!!!:D

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  • 3 weeks later...

Oops - I replied to the wrong thread. I thought I was back in the original one, not one of the links. Oh well.

 

Again - Azure Seas was my second (of many) cruises and I still remember her well. Back then, every cruise was new and very exciting. We had a great time even though it was a short one.

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  • 3 months later...

JOHNO,

you probably took a few pics of me on the azure seas, I , too worked there, as a vendor (Pest Control) and cruised often as part of work. Agreed, the Azure was the truly fun ship,my favorite too. Still out there cruising, but as a passenger nowdays. I have run into a couple others, Romeo from the dining room is the head waiter on the Monarch, and the piano bar player, Angelo is still there too! Lots of great memories...

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