Your first cruise ship

[1of4]

My first time on a large ship was actually a ferry crossing from new Brunswick to Prince Edward Island when I was 3 or 4 years old. No idea name of ferry but it would have been in the mid-1960s.

 

My first cruise ship was on a smaller ship called the "Triton" (Greek registry I believe) and I booked it through Sunquest Vacations in 1995 because of its itinerary (please excuse my spelling - it is horrible in the best of times)...2 weeks starting in Barbados - Anitga - trans atlantic to Canary Islands of Lanzarote and Tenneriffe then on to Morocco (I got off and did a 48 hour adventure to Marakesh) then Gibraltar and Seville and ending in Cadiz (I think).

 

This was a small ship with only inside or outside cabins on 2 decks; one dining room, not extras but I loved it. All the dining room staff were Greek men who were on their way home to fish for the summer. I don't think it is in service anymore as it was old back then and only rented for that winter to offer us sun-starved Canadians an option to get out of the cold.

 

Imagine my surprise when the next cruise was on the Golden Princess in 2003 in a mini-suite!!!!:p

[welikepalms]

My first cruise was on the Norwegian Crown. (now with Fred Olsen Line).

May of 2006 Philadelphia to all 3 ports in Bermuda. I wish they could still do that. I understand why with the advent of the bigger ships but it is a great way to see Bermuda.

The Crown was small by today's standards and since it had been built for the Asian market originally it had a very unique decor. I was in heaven on that cruise and have been hooked ever since.

 

Our next cruise is on the RCCL Explorer of the Seas next May for our 25th anniversary. Can't wait! Already talking to my DW about the one after that.

 

Happy Cruising and Holidays to all.

[G&G]

I am not sure what was our first cruise. It's been a long time.

Ninadam, Pintodam or Santa Mariadam :eek: !

[kangforpres]

Celebrity Millenium, just a short 3 day RT from Seattle to see if we would like cruising. We had a Sky Suite it was nice, but for some reason we have only sailed HAL ever since. Our first HAL cruise was a 7 day Alaska on the now much maligned Veendam, followed by a Cruise Tour.

[Armchairtravelwoman]

I am not sure what was our first cruise. It's been a long time.

 

Ninadam, Pintodam or Santa Mariadam :eek: !

 

 

LOL, G&G!

 

Our first cruise was on the Carousel, operated by Sun Cruises. It might have been the mid-90's and I can't really remember too much about it except we hit the dock somewhere near Cozumel. Sometime later (not our cruise) the ship went aground and several future cruises were cancelled while they repaired it. I think it's sailing in the Mediterranean nowadays under a different name.

[nurseingu]

The Carnival Triumph out of Norfolk in 2009.

 

Karen

[Dixieland Mom]

Ours was on the NCL Sea in 2004. It was a 7 day cruise out of Galveston, going to Roatan, Cozumel and Belize City. I was totally and completely hooked by the end of the first day! :D

[OCruisers]

50 years ago on SS Bahama Star for 3 days to the Bahamas on my HS Senior Trip when I was Sweet 16.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[trikeman]

1992 SS Seabreeze deck D cabin # 40 something out of Miami. 2nd cruise 1994 same ship in the cabin across the hall D-47. Love that little ship and the crew was the greatest. DW sleeps in and the steward when he'd see me always asked "Is the Missy was up yet?".

[rooddatood]

Ours was the aboard the Monarch Sun in April 1977 for a weeklong cruise out of Miami to the eastern Caribbean. Seas too rough for tender operations caused several planned stops to be cancelled, but we didn't care as we were on our honeymoon. Still going strong after almost 36 years and just completed a 37 day trans-Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand adventure last October/November aboard the Oosterdam. Needless to say we are definitely hooked.

[Lessa123]

First "real" cruise (other than an overnight party/gambling cruise) was in the 90s on Carnival ... either the Fantasy or Ecstacy ... with a bowling league. It was out of Miami and went to Nassau and Freeport. I *hated* it!!! I planned on never cruising again.

 

Thank goodness we tried again in 2007 on Princess with my hubby and his family and HAL in 2008 - WE ARE HOOKED (on HAL)!

 

Debbie

[terrydtx]

Our first cruise was out of Galveston in the early 90's on one of those gambling ships that had to do a 5 night cruise once a month to a foreign port (Cozumel) to keep its foreign certification. I do not remember the name of the ship, we called it the Rust Bucket. It was a converted transatlantic ship built in the 1960's with an AC system that barely worked. The cruise was cheap but the food was good and we had a great time even though the ship was hot and the plumbing backed up several times a day. As bad as this ship was we were hooked. The month after this cruise the ship got repossessed and sold to some Greek Cruise Company.

 

The next Year we took the CCL Fantasy out of San Juan and then we were really 'Hooked" on cruising.:D

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

My first was the Carnival Festivale in '86. I was awestruck! And yes, this ship was nowhere near as fabulous as ships are today. It was pretty basic cruising back then. The industry and the ships in it have come a long way since those days. I just love cruises!

[pinksand]

1993 NCL Dreamward :)

[Lauranne]

Our first cruise was on the Caribbean Princess in December of 2006 with all 16 of DH's family. It was great fun. A few months later we cruised again (also with Princess) and we will be taking our third cruise, Alaska, in August. I can't say that we are hooked but perhaps after sailing with HAL.... :)

Edited February 18, 2013 by Lauranne

[Topsham]

Our first cruise was out of Galveston in the early 90's on one of those gambling ships that had to do a 5 night cruise once a month to a foreign port (Cozumel) to keep its foreign certification. I do not remember the name of the ship, we called it the Rust Bucket. It was a converted transatlantic ship built in the 1960's with an AC system that barely worked. The cruise was cheap but the food was good and we had a great time even though the ship was hot and the plumbing backed up several times a day. As bad as this ship was we were hooked. The month after this cruise the ship got repossessed and sold to some Greek Cruise Company.

 

:D

 

 

Possibly PRIDGE OF MISSISSIPPI renamed PRIDE OF GALVESTON renamed COPA CASINO?

 

She was the former Holland America liner RYNDAM built 1952. She sank on the way to the shipbreakers. She and sister MAASDAM were HAL's 'ecomony' ships.

[jayjaycan]

Our first cruise was a 15 day transatlantic crossing in April 1987 from Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic to Malaga Spain aboard th TSS Atlas.It was a 700 passenger ship owned by Epirotiki Cruise Line,a Greek line.She was chartered by Regent Holidays,a Canadian travel packager, to operate in The Caribbean during the winter months,returned to Epirotiki each spring to sail the Greek Isles until November.

 

We bookd an inside cabin and were crestfallen when we were shown to our cabin.It was small & dark with twin beds that doubled as sofas in the day.The bathroom was so small only one person could fit in and the shower area was about 9 ft.square. The one table lamp was broken so we complained immediately to the cruise director who "up graded" us to an outside cabin with a port hole before we sailed.The cabin was exactly the same as the other except for the port hole and a lamp that worked.We were not expecting the "Love Boat" of TV fame and cerainly didn't get it.

 

The crew were all Greek,the cruise director,5 piece band,5 dancers/singers (2 male & 3 female) were Brits and the other entertainers were a female singer and a male magician,both Canadians.Every night before or after the floor show they had audience participation in game shows,talent shows etc.with a masquerade parade plus a crew show.

 

We met a couple onboard who became our life long friends and have vacationed with them many times since.We had a hell of a time and thoroughly enjoyed it.We developed a love of Greek food and were pampered at our dining table for 2 by our waiter named Stelios, who spoke only a little English

 

The ship was originally the HAL "Ryndam" 1951 - 1972 Purchased by Epirotiki 1972 and eventually sold as a coastal cargo ship and sank off Dominican Republic in 2003.

 

We are now booked for our 28th cruise on the Maasdam next month so I guess we were "hooked".

[gaunerdog]

Carnival Carnivale- worst of the worst; the next year it was out of service. I'll never forgive the TA for booking us on that ship.

[bobmagg]

Our first cruise was on the SS Constitution (American Export Line) from Naples Italy to New York in 1962.

I was an Air Force Captain being transferred from Naples back to a stateside assignment. Fortunately, the Air Force paid our way! What a deal!

I have attached a photo of our young family taken aboard the ship.

 

Bob

 

P.S. I won the shuffle board tournament, while Bobbye was washing diapers.

First Family Cruise.pdf

[Chelly]

Best cruise ever!

 

When all passengers were given bags of confetti to toss at the pier during SailAway.

 

1979 - Sitmar Fairwind: Mexican Riviera 10-days out of LA to Acapulco, Mazatlan, Zihautanejo, Ixtapa, Cabo San Lucas

[celle]

My first big ship was when I was three years old. It was a British Royal Navy ship, returning naval and military personnel and a few assorteed women and children from Egypt to the UK, in 1945, at the end of World War II. My mother was 8 months pregnant and had been told she would die if she stayed in the Sudan to have her baby.

We set sail from Alexandria and were travelling in convoy across the Mediterranean, when our ship hit a mine during the night. I remember being lowered down in a cargo net from our stricken ship onto another ship.

 

My next large ship adventure was on Shaw Saville Line's MV Akaroa when, in 1968, I emigrated to New Zealand. The ship was half passengers and half cargo. The journey took 47 days, with port stops only at Curacao, Tahiti, Sydney and Auckland. People on shore threw streamers at the ship from the Passenger Terminal as we left Sydney.

There were 12 of us nurses, 6 to a cabin, in bunks 3-high. There was only room for one person at a time to stand on the floor, and our cabin was below the water line. Bathrooms were down the corridor.

It was cramped, but not unbearable, and we had many of the same activities on board that cruise directors organise now.

 

We did a lot of land tours of different countries, but came late to cruising.

 

My first "official" cruise was on Brilliance of the Seas, on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise, in 2003. This was at the suggestoin of a friend, whose son was working on that ship.

After that cruise, we were hooked!

Edited February 19, 2013 by celle

[PEB]

My first cruise was a 7 day Hawaiian cruise in July 1991 on the SS Independance for a total eclipse. The SS Independance was an old ocean liner but I fell in love with it the second I saw it and have been cruising ever since. If the Independance was still sailing I would be back on it. I did return to it before it was finally shut down.

[Skoogs]

My first cruise was a 7 day Hawaiian cruise in July 1991 on the SS Independance for a total eclipse. The SS Independance was an old ocean liner but I fell in love with it the second I saw it and have been cruising ever since. If the Independance was still sailing I would be back on it. I did return to it before it was finally shut down.

 

Wow! Unbelievable! I dug out the old photo album tonight and there it was the S.S. Independence. We sailed March 26th, 1994, 7 day Honolulu cruise, I was 29 years old, kids were 6 and 10, Wow time flys. I was mistaken for a crew member a couple of times and got chewed out for smoking on the deck:D What a great cruise, our first "exotic" vacation. The DW and I went down memory lane tonight, emailed the kids some photos, had some good laughs. I agree if the Independence was sailing today, we would go for sure! It's a small world!;)

[Himself]

Wow. This thread has had almost a half a million viewers and over 2000 posters.

[c-legs]

REGAL PRINCESS 7 day rt Vancouver- Alaska, 02-09 september'01

 

On 11sep, she was one of the ships ''en route'' to Juneau as 1st stop on following voyage and quickly rerouted back to B.C...and became an hotel for next 2 days ,until things settled down and folks could resume air/land journeys back home.

 

Cheers