Who sailed on the Bahama Star

This was our very first cruise in 1971. We wanted to try cruising to see if we liked it , we lived in Miami at that time so it was easy since the ship sailed from Miami we went with another couple ,the fare was $69 a person for a three day cruise it went to Freeport and Nassau. We had ajoining rooms with our friends which was nice. When we walked in the room it was about the size of a small closet. But we sure had fun and we were so young. they had no casino but they did have a small room with mechanical slot machines I had never played a slot machine before, they had 1 cent up to 25 cent single coin machines, I played the 25 cent machine and won $75 jackpot on the third pull, I was thrilled it paid for my cruise! The ship was quite old but as I said we sure had a blast sucking down those 50 cent drinks. How times have changed! Would love to here from others who were on this old lady.

Jerry and Jeanie

PS we decided we loved cruising after our little three day cruise and will be going on #18 this Aug.

Wow! I can't believe I happened upon your post! Yes, I sailed the Bahama Star with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle when I was 15 years old. That was my first cruise ever and I was hooked for life! I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I did have a shipboard romance of sorts with our busboy "Sylvano". I exchanged addresses with him, but apparently he gave my address to someone else, because the letter I got back was from someone named "Pedro". <LOL> Ah, the memories of being 15! :rolleyes:

Texalana :)

Wow! I can't believe I happened upon your post! Yes, I sailed the Bahama Star with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle when I was 15 years old. That was my first cruise ever and I was hooked for life! I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I did have a shipboard romance of sorts with our busboy "Sylvano". I exchanged addresses with him, but apparently he gave my address to someone else, because the letter I got back was from someone named "Pedro". <LOL> Ah, the memories of being 15! :rolleyes:

 

Texalana :)

I'm surprised I havent seen a few more posts on the Bahama Star,oh well I guess there are not that many who remember the old lady, it was a long time ago.

Jerry:D

I remembere this ship. I don't know the year that we went, but it was a long time ago. You certainly felt the motion on this ship compared to today's ships.

I could not remember the name of the ship to save my life, until I saw your post. I sailed her in 1967, it was my senior trip and my first "grown up" adventure! The day we left we were delayed by a terrible storm for a few hours, finally sailed and rocked and rolled all night! We probably would not have felt very much on today's ships. Thanks for jogging my memory, I will have to change my past cruises now with my first cruise's name, thanks for jogging my memory!

I could not remember the name of the ship to save my life, until I saw your post. I sailed her in 1967, it was my senior trip and my first "grown up" adventure! The day we left we were delayed by a terrible storm for a few hours, finally sailed and rocked and rolled all night! We probably would not have felt very much on today's ships. Thanks for jogging my memory, I will have to change my past cruises now with my first cruise's name, thanks for jogging my memory!

Jerry:D

I live in Brownsville, Tx....we are two miles from the river. When I sailed the Bahama Star in 67 I was on my senior trip with our drill team, and we had to sell things for fund raisers for three years. All we had to pay was $100 if we participated in the fund raisers, but that included the cruise plus we spent a week in Florida touring different areas (so I don't really know how much the cruise actually cost because of all the other things we did and the fact that the fund raiser paid most of it). I grew up in Houston and went to a large high school there. We thought we were really cool to be able to go on a cruise! Back in 67 cruising was a big deal and not a lot of people got to do it, it was a great trip.

I sailed on the Bahama Star the first week of April in 1973. I was on my senior Trip from SC and none of us had ever been on a cruise before! I thought we were on the biggest ship in the world. There were 30 of us...10 boys and 20 girls. We were the only people on the ship under 65 years old and we had a ball as we were given much attention by the cruise attendants. At least us girls were!!! I have many fond memories of the Bahama Star!!! Five of my girlfriends and I befriended some guys who were working on the ship and they took us on the Emerald Seas that was docked beside us in Nassau. We met the captain of the ES. We had dinner with him in the officers dining room and he gave us a personal tour of his ship. Those were the days!!!

When I was younger (much, much younger :D ) I lived in Nassau. My parents, grandmother, and I used to go to Miami to shop and would take the Bahama Star like a ferry.... board in Nassau, sail to Miami, stay in Miami for a few days, and sail back on the Star. The ship seemed so huge back then... I remember standing on the top deck in Miami and throwing confetti and streamers during sail-away :) Guess I started my addiction early :D

My mom and dad took my sister and I on the Bahama Star in August of 1972 when I was 14. We drove from northeastern Ohio clear to Miami!! I remember how small the room was, and the foam rubber on the dining room tables so that the plates and silverware did not fall off the table. My sister and I were the only kids aboard. We went to the movie theatre and saw Pete and Tillie. I also remember the room where there were slot machines. There were no laws then, and my sister (then 12) and I played the slot machines. There was a local teenager who would dive for quarters from the top of the ship. It was our very first cruise, and I got very sea sick. I was fine in Nassau, but once the ship sailed back to Miami, I was sick again. Luckily, I outgrew the sea sickness!

I was amazed to see this thread on the Bahama Star. This was my first cruise in February 1962, and I have been hooked on cruising ever since.

It was an old ship and very noisy.

I was so excited to see this post about The Bahama Star, I had been looking everywhere to find some information about this ship.

I was just a kid (probably 5 or 6 years old). Went on her with my mom and her friends. It was out of the OLD port in Miami, the one they used to use way before the Dodge Island Port. I sailed on her in the early 60's.

After much research, I think I have learned that there were two Bahama Star ships, the one I was on was the older of the two that later became The La Jenelle and was wrecked in 1970.

If anyone knows anything more about this ship, I would love to hear from you. I did find one good site with information and pictures which is: www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/esl64i.htm

At such a young age, on such an old ship, this ship started my love for cruising. :o

My first cruise was the senior trip for Marathon High School (Fla) class of 1966 (Thank you Mr Grayley!). We cruised from Miami to Nassau and back on the Bahama Star and it hooked me on cruising for life. I remember those 25 cent slot machines, the tasty food and friendly staff, many of whom were Bahamians. I later moved to Los Angeles California and it brought back memories when she ended up beached just a little north at Port Hueneme. :cool: :)

My first cruise was the senior trip for Marathon High School (Fla) class of 1966 (Thank you Mr Grayley!). We cruised from Miami to Nassau and back on the Bahama Star and it hooked me on cruising for life. I remember those 25 cent slot machines, the tasty food and friendly staff, many of whom were Bahamians. I later moved to Los Angeles California and it brought back memories when she ended up beached just a little north at Port Hueneme. :cool: :)

I didn't realize she was beached in Port Hueneme! Wow, I wondered whatever happened to her. That was my first cruise, too, and like you it hooked me on cruising for life. :D

I didn't realize she was beached in Port Hueneme! Wow, I wondered whatever happened to her. That was my first cruise, too, and like you it hooked me on cruising for life. :D

She ended life as the SS Arosa Star http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arosa_Star

As I recall, there were 2 "Bahama Stars"...the first was at one point named the Arosa Star (as previously mentioned) and was grounded on the west coast of the USA. The other sailed originally for Zim Lines (an Israeli outfit) and I believe was named "Jerusalem", but I'm going strictly from memory here.

Anyway, the first Bahama Star ceased Bahamas operations around 1970 and then the second ship took up the task. She was at first named "New Bahama Star" and then her name later changed to "Bahama Star".

The second Bahama Star cruised from Miami to the Bahamas during the early 1970's, but was later retired. As I recall, this particular ship later sank on the way to the scrapyard after having been laid up in Mobile, AL, for a time.

Garnett

If you scroll down the page, you'll see both incarnations of the Bahama Star.

Garnett

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/EasternCruiseLinesPCs.html#anchor1098591

...and finally below is an excerpt from the SS Maritime website...

Thus after just six years of service Eastern, they sold the delightful SS Bahama Star in 1975 to Venozolana de Cruceros del Caribe who renamed her SS Bonaire Star and she was laid up. This company also had obtained the SS Santa Rosa and renamed her Samos Sky, but neither of these ships ever sailed for them as apparently there was a long legal dispute.

The Bonaire Star remained laid up until 1979, when she was finally sold, but sadly to Taiwanese breakers. She duly departed for Kaohsiung, but, whist under tow to the breakers yards in Taiwan on October 3, 1979 she took on water and sadly foundered. Her location was - 18.30N / 154.17W.

Wow! Can't believe I stumbled upon this thread. I cruised to Nassau on the Bahama Star in the spring of 1973. It was our high school Senior Trip. Cleveland High School - Saint Louis, MO (USA). Turned out that there were several other Senior Trips booked on this same cruise. Oh, the mayhem!The liquor flowed freely and 'romance' was everywhere...

As our 40th reunion approches, I was digging around for artifacts and found that I still have my cabin key with fob.

As a P.S. to the above post, that same site mentions (in 1974) "...that the ship had been suffering various mechanical problems in the past twelve months...."

On our return to Miami, there was a problem with the ballast pumps and we made the trip with a substantial list to Port.

I have not been on a cruise since and probably will not ever again. After that experience, anything else is sure to disappoint.

My senior class sailed on this ship in 19740-we loved that it was not a huge ship-we sure enjoyed the 35-cent price tag for Planter's Punch. We bought a bunch of unlabeled mini bottles in Nassau and used our welcome fruit baskets and styrofoam ice buckets to make some PJ. Our cabin and busboy was named Pedro and he was quite the ladies' man-tried to schedule dates with all of us girls 15 minutes apart-LOL! We really enjoye dressing up for dinner and the captain's cocktail party. I still remember th baked alaska and mariachi band that paraded in the dining room on our last night!

First cruise as a little girl, age 7. My grandmother treated 6 grandchildren, ages 5-8 two daughters and herself on a weekend to Nassau. I'd never seen anything so large as that ship. Still remember getting dressed up for the fancy dining and how tiny the cabins were, although we didn't realize it at the time. The Bahamian boys would dive for coins at the dock & collect them in their mouths until they surfaced. Climbed the Queens staircase. What great memories. Thanks Grandma for introducing me to cruising. :)

Just found this at my mom and dad's place. Early 1970's

Just found this at my mom and dad's place. Early 1970's

Great to see! Thanks for sharing! :)

Wow! I can't believe I happened upon your post! Yes, I sailed the Bahama Star with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle when I was 15 years old. That was my first cruise ever and I was hooked for life! I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I did have a shipboard romance of sorts with our busboy "Sylvano". I exchanged addresses with him, but apparently he gave my address to someone else, because the letter I got back was from someone named "Pedro". <LOL> Ah, the memories of being 15! :rolleyes:

 

Texalana :)

I worked on the bahama star in the early 70s starting out as 3rd steward and ending as staff chief steward. We were on a charter to I think Jamaca when the ship had its engine disabled, they sent tugs to tow us to jamaca and the flew the passengers home. No power, and only limited lighting. It was scrapped after that, but a great little ship.

Just joined the form.Wow. I remember my parents took my brother and I on the New Bahama Star. I think I was about 12 and remember thinking it was cool that we got to go to the casino and play the slot machines. My brother and I got escorted to our parents by a crew member for yelling "iceberg dead ahead" down all the call tubes.

First cruise ever (Sweet 16) was on SS Bahama Star 53 years ago (1961) on my HS Senior Class Trip.

LuLu

~~~