Your first cruise?

[dwelsh]

Browsing the thread, "Pre and post cruise questions" brought back memories of our first cruise.The year 1969, the ship, Costa's "World Renaissance," to and from San Juan, PR.

It was a charter and we occupied the owner's suite. High up next to the bridge, no stabilizers in those days, two bunk beds at opposite ends of the "suite" and a wife who got mal de mer even on a row boat!! She survived the first night, very proud of the fact she felt great despite quite a heavy roll.

Since then, you could not keep her off a ship wherever it was bound. We look forward to our SS voyage in 108 days.(But who is counting!!!)

 

It would be fun to hear from you avid sailors about YOUR first cruise.:):):)

[SantaAna,CA]

My first cruise was with a group of 400 people from my church on a Haapag-Lloyd ship. It was called "The Footsteps of the Apostles" and we visited Athens, Ephesus, Philippi and Corinth (after starting the cruise in Venice!). I didn't think I'd like cruising all that much. Ha, I fell in love with it right off the bat. The ports come to you! There is nothing but ocean, no cars, no freeways! Sweet!

 

Several cruises followed with Seabourn cruise lines, to the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. I fell in love with Seabourn.

 

I leave for Barbados in about two weeks, and board the Shadow for a 9 day trip to the Caribbean on 11/13. These wonderful cruise experiences have so enriched my life; I am looking forward to my first Silversea cruise.

 

Jane

[CASHIPman]

My first cruise was on Cunard's "Queen Elizabeth 2" from NY to Southampton. At that time, this was the only cruise I thought I'd want to do. Well, the sea is an addictive mistress, and she's a habit I'll hopefully never break.

[Emtbsam]

Great idea -

 

My first cruise was in 1955 on the Ocean Monarch (Furness Lines). We cruised from New York to Halifax, Quebec, up the Saguenay River and down to Bermuda. We ran into hurricane Edith off Bermuda and missed one day on that island. The ship was quite small and had no stabilizers. The weather was quite rough.

 

My next sea voyage was transatlantic in July, 1956. For all you history buffs, that was when the Andrea Doria sank. Fortunately, we were't on it, but we were in the general vicinity on the Media, a very small Cunard ship. Since we were neither the fastest nor large enough to carry many additional passengers, we stood by while the Ile de France helped out.

[martini cruiser]

My first cruise was on the Carla C ( Costa) out of San Juan in an inside single way up in the bow. That ship had the old bulkheads that you had to step high over the threshold, and the cabin was a true single, smallest one if been in. But it sure hooked me. I remember the song Carla ,c,c,c and the Chicken dance that everyone even the Captain performed.

 

It's been a long way from that first cruise to my next on the Silver Cloud.

 

But I can honestly say the worst cruise I took was fantastic!

 

Martini Cruiser

[Kwaj girl]

Our first cruise was September 1986 on the Carnival FESTIVALE, the old Transvaal Castle. Had the most forward oceanview you could get - no mal de mer, though. A true queen bed (not 2 twins pushed together) and one of those tiny showers. I think this one might even have had the sink in the main part of the cabin IIRC.

Anyway...more than 60 cruises later, I can say that cruises are our favorite kind of holiday. We've been fortunate to have sailed on most every cruiseline at one time or another - everything from 2-night getaways to longer, more "exotic" voyages. We leave on our first SS next week - very much looking forward to that!

[gdlamberth]

My first cruise was on USS Raleigh, LPD-1, in the summer of 1969. We went from San Diego to Seattle (where we were part of Sea Fair:D), to Honolulu (slept on the beach at Ft. Derussy :o(Waikiki Beach where the Hale Koa is now)) and back to San Diego. I remember sitting in the San Diego NB O'Club when Neil Armstrong took one small step for man. When I started doing commercial cruises I noticed there were more activities for passengers than there were for embarked Marines on the Navy's amphibs:p.

Greg

[Maineac]

Our first cruise in 1985, was with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. We sailed, (literally) on the Fantome. She was a 282 foot, 128 passenger 4 masted schooner, built in 1969.

 

Being as small as she was, we were able to visit some absolutely beautiful, obscure islands..... Being a small ship also meant, bunk beds and cold showers.... Now for my husband this was not a big deal. But, as this cruise was celebrating our honeymoon, I found the bunk beds were lacking in the romance department.

 

Needless to say, since then, I'm the one putting together our holiday plans.:rolleyes:

 

As a footnote, on Oct. 27 1998 the Fantome disappeared off the coast of Honduras. She went down after being ravaged by Hurricane Mitch. Also lost were her captain and 30 crew members.

 

On our upcoming cruise we'll be celebrating our 25th anniversary. We will raise a glass to their memory.

 

Cheers,

Judy

[wripro]

As a boy I did a couple of crossings with my parents on the original Queen Elizabeth and the Liberte (showing my age.) As a young adult we did crossings on the France and the QE2. My first real cruise though, I'm proud to say was on the Silver Cloud in June 1994 when SS was three months old. They were pulling out all the stops then to establish themselves as the premier luxury line and they certainly succeeded. Very little since has ever lived up to that experience.

[Goldens4]

What a fun thread. My first cruise was 1977 from NY to Bermuda on Holland America's SS Rotterdam. I was 27 and traveled solo. I remember how beautiful the mahogany woodwork and crystal chandeliers were. Everyone dressed for dinner. Danced all night with the young Dutch officers, and thought the entire experience was magical. I remember how beautiful the pink sand beaches of Bermuda were. Thank you, dwelsh, for bringing back happy memories and putting a smile on my face.

[Emtbsam]

What a fun thread. My first cruise was 1977 from NY to Bermuda on Holland America's SS Rotterdam. I was 27 and traveled solo. I remember how beautiful the mahogany woodwork and crystal chandeliers were. Everyone dressed for dinner. Danced all night with the young Dutch officers, and thought the entire experience was magical. I remember how beautiful the pink sand beaches of Bermuda were. Thank you, dwelsh, for bringing back happy memories and putting a smile on my face.

 

Do you remember how slippery the dance floor was? When I was on in 1963, it was a metal floor, and Marcel Bianchi was the leader of the dance band.

[Goldens4]

I spent my time in the disco. Remember 1977 was disco era. But, that floor was slippery also. It was wood. And, if I remember correctly they changed the other dance floor to wood. On our cruise we had Cab Calloway and his band for entertainment for 3 nights. He put on a different show every night. He rocked the house. People were dancing in the aisles in the theatre. The next year I took 2 cruises on the Statendam. That was a beautiful ship also. There was another liner that used to leave from NY at that time, the Oceanic. Never had a chance to go on that one. Can't remember what became of her.

 

PS: My husband wants to add that his first cruise was on the USS Constellation in the early 70's. He did the Southeast Asia tour. He has nothing to say about the food or service on board.:D

[Wellseasoned]

My first "cruise" was on the Bremen in 1947, emigrating from Europe to the U.S. I was a small boy, and all I remember is dropping an orange peel over the rail and watching it sink into the ocean. My wife's first was a crossing to England on the United States in 1956 (NOT near the Andrea Doria, Victoria). We sailed past the hulk of the United States in the Delaware River at Philadelphia while on the Whisper in 2005, and it was a sad sight to see.

 

Dieter

[TheFerret]

My first cruise was around 1978 on the original Sun Princess. Those were the days when you could just walk on board any other ship that was "parked" near you in port. Martinicruiser, we put on our best "I belong here" faces and marched up the gangway of the Carla C and had a drink in her bar. Don't know why, but I remember the ceiling of the bar was made of painted pegboard.

 

The Love Boat was big on TV then and in the weeks before the cruise, my sister and I often sang our version of the theme song: The Looooove Boat, soon will be maa-king another run.....WITH US ABOARD....

 

We were teenagers then, but all these years and cruises later we still sing that with a giggle before a cruise.

[marycang]

WOW! Thank you for all of your memories and stories.

 

Our first cruise was on the S.S. Constitution, the ship on which Grace Kelly sailed to Monaco to marry. We sailed on January 1993 RT Honolulu, HI to the other islands, except Kauai because they had a recent hurricane. I googled the Constitition and found this website.

 

http://home.pacbell.net/steamer/consti_1.htm

 

Very interesting and nostalgic.

[Emtbsam]

WOW! Thank you for all of your memories and stories.

 

Our first cruise was on the S.S. Constitution, the ship on which Grace Kelly sailed to Monaco to marry. We sailed on January 1993 RT Honolulu, HI to the other islands, except Kauai because they had a recent hurricane. I googled the Constitition and found this website.

 

http://home.pacbell.net/steamer/consti_1.htm

 

Very interesting and nostalgic.

 

Thank you for the link. I sailed transatlantic on the Independence in 1964 and on the Constitution on a Caribbean cruise in 1967. They were lovely ships. I particularly remember the midnight buffet on the Constitution where I had turkey, cranberry jelly and mayo sandwiches every night. (There is no accounting for taste!)

[dusababy]

Our first cruise was from Rome to Dubrovnik in 1975 with an alumni group (The Flying Jayhawks) on the Apollo, a little 100 passenger Greek cruise ship owned by Epirotiki line, now defunct. The next time we saw the Apollo was over 20 years later in 1996 at Napflion, Greece while on board Silver Wind. All I could do was think YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY, and I meant me, not Apollo!

 

In 1976 we did the Mexican Riviera on Sitmar's Fair Wind (Sitmar - Silversea predecessor). During the next 20 years we sailed mostly through the Med on Princess, Costa, Stella Solaris and twice on QE2 between Los Angeles and Hawaii.

 

First cruise with Silversea was 1996 on the Wind, and we were met in Rome by a rep in a Lancia sedan and transported to the Cavalieri Hilton for an overnight before boarding the ship to travel from Rome to Athens (those were the early days of REALLY all inclusive!) This was the trip with the historic first meeting of Wind and Cloud at Malta -- the famous photograph appeared in the 10th anniversary book. We were hooked, but we felt obligated to give other luxury lines a try before making a decision. We tried one cruise each with Seabourn, Crystal Harmony, The World, and Radisson Navigator. Silversea won hands down.

 

We sailed with Captain Mazetti on the Cloud to Papeete with favorite cocktail waitress Hilda and Michael Gregurich, then a singer/dancer with the production company, who eventually became a cruise director with Silversea. We did the Baltic, Alaska, many other areas of the world, but the most memorable trips for me were the Norwegian Fjords on Whisper and the T/A from Rio to Cape Town on Cloud.

 

My late husband's first trip with Silversea was on the Wind, and his last was ten years later on the Wind. He passed away in 2005 and I waited until an itinerary presented in 2006 that would take me to the coast of Croatia to return his remains to his ancestral homeland.

 

I continue to travel on Silversea. I've just returned from the refurbished, butlered, Cloud - 29th voyage with Silversea. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you on the Spirit - January 3!

 

Dusababy from California

[Sitmarboy]

My first cruise was an Alaska cruise with my grandmother in 1973 on Sitmar's "Fairsea" (hence my user's name). I think I was the only child on board, but I felt like an adult and tried to act like one. As I am of Italian heritage the crew spoilt both of us. One night all I ate for dinner was caviar and "imperial" turtle soup, I think it was the captain's farewell dinner? Those were the days. I do not remeber seeing crowds of people...we never lined up it just seemed like everything happened like magic. My grandmother loved how our cabin steward presented our bed clothes each night on our beds. Thank you again for posting this question...this might be one of our all-time favorites.

[Wellseasoned]

Dusababy, I was very touched by your post. Our first SS cruise was also on the Wind, when it was really all-inclusive, as you said. We later cruised with Michael Gregurich when he was a cruise director, and thought he was great. Look forward to meeting you on the Spirit crossing!

 

Dieter

[dwelsh]

Having just returned from a wonderful weekend in NY where we celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of our youngest grandson, I toasted him with my favorite saying, given to me by my dad, many years ago. "Those who put sunshine into the lives of others cannot help but save a little for themselves."

This thread which I first posted obviously has done that with lots of smiles and fond memories. I hope that it goes on for a long time. David.:):):)