Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

Some more RCCL Song of America pics for those who sailed on her in those days:

 

 

 

[Kroosin]

Hi, My first cruise wasa week long trip out of Miami on the Boheme in late August 1971! Iwas hooked and honeymooned on Costa's Flavia in 1976.

[Copper10-8]

Southward, 1993, Catalina, Ensenada sailing from San Pedro.

 

 

ms Southward (1971-present) Built in 1971 by Cantiere Navali dell Tirreno e Riuniti, S.p.A, Riva Trigoso (Genoa), Italy as ms Southward for Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL), a subsidiary of Klosters Rederi A/S of Oslo, Norway and, at the time, Arison Shipping withTed Arison, founder of Carnival Cruise Line, as the owner. She was designed for the North American cruise market and delivered to her owners in November 1971. Following a transatlantic crossing, she was christened on 30 November 1971 in Miami, Fl. This was the first time a new cruise ship was not christened at the shipyard were she was built, but instead in the port of her area of operations. The trademark of Norwegian Caribbean Line at the time were twin swept-back funnels and a orange sunburst painted on the sides of their ships.

Southward would be NCL's fourth cruise ship, the others being Sunward (1966), Starward (1968), and Skyward (1969). Initially, she was operated by NCL on Caribbean cruises out of Miami. In 1987, she was dispatched to the west coast of the United States to begin operating out of Los Angeles (San Pedro) on three and four-night cruises to Catalina Island, San Diego and Ensenada, BC, Mexico. As a result of this move Norwegian Caribbean Line changed its name to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).

In 1995, Southward was sold to Sun Cruises, the cruise division of UK-based all-inclusive travel company Airtours plc, who renamed her Seawing. Sun Cruises was founded a year earlier, in April 1994, to provide British holidaymakers with air and sea vacation packages at affordable rates. Seawing began operating for Sun Cruises in March 1995 cruising the Mediterranean in spring and summer and the Far East in the winter season. In February 2002, the new name of 'My Travel plc' was adopted by all the former Airtours brands, resulting in a change of house colors on its four cruise ships, Seawing (1995), Carousel (1995), Sundream (1996) and Sunbird (1999).

From May to October 2002, MyTravel's Seawing operated seven-night round trip cruises from Limassol, Cyprus into the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. From October 2002 to April 2003, she ran fourteen, sixteen and thirty-night cruises to the Far East including ports of call in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. While in the Far East, Seawing would also operate on seven-night round trips from Phuket, Thailand. Then in April 2003 Seawing returned to the Mediterranean and Aegean, picking up where she left off with seven-night cruises from Limassol.

When Airtours decided to pull out of the cruise vacation and ship ownership business in 2004, Seawing was purchased by the Greek arm of Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Line and renamed Perla. After a winter in the Far East, Louis operated her on cruises out of Piraeus to the Greek Islands and Turkey in 2005.

In May 2008, she was chartered to Greece-based Golden Sun Cruises and renamed Aegean Pearl, operating three and four-day Greek island cruises from Piraeus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DFD1]

Thanks for talking about Song Of America, one of my all time favorite ships. When she first went into service, she had a wonderful interior layout and an eyecatching profile.

 

We had some great times on her sailing out of San Juan a long time ago.

[jetwet1]

John, thank you for posting so much info, my father was the bar manager on the song of America when she first sailed. He left RCCL to go to Sundance

[Copper10-8]

John, thank you for posting so much info, my father was the bar manager on the song of America when she first sailed. He left RCCL to go to Sundance

 

You're welcome! Your dad was bar manager on the Song of America and cruise director on the Stardancer? Talk about a switch! Awesome!

[jetwet1]

I know it, he started off as a barman for Cunard, he then went to work for Poseidon, a company who at the time supplied the bar staff (amongst other things) to RCCL, after many years of slowly moving up the ranks (and Poseidon being bought by RCCL) he was offered a chance to move into the management team for Sundance cruises.

 

After they merged with Eastern and where them bought out by RCCL he retired, bought a place in Las Vegas, which is how I ended up here.

 

How he ended up as cruise director I have no idea, though if I am remembering correctly it was only a temp thing till the new cruise director came on board, other than that I have no idea what he did.

[dutchess43]

First cruise was on the Volendam 1981, out of N.Y.City to Bermuda. We went as a family the kids had the bunks over our heads. Those were the days when you had bon voyage parties in your state room. Throwing streamers off the ship & your friends that visted were throwing them off the pier towards you. Sure miss those days it was fun. Yes we are hooked on cruising have our 26th coming up soon.

[knuterock8]

Our first cruise was on Sitmar Fairwind 1983 ten days from Florida. We took our three kids, and our youngest was 10 months. The two older ones (seven and twelve) had their own small cabin (bunk beds) next to ours. The service was the best they even supplied diapers and baby food. The ship wasn't fancy like the large ships today and it seems the prices were more than they are today believe or not.

[lovebug33]

I am a newbie to cruising. Our first cruise was the week before Christmas 2006. We went on the Diamond Princess to the Mexican Riviera. It was Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. Definitely hooked us. It was supposed to be our last cruise before we had kids, but we still haven't been blessed with kids yet, so we get to keep cruising for the time being!

[Atlanta_Cruiser]

You know..the name sounds spot on but I just remember more deck area with lots of lounge chairs..and the stack was yelllow in color (I think) but this could be definitely be it. How nice that you researched and found this. Thank you! I am just enjoying seeing all these old cruise ships on this post. fantastic.

 

Thanks again :)

 

-Cory in Atlanta

 

 

After being laid up there for over a year, Ilmatar was sold to Grunstad Maritime Overseas, renamed Viking Princess and re-flagged to Panama. Initially, Viking Princess was used for cruising from San Diego, CA to Mexico in Crown Cruise Line colors from April 1984 until 1985, when she was moved to cruising from West Palm Beach, Fl to the Caribbean. Following the bankruptcy of her owners, she was laid up in October 1995.

 

 

In November 1997, Viking Princess was sold to Deerbroke Investments, renamed Palm Beach Princess and used for casino cruising out of West Palm Beach in the colors of Palm Beach Casino Line. Her ownership would change several times during the following years, but she continued cruising on the same route in the same colors.

 

 

A press release in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, dated 11 November 2008, reported that the Palm Beach Princess had been acquired for about $6 million by South Florida resident Mauro Sebben. It is hoped that this purchase will clear the company's debt and breath new life into the Princess, which has been financially troubled for years. Since 2003 her previous owners have filed for bankruptcy twice, most recently in late 2006.

[Atomica]

John, I know I've said this before, but thank you for all the work you put into this thread - easily one of the most informative, interesting reads on the whole board!

 

They should make it into a 'sticky' thread.

[Ilandguy]

The Nieuw Amsterdam was our 1st time cruise. They sure looked after you in those days . We havent sailed HAL since but will be on the short 5 day Cruise on the Statendam this May 2009.

[mudscraper]

Many many years ago. I sailed down the Ulanga river. I can`t remember the name of my vessel. I met a nice woman named Rose Sayer. As I recall our cruise encountered some difficulties. Rose and I eventually were married aboard a German ship,the Louisa I believe.

Thank you, Charlie Allnut

 

:)

[Mollynme]

Many many years ago. I sailed down the Ulanga river.

 

Sorry you lost your ship but glad to hear you survived! :D

[flag fan]

My first cruise was a crossing--the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton in October 2006. Was I hooked? In the next 2 years I took 4 more cruises: NCL Pride of Hawaii (now Norwegian Jade) (Hawaii), Crystal Symphony (Caribbean), Celebrity Summit (Caribbean), and Caribbean Princess (New England/Canada). And I'm booked this October for the HAL Eurodam (Caribbean). I'm planning to repeat the QM2 crossing next year, but in the other direction.

[Taxguy77]

One of these days I need to change my signature.

My first "cruise" was actually in 1958 on the Pacific Far East Line's freighter, the California Bear. We were Until 41 years later and my first real cruise on the Volendam (after which I became hooked), I always thought of ships as just another method of transportation. (Idiot!)

 

At first I thought you were right (idiot), but further reflection;

My first was on a Japanese freighter from Belgium to NY.

Four of us had toured Europe all summer in a Volkswagen we bought for European delivery. Since they didn't carry VW's as baggage on pax planes, a freighter was the only way home (we drove from NY to California). 13 pax was great! Everyone sat with an oficer for dinner, we spent the whole evening leaving Europe on the bridge, a later tour of the engine room. Things you cannot do on modern cruiseships.

[altosax]

Many many years ago. I sailed down the Ulanga river. I can`t remember the name of my vessel. I met a nice woman named Rose Sayer. As I recall our cruise encountered some difficulties. Rose and I eventually were married aboard a German ship,the Louisa I believe.

Thank you, Charlie Allnut

 

:)

 

Don't bogart that joint, my friend. :cool:

[Copper10-8]

An excellent thread! Thanks Copper 10-8 for a superlative job of photo posting.

 

My first ship was the TS Hanseatic of the Hamburg-Atlantik Line, crossing from New York to England in June, 1964. We returned in January, 1965 on the Statendam.

 

I was 12 and it was another 40 years before I got to go again.

 

Regards

 

RMS Empress of Japan (1930-1966) Built in 1930 as RMS Empress of Japan by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd, Govan (near Glasgow), Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (CPSC). By the 1920s Canadian Pacific had established a sea/rail connection between Europe and the Far East. The company's steamships would carry passengers from Great Britain to Canada, the same company's railroad would then carry passengers across the North American continent to Vancouver, BC, where passengers boarded another Canadian Pacific ship that would carry them to across the Pacific to Asia. This was at the time the fastest way to reach the Far East from Europe.

Empress of Japan carried out successful sea trials in May 1930, achieving a top speed of 23 knots. She started off on her maiden voyage on 14 June 1930 when she left Liverpool for Southampton and Quebec. On 12 July 1930 she sailed for Suez and Hong Kong and then began operating on the transpacific Hong Kong - Yokohama - Vancouver run carrying 399 First, 164 Second, 100 Third and 510 steerage passengers with a crew of 579. During this time period, she wound up being the fastest ocean liner on the Pacific service. Due to her carrying Royal Mail as part of her Canadian Pacific's service, Empress of Japan wsa able to carry the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) prefix in front of her name. When not carrying mail, the ship was identified as ss (Steam Ship) Empress of Japan.

She would continue to sail the Vancouver - Yokohama - Kobe -Shanghai - Hong Kong route for the rest of the decade. Among her celebrity passengers were a number of American baseball stars, including Babe Ruth, who sailed aboard her in October 1934 en route to Japan.

Empress of Japan was in Shanghai, China when war was declared in September 1939. Due to suspicions about Japanese intentions, she was instructed not to return to Yokohama, but instead sailed back to Victoria BC, via Honolulu. Here she was prepared for service as a troop-ship, by being painted in wartime grey, and having guns fitted. She was requisitioned on November 25th, and began nine years of troop carrying duties by transporting Australian and New Zealand troops to the Middle East.

In October 1940, the Empress was part of a so-called 'multi-million Dollar convoy', sailing from Australia to South Africa. That convey included seven troop-carrying luxury liners, Cunard's Queen Mary, Aquitania, and Mauretania, Canadian Pacific's Empresses of Britain, Japan, and Canada; and Royal Mail Lines' Andes. In October 1942, ten months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Empress of Japan was renamed Empress of Scotland. The change had been delayed due to wartime regulations prohibiting renaming of ships. It is believed that Winston Churchill was personally involved in authorising this exception, recognising the nonsense of an allied ship carrying the name of an enemy state.

 

The Empress was finally discharged from trooping duties in May 1948. During nine years of war duty she had carried over 250,000 passengers as well as 30,000 tons of cargo. She had covered over 600,000 miles, believed to be the most of any merchant ship in World War II, and had travelled to all affected parts of the world, Australasia, the Far East, South Africa, and North America.

[/font][/font]

[/color][/font]

Empress of Scotland was returned to her original owners in May 1948 and used to meet the growing demands for trans-Atlantic passenger service. In the period between 1948 and 1950, she received an extensive refit at Fairfield in Glasgow which included increasing her size to 26,313 gross tons, her promenade deck "glassed", as well as a radical reconfiguration of her cabins from the original four classes to just two, 458 First and 250 Tourist class accommodations. The modifications she received were necessary to meet the weather conditions on the colder Atlantic route.

On 9 May 1950 she departed on her first post war sailing from Liverpool to Greenock to Quebec City. In April 1952, her masts were shortened in order to allow her to pass under the Quebec bridge and continue up to Montreal. She continued on her transatlantic service until September 1957. During seven years of Atlantic service, Empress of Scotland made 90 round trips to Canada. She also made 26 Caribbean cruises out of New York, plus three cruises from Southampton.

lantik

After a short period of being laid up in Liverpool, Empress of Scotland was sold to the (then) West Germany-based Hamburg Atlantik Linie/Hamburg Atlantic Line in January 1958. She received a radical refit at Howaldswerke Deutsche Werke in Hamburg where her superstructure and her orginal three funnels were replaced by two modern ones and her passenger accommodations once again reconfigured to carry as many as 1,350 passengers in comfortable luxury She emerged as the 30,030 grt ss Hanseatic and on 2 July, 1958, sailed for the first time from Cuxhaven to New York, via Le Havre, Southampton and Cobh. For the next eight years this would be her regular route, together with winter Caribbean cruises out of New York.

On 7 September 1966, while berthed in New York City harbor, a fire erupted in her engine room. There were no casualties, but the ship sustained damage beyond economic repair. She was subsequently towed back to Hamburg by two ocean tugs appropriately named Atlantic and Pacific. She was sold for scrap to Eisen & Metall AG and broken up at Hamburg in December 1966.

[candysmom]

my first ship was the Statendam and it was a crossing from Hoboken to Southampton in April 1959 the beginning of my Grand tour.I picked it as it was 90% tourist and only 10% first class. years later I realized I had never seen the outside of the ship. Got on from a shed and got off into another shed and onto the boat train to London. My husband & I went on a HAL cruise tourin 1991 and as we walkes around the town of Skagway saw the rail cars of the WP&Y RR with the name Regent Star on the side. I told Bob I had to get down to the pier and see the Old Statendam and take a picture of the ship I had spent 7 days on in 1959. The next day we took the day boat to Juneau and a day later got on the Nieu Amsterdam for one class cruising (which I dont think it is as much as it was in the past IMO.)

[Calgary North]

Thanks very much for the photos and research!

 

I was aware generally of the ship's earlier history in the Pacific but not at all of the reduction of funnels and the rest of its profiles.

 

Regards

[Copper10-8]

Thanks very much for the photos and research!

 

I was aware generally of the ship's earlier history in the Pacific but not at all of the reduction of funnels and the rest of its profiles.

 

Regards

 

YW, hope your Flames do well in the play-offs!

[cdkempton]

Our first cruise was in 1975 on the original Prinsendam to Alaska out of Vancouver, Canada. It was only 8 days so we booked another cruise almost immediately upon returning home. We were hooked. My DH had worked for the CPR as a teenager and sailed the triangle, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle and also did the Inside Passage on the CPR ships. He only tolerated my request to cruise because he thought it would be boring. NOT! Thank goodness he loved it as much as I did and we've traveled to many beautiful and exciting ports in the 34 years since. :D:D

[Lady Oceanic]

My first cruise was on the Oceanic (owned by Home Lines). It was September, 1975. No other ship or line can come close.;)

Will be going on my 48th cruise with HAL in October.

Sally

[scapilot]

My wife and I first sailed on the Diamond Princess in the summer of 2005. We sailed from Seattle to do the inside passage of Alaska. We fell in love with the ship and Alaska. The next year we cruised the Southbound from Whitter Alaska to Vancouver on the Sapphire Princess. Next it was Golden Princess. We desided that the next time we cruised it was to be on HAL, so it was the Amsterdam then the Oosterdam and now it's going to be the Amsterdam again... Can't wait.. Love that inside passage. :D