Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

Song Of Norway, 1978,Carribean, and we were hooked for sure. In 2009 we were aboard the Mariener of Seas and met the Captian and in the conversation he told us that he was a deck hand on the Norway in 1978, and now he is the captian of the Mariener, now thats a rags to rich's dream.:):)

 

Then, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's ms Song of Norway, with RCCL from 1970 until 1997

 

 

Last used as cruise ship Ocean Pearl in 2010 for Spain's Happy Cruises (now out of business) and sold to China's Asia Queen Cruises in April 2012 for use as a floating casino ship under the name Formosa Queen. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and is due to be broken up in China this year. Hate to see her go; we took a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on her as Song of Norway out of L.A. waaay back in February 1996

 

[Himself]

Then, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's ms Song of Norway, with RCCL from 1970 until 1997

 

 

Last used as cruise ship Ocean Pearl in 2010 for Spain's Happy Cruises (now out of business) and sold to China's Asia Queen Cruises in April 2012 for use as a floating casino ship under the name Formosa Queen. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and is due to be broken up in China this year. Hate to see her go; we took a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on her as Song of Norway out of L.A. waaay back in February 1996

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ships were a lot smaller years ago than they are today.

[Copper10-8]

Ships were a lot smaller years ago than they are today.

 

Notice; not one balcony, Father! The nightclub, called the Viking Crown Lounge, was built in to the rear of her stack, a novelty for RCCL at the time. They only way to get up there was via an exterior stairwell to the rear. Also; only two tenders; the remainder were lifeboats ;)

Edited January 24, 2014 by Copper10-8

[Aegis1984]

My father would tell you the first cruise ship he was on was the SS Waterman in 1955 (?).

 

As for me, my first cruise ship was the ms Zuiderdam this past September. I couldn't tell you which boat belonging to BC Ferries was the first vessel I was on.

[jeda]

First one for me was the Zuiderdam, to Alaska in May 2006 and I was definitely hooked :D

[donswife]

My first cruise was to Alaska in 1981 on the old HAL Statendam. We were blessed by the upgrade fairy from an inside with bunk beds to an outside with twin beds. I did not cruise again until 2003.

[Alphen]

Deleted

Edited January 24, 2014 by Alphen

[Alphen]

This:

 

 

 

I'm sure, beats this:

 

 

Right? ;)

 

You are so very right :D

 

Is this just a coincidence, or based on social media knowledge, that you posted the picture of the “van Galen”?

 

Indeed both first times for me! :)

[Copper10-8]

You are so very right :D

 

Is this just a coincidence, or based on social media knowledge, that you posted the picture of the “van Galen”?

 

Indeed both first times for me! :)

 

I saw a certain crew pic and the name of F803 popped out ;)

[Copper10-8]

My father would tell you the first cruise ship he was on was the SS Waterman in 1955 (?).

 

As for me, my first cruise ship was the ms Zuiderdam this past September. I couldn't tell you which boat belonging to BC Ferries was the first vessel I was on.

 

Waterman was born as the Victory-class troop transport La Grande Victory in 1944 and was assigned to the U.S. War Shipping Administration. She was purchased by the Dutch government in 1947 and renamed Waterman (Aquarius in English), for the eleventh sign of the zodiac. For the first five years, she was managed and operated by Dutch company Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd/Royal Rotterdam Lloyd transporting troops to the former Dutch East indies (present Indonesia) and returning with expats.

 

From 1952 until 1961, ss Waterman was operated by the Dutch company NV Scheepvaart Maatschappij Trans Oceaan/Trans Ocean shipping Company, set up by the Dutch government to transport Dutch immigrants to Canada, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. In January 1961 Holland Amerika Lijn (HAL) assumed control of Trans Oceaan and Waterman. In 1964 Waterman was operated as Margarita for Greek shipping tycoon Yiannis "John" Latsis. She was sold for scrap in early 1970 and broken up in March of that year at Onamichi, Japan

 

 

[Aegis1984]

That would be the one! His family emigrated from the Netherlands to Australia aboard it, if I'm not mistaken. I'll have to ask him which vessel transported him from Australia to Canada.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Aegis1984

[Alphen]

Actually, now I came to think of it, my first ever VISIT to a cruise ship, was the SS Rotterdam V, spring 1983 in La Guaria Venezuela. Parked right in front of the grand old lady with our Dutch navy ship, we were invited for a guided tour on board, really nice. Maybe it started to simmer back then ……

 

 

 

[Alphen]

And this was what she looked like last summer, when we revisited her;

 

Edited January 24, 2014 by Alphen

[Smokeyham]

And this was what she looked like last summer, when we revisited her;

 

 

Thanks for posting those! My first cruise was on board her in Alaska in the summer of 1993, and she was a lovely ship! I would love to go and stay on her again, in her new role as a floating hotel.

 

Here is a link to some further pictures as she is today. http://patriciadempsey.net/linerlovers/Europe/Rotterdam.html

[hcappa]

1987 The Big Red Boat (formerly know as The Oceanic of the Premier Line) - Disney charterd cruise

 

Yes, hooked us big time. 15 cruises and counting.

[Copper10-8]

In 1989, the brand new to Princess, Sky Princess. It had been a Sitmar ship, and they were still giving out cards, pens, shirts with the Sitmar logo.

 

Built in 1984 in France as Fairsky for Italy's Sitmar Cruises (Societa Italiana Trasporti MARittimi). P&O bought Sitmar in 1988 and renamed her Sky Princess for Princess Cruise Line. She then went to P&O Australia as Pacific Sky in 2000. 2006 saw her go to Spanish operator Pullmantur under a new name, Sky Wonder. From 2009 until 2013 she operated as Atlantic Star. Her end came in April 2013 when she was broken up at Aliaga, Turkey

 

 

 

[Himself]

Actually, now I came to think of it, my first ever VISIT to a cruise ship, was the SS Rotterdam V, spring 1983 in La Guaria Venezuela. Parked right in front of the grand old lady with our Dutch navy ship, we were invited for a guided tour on board, really nice. Maybe it started to simmer back then ……

 

 

 

 

The Rotterdam V was a great ship! She was the last of the Steam Ships for HAL went out after the 1997 Alaska Season.

[calex]

What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

 

Ours was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's m/s Viking Serenade, a converted car ferry, back in NOV 1991, a 3-day L.A. - Catalina Island - Esenada, Mexico - L.A. cruise. Never forget our first impressions - we were hooked from that day on!

 

 

 

Viking Serenade (still sailing today as Island Escape)

 

 

Interesting, my first cruise was the 4-day cruise out of Los Angeles on the Viking Serenade which included a day in San Diego back in 1991... small world.

[Copper10-8]

My first overall I was in 6th grade so...1983 I think? We were on the Emerald Seas - not sure which company it was with at the time. It was our spring break trip as we'd moved three years before and were still in a rented house so our parents wanted to do something special. They had a kids sail free, so it worked nicely. We went to Nassau where we stayed docked overnight (pretty sure we stayed docked...I know we had 2 days in Nassau) - first day we did the buggy tour and straw market; second day we went to Paradise Island where I got royally sunburned. We sailed to Freeport, where we got off briefly but quickly got back on the ship as we weren't into casinos and that kind of thing. We enjoyed the vacation, but cruising wasn't really anything I considered again once I was on my own.

 

Until recently.

 

30 years later (this summer), we were back on a ship - the Disney Dream! We were celebrating my parents' 45th anniversary as well as my and my sister's birthdays. Loved every minute, and I rebooked a trip for myself in February.

 

Yeah...now I'm hooked!

 

Emerald Seas was born as yet another WWII troop carrier, the General W.P. (Wilds Preston) Richardson in 1944. After the war, she was refitted as a passenger liner and operated by American Export Lines as LaGuardia with her first voyage in 1949. After a period back with the U.S. Government and participation in the Korean war and a layup afterwards, she was purchased by the Hawaiian Steamship Co. and renamed Leilani for Calif.-Hawaii service.

 

In 1960 she was purchased by American President Lines and, after another refit, renamed President Roosevelt. In 1970 she went to Greece's Chandris Line who named her Atlantis. Two years later she wound up at Eastern Steamship Lines as Emerald Seas. In 1981 the company was renamed Eastern Cruises, and later in 1983 merged with Western Cruise Lines and Sundance Cruises to form Admiral Cruises. In 1986 Admiral had Emerald Seas sailing 3 and 4-day cruises to the Bahamas from Port Everglades. In 1992 Greece's Festival Cruises bought her and named her Sapphire Seas. She then spent time as a hotel, accommodation ship, as well as a layup period in Greece from 1998 until 2004. In 2004 she was sold for scrap and ended up at the breakers in Alang, India late that year

 

 

 

[RocketMan275]

Our first cruise was Freedom of the Seas, Jul 2013. We celebrated my birthday and our retirement. We weren't at all sure we'd like cruising. While driving back from PCO to MCO, DW told me to book another cruise as soon as we got home. We've got two booked.

 

Booked a Princess and a HAL cruise. Actually, looking more forward to the HAL cruise.

[Copper10-8]

In 1975 we were suppose to take a cruise to the Med but a war between broke out and the ‘Stella Oceanus” cancelled the trip. They moved the ship to the Eastern Coast of South America so we went. We had an inside cabin and I can remember we hung our key on a hook in the hall by our cabin number and the steward knew we were not in so he would clean.

The Stella Oceanus was owned by Sun Line cruises that was owned by the Marriott Corp at the time. It just so happened that we met an Investment Banker from Cleveland that said he was a personal friend of JW Marriott. He had been sent a bouquet of flowers and the card did say regards from JW Marriott (not sure if it was Junior or not).

On this cruise the Investment Banker trips over a vacuum cleaner cord when the ship did a slight roll and fell breaking his right humerus “upper arm”. This was only about a 6800 GRT ship, Not much medical help aboard but they did have an x-ray machine and I put a hanging arm cast on him. This could have been satisfactory treatment except he could not raise his wrist meaning his radial nerve was trapped and he would need immediate surgery.

Well we are at sea off the coast of South America and we got into port and he was sent back to the states. Well he missed the rest of the cruise so he blamed the vacuum cleaner cord and asked Sun Line to refund him the balance of the cruise that he was not able to finish. He did not have trip insurance. So, sue your friend Mr. Marriott, maybe. I had a lawyer from Cleveland fly down to Louisiana and was in my office for a statement. I often wonder what ever happened to that situation. That was back in the days when I didn't charge lawyers anything for just talking to them.

 

 

Stella Oceanis was built in Monfalcone, Italy as the inter-island car ferry Aphrodite in 1965 on behalf of the Hellenic National Tourism Office. The government of Italy funded the construction as a war reparation to Greece. In 1966 Greek Sun Line, of which the Marriot Hotel Group owned a 50% share, purchased the ship after an extensive upgrade and named her Stella Oceanis.

 

In 1997 Sun Line and Greek Epirotiki Line merge to form Royal Olympic Cruises (later Royal Olympia Cruises when the International Olympic Committee took exception to the first name) with Stella Oceanis included in the deal. Eventually, ROC decided to get rid of their smaller ships and Stella Oceanis was taken out of service and laid up in 2000. In late 2003 she was sold for scrap, and eventually arrived in Alang, India for breaking up which took place in early 2004.

 

 

[VISLAND]

Our first cruise was to the Caribbean, aboard the Fairsky,..... the Sitmar line, in approx.; 1983, and Yes! we were definitely hooked.

[Don_In_AZ]

My first (and so far only) cruise ship was the MS Zaandam for a 15 day circle Hawaii in October 2009. It was the most fun I've had since going to Tahiti 20 years prior to that in July of 1989.

 

Loved the Ship, the people, the itinerary...everything about it. Have been dying to go again ever since...

[DDMau]

Our first cruise was in 2002 on NCL Sky to Alaska.

 

Yes - It did get us hooked 11 cruises later we are still cruising. The kids and grandkids are cruising

with us as well.

Edited January 27, 2014 by DDMau

[Himself]

Stella Oceanis was built in Monfalcone, Italy as the inter-island car ferry Aphrodite in 1965 on behalf of the Hellenic National Tourism Office. The government of Italy funded the construction as a war reparation to Greece. In 1966 Greek Sun Line, of which the Marriot Hotel Group owned a 50% share, purchased the ship after an extensive upgrade and named her Stella Oceanis.

 

In 1997 Sun Line and Greek Epirotiki Line merge to form Royal Olympic Cruises (later Royal Olympia Cruises when the International Olympic Committee took exception to the first name) with Stella Oceanis included in the deal. Eventually, ROC decided to get rid of their smaller ships and Stella Oceanis was taken out of service and laid up in 2000. In late 2003 she was sold for scrap, and eventually arrived in Alang, India for breaking up which took place in early 2004.

 

 

 

This thread of Copper 10/8 is the most educational thread on the HAL board. I have learned so much about the old ships of yester-year. It is a shame so many were scrapped.