When was your first cruise?

[Gator Man]

First cruise was on Carnivals Festivale, still one of my favorites ships, only 37000 tons, huge to me then. I became so hooked I booked another one on The Holiday the day after I got off the Festivale, for the month after, this was late 1988. Have been on RCCL, Premier, NCL, and numerous cruises since then. Leaving on my 15th on the Triumph in April, will cruise as long as I am able.

[acetray]

first cruise was on our honeymoon may 30 2005 4 night carnival paradise from long beach

[ryano]

Carnival Holiday - June 2008! :D

 

That "rusty old scowl" will ALWAYS be special to me! She took my cruise virginity! :D

[Uncle Deane]

My first cruise was on the Carnival Sensation in September of 1995. It was my honeymoon with 1st DW, aka 'Contestant #1'.

Booked 3rd cruise with present (and final) DW 2 months after we met. Got engaged on 4th cruise and honeymooned on 5th. we're looking forward to #12 in April!

 

For those who have sailed on the Norway; we were on an RCCL ship that had just returned to port in Miami, docked in front of the Norway when she had her tragic engine room explosion. It was a sad day for the cruise industry.

[wopper81]

My first cruise in May 2005 on the Carnival Miracle. I loved it and have been on a cruise every year since. I will be getting married this June in Key West while cruising on the Freedom.

[cherylscruises]

My first cruise was on the Imagination in June of 99. I took my son to the mall for a haircut and came home with a cruise! Best shopping time at the mall I ever had! Just wish I could do it more often!!

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Our very first cruise was actually like our long overdue honeymoon! We had been married 25 years and had never gone on a vacation by ourselves and did not do a honeymoon when we got married!

 

Our first trip was the absolutely darling Inspiration out of Tampa and we went to Grand Cayman and Cozumel and totally fell in love with cruising and especially with cruising with Carnival!

 

We ended up taking our "kids" and their spouses the following year on the Inspiration as well - so the Inspiration then became their first cruise as well!!

 

Wonderful memories of our first cruise - I remember how in awe I was of the whole thing - especially listening the the steel drum music! We did have a storm that year - we were on the tail end of "Rita" so our last night next to the last nightw as pretty bumpy and my husband did not fare too well with it!

 

Gotta go look at pictures now - maybe even pull out the video!!!

[GottaLuvCruising]

Our first was the Carnivale Feb 1991. We booked the whole package (air, transfers, cruise) with Carnival through a local agent we met at a cruise night at our credit union. We had sailed a 24 hour ferry / party boat from Maine to Canada many, many times and dreamed of taking a "real cruise". Some friends from Maine went with us. We had a good time, except for some spring breakers who were raising the devil on board. We figured we had checked this off from our to-do list and didn't really expect to cruise again. We just never imagined 20 years later we would have cruised 30 times.

[CruzKnitr]

first cruise was around Hawaii on the Pride of Aloha

[kicia]

First cruise was 23 years ago this coming weekend. It was a 3 day Valentine's cruise on Premier's Oceanic (Big Red Boat). On Saturday we are leaving on our 28th cruise (20th on Carnival) on the Carnival Dream.

[All4fun&fun4all]

I grew up watching The Love Boat and all I ever wanted to do was cruise before I die. (Bucket List) My boss suprised us with a cruise for Christmas one year and I started crying! :DWe sailed out of Port Canaveral (my first trip to Florida) and we sailed Carnival Fantasy in February 2004. We brought this guy along that was friends with my boss and we ended up falling in love on that cruise. Together we sailed that cruise, Triumph in 2007 and will be going on Fantasy in our hometown of Charleston this June on Fantasy. Back to the ship where we made that connection...Everybody say AWWWWWW! ;)

[fayruz]

[quote name='All4fun&fun4all']I grew up watching The Love Boat and all I ever wanted to do was cruise before I die. (Bucket List) My boss suprised us with a cruise for Christmas one year and I started crying! :DWe sailed out of Port Canaveral (my first trip to Florida) and we sailed Carnival Fantasy in February 2004. We brought this guy along that was friends with my boss and we ended up falling in love on that cruise. Together we sailed that cruise, Triumph in 2007 and will be going on Fantasy in our hometown of Charleston this June on Fantasy. Back to the ship where we made that connection...Everybody say AWWWWWW! ;)[/quote]
It is just like a "Loveboat" script :)
ps I enjoyed watching it to :)

[k2excursion]

My 1st was on the Carnival Celebration out of Galveston in September 2003. As I was getting fitted for my groomsman tux, the couple getting married invited me to join them for the cruise (which wasn't their honeymoon). The Celebration encountered problems and was moving slow, so we were delayed getting on board until 11:00pm, and our 4-day cruise to Cozumel became a 3.5 day cruise to nowhere. How did I get addicted!? Carnival gave us all kinds of credits that they don't do anymore, plus a free excursion to Moody Gardens as we waited for the ship to arrive, and I won $240 on the slots (and I haven't gambled since). I wound up spending $90 total on the trip, factoring in everything. I always thought that cruising was for the rich and upper-middle class before then. It was a great experience. Warm sun, waterslide, crazy games, an awesome band in the lounge (Blackjack--also on the Conquest last April), and 2 amazing Vegas-style shows. This was before the top-optional tanning deck got converted to mini golf. My female friend on the cruise made me accompany her to go tanning up there.

[Sacramento_Kat]

1970 President Wilson from Yokohama Japan to San Francisco. I was ten and my dad, who was in the Navy had the option of transferring duty stations by cruise ship, instead of flying the family to the US. It was a two week cruise and we spent Christmas eve midway at Honolulu, the only stop.

This cruise was magical, they treated us kids very well (I have a younger brother and sister), and we ran wild and ordered room service between activities. Fantastic food, great entertainment, Captains "Coketail" party for the kids. Lots of Christmas festivities. Tennessee Williams was on that cruise and my dad played cards with him! My mom saved all the menus and I have a copy of the manifest. The only negative (for us kids it was a positive!) is the ship rolled pretty good in rough seas. I remember everyone waiting for dinner (early sitting of course), the ship took a roll, loud crashing of glassware, and the crew soon informing us that dinner would be delayed while they cleaned up and reset the tables!

I didn't cruise again until around 1992, when my ex and I took a 3 day ride from Miami to Nassau....then a 4 day Carnival "fun ship" family cruise in 1999. Finally, after years of nagging :D, a nice cruise planned for 10th anniversary this May (going to do it right!).

[Vanessa L]

[quote name='kkmonga']What ship did you sail on when your took your first cruise? Mine was the Carnivale, February 14, 1982! I sailed solo in a guaranteed quad-share. I was hooked for life! Preparing for my 28th cruise on the Triumph this March (19th Carnival cruise.)[/quote]

The Carnivale was also my first cruise, July 9, 1984. I've been hooked ever since. Numbers 31 and 32 are booked for this year :D

[hardel]

Our first cruise was the Carnival Celebration in 1987. Just completed our 41st cruise on the Carnival Splendor. Have 3 more cruises booked.....

[skiatookcruiser]

Mine was on the Ecstasy in Oct 2008, i have taken 6 since then!! We have taken one about every 3 months since then! Looking for one now for march sometime! I love to cruise! :)

[willy32465]

Our first cruise was May '07 on The Miracle. #6 is May '10 out of NYC on The Miracle for the 3rd time. Love that ship!

[CruiserJul]

Our first was the S.S Oceanic (Premier Cruise Lines) for our honeymoon in 1987. We did a package 4 night cruise/3 days at Disney. I remember it had a movie theater inside. I also realized I get sea sick:( easily!

[AddictedtoFL]

We just start cruising last year

1st - Feb. 2009 Fascination - 5 nights - Bahamas
It was our first time so everything was great, got ocean view since we have kids and worry about safety of the balcony room. Love Nassau (Atlantis) and Half Moon Cay. Embark & Debark was nice and easy

2nd - Oct 2009 Valor - 7 Nights - Western Carib.
Second times so we wanted longer, love all the ports, but hated the tender, got Balcony on Spa deck and it was great, next to the Spa for massage and right under Camp Carnival. Miami was the worse Debarkation we ever experienced.

3rd - Jan 2010 Victory - 7 Nights - Southern Carib.
No kids this time around, love all the ports, wife love the shopping in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Paid balcony price for regular inside stateroom :( with moldy washroom, hated the ship and the shows, the lounge singers was terrible. Embark & Debark was nice and easy.

Still have $200 credit purchased during the Valor Cruise, thinking about sending it in to get the deposit back so we can say goodbye to Carnival for at least a long while.

4th April 2010 (in 2 months) - Hello Disney Wonder!

[ladycaveat]

Chandris' Regina Magna in 1974 . . . the ship sank in the China Sea years later and Chandris is no longer a cruise company.

[cuted126]

My first cruise was April 2002. We sailed on the Imagination to Grand Cayman & Calica. I had no idea what to expect and definitely didn't know I would have so much fun!

God I love cruising!

[Ggrrrr]

Hi, my first cruise was on the Mardi Gras in 1983. I have great memories of that ship! I recently looked up it's history and it is interesting!

[Jimnbigd]

SS Norway. So sad to see it being dismantled. :(

[GeorgiaGayCruiser]

My first was June 2004 on the Carnival Holiday from New Orleans. Number 5 is coming up in 9 days. I've been hooked since day one and will try to do 1 or 2 every year from here on out.