Your first cruise ship

[Gunther1]

My first time on a cruise ship wasn’t actually a cruise .  HAL quite often hosts lunches when at port for various non-profits….and my partner at the time and I were on for that reason. You see a short show in the main lounge, have lunch in the MDR, and then are given about an hour to explore on your own before having to disembark.  

 

Meanwhile, of course, the real passengers are embarking.  I remember it was a zoo on the Lido deck (some things never change).

 

It got my thinking of how much fun it would be to actually be a passenger…and the rest is history  :).  

[CNSJ]

On 5/30/2023 at 12:08 PM, norboy76 said:

My 3 Rotterdam postcards.

Top: 1908-1940 (postcard used and dated Feb 2, 1914)

Middle: 1959-1997

Bottom: 1997-2020

Looks like you need another postcard to get caught up.  Rotterdam a very nice ship!

[Tigerlily75]

Mine was not so long ago, Carnival Spirit from Sydney to the South Pacific in 2015. I won it in a competition Carnival Australia was running on their website. I had never even thought about cruising before, and I was definitely hooked. I took two more Carnival cruises after that, then an NCL transatlantic, and now looking forward to trying out HAL in China and Japan in February! 

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, Tigerlily75 said:

Mine was not so long ago, Carnival Spirit from Sydney to the South Pacific in 2015. I won it in a competition Carnival Australia was running on their website. I had never even thought about cruising before, and I was definitely hooked. I took two more Carnival cruises after that, then an NCL transatlantic, and now looking forward to trying out HAL in China and Japan in February! 

Welcome to HAL!

Can I touch you for luck? I want to win an awesome cruise!!

[Miles Davis]

My first cruise was on NCL Norway in 1995.

first HAL was on Prinsendam in 2003.  Then every holiday till 2019.  Loved that small lil ship.

[Homelines]

Home Lines' Oceanic.  Nothing has ever come close!

 

[shandryl]

First cruise was Carnival Victory.  7 Day Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami.  That's when the addiction set in. Next HAL cruise (maybe) in 2026🤞

[Crashe]

First cruise was out of LA on a Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas.  We went with folks I played hockey with, some were complete scrubs, some had 150+ games in the NHL.  It was a drink feast at Papa and Beers…and we did do the walk of shame as a pier runner.  My wife made me go to the MDR for dinner, there were only 5 of us out of 14.  😂.  I am much more refined today….

[Birdhunter67]

Mine was 2017 to Alaska on the Noordam. My wife wanted to cruise; I couldn’t imagine being stuck on a boat with 2000 people. I felt Alaska would be OK as it was an inside passage cruise and we would see Alaska. I was hooked after the 1st couple of days.  Since then, we have taken 6 additional cruises and have 2 more booked. We absolutely love sea days. 

[sambamama]

Mine was the NCL Norway, I think back in 1983. For sure it was still when cruising was very big. You went to the MDR for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the midnight buffets were really something. Captain st still had cruisers sit at their tables for dinner. The Norway was a beautiful ship, and I became hooked! 

[grannyshell]

Ours was on the Statendam in 1980. Fast forward to 2022 when we returned to cruising....we sailed on the Nieuw Statendam!

[BermudaBound2014]

1987. Regency Cruises. The Regent Sun. I thought it was the best thing ever! Had assigned seating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (although I think they did do bbq grill hamburger/hotdog for lunch at the pool on sea days). Back then, soda pop was included in the price and long gowns were customary on formal nights.

 

@sambamama I also sailed NCL Norway. What a magnificent cruise liner that was. 

Edited August 11 by BermudaBound2014

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 hours ago, sambamama said:

Mine was the NCL Norway, I think back in 1983. For sure it was still when cruising was very big. You went to the MDR for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the midnight buffets were really something. Captain st still had cruisers sit at their tables for dinner. The Norway was a beautiful ship, and I became hooked! 

 

You're so lucky to have sailed her early in her life. I didn't sail on her until 2000, and by that time NCL was running her on the cheap--some kind of foam covering on the promenade deck instead of teak. I suppose it was good for runners, but it crumbled and was patched and ugly. She still had her lovely dining rooms and Club International (I think that's what it was called) still ranks high on my list of most beautiful rooms at sea. 

 

My first was July 1978, Statendam to Bermuda. Back then, you could still have friends on for a bon voyage party. My parents and friends (who later became our cruising buddies, based on our tales of cruises!) came onboard to see us off. It was a VERY cozy party in our little inside upper/lower cabin. But hey, we going were on a CRUISE and we were happy!!!

Edited August 11 by 3rdGenCunarder

[azddave]

Our first cruise was also on the NCL's SS Norway.  It must have been in 2002 as it was less than a year later the ship suffered the unimaginable boiler explosion.  It was truly a classy ship.  It was interesting walking the hallways and passing numerous watertight doorways.

 

A funny story from the MDR.  I think it was a formal night and an appetizer offered was escargot.  Never having tried them I asked the waiter to bring me "4", assuming I would get a half a tin of 4 total.  To my surprise, and our tablemates, he brought 4 tins of 8 escargot each.  The table of 8 guests got a big laugh out of that, and none of the escargot went to waste.   

[Petronillus]

These latest posts have surprisingly turned this thread into a Norway memory lane. Our first cruise was on the Norway, in 1995. DW & I took the three kids to the Caribbean for 7 days. Our then-14yo DD got hypnotized in the theater. We had assigned seating in the main dining room and all fell in love with our waiter Clyde. We fell in love with the island of St. John in the USVI and went back for a week the next year. 

In its prior incarnation the Norway had been the France, which in its day was the largest cruise ship afloat. In 2009 we had our first HAL cruise, another 7 days up and down the Alaska panhandle, r/t Seattle. Besides loving Sitka, my sharpest memory is of seeing, and especially hearing, an iceberg calve into Glacier Bay.

I've always been impressed at how HAL has the crew working around the clock to keep its fleet in ship-shape. In comparison the Norway was showing its wear and tear.

[ghia007]

First cruise with my mom after my dad passed away. 2009, Pacific Princess, 14 day Alaska.

What a way to start my new cruise career as mom's new cruise companion.

[Vict0riann]

We sailed on the Norway when she was the ss. France, in August 1974.  It was on that voyage the crew learned the ship would be decommissioned.  Very sad.  The seas were bad on the north Atlantic, and everyone was seasick except me.  Our steward, Charles, brought us lovely, very plain, white meat chicken sandwiches, and said not to drink, because liquids would "slosh".  Eventually I went to the medical room and they gave me - very French - suppositories for all the family.  They were up and about very quickly!  The other thing I remember from the France is that our children loved artichokes, (I cook them very plainly, and the best part is dipping the leaves in lots of melted butter), so they ordered them immediately they were on the menu in the dining room.  Of course they came in a much more elaborate French vinaigrette, with lots of herbs, and the children hated them....