How old were you when you took your first cruise?

[Honolulu Blue]

Are you ready for another meaningless poll? Of course you are! :)

 

Some provisos that apply:

 

* Only count cruises of 2+ days

* If you were in mother's womb, don't count that one

* If you were conceived on a cruise, don't count that one

* Don't count trips on a military vessel, whether you were military or not

* Count trips on freighters and similar ships if you were a passenger, but not if you were on the crew

* Do count any trip as a member of a cruise line crew

 

Thank you for replying. Feel free to share any interesting stories.

[Twickenham]

I was in my 20's when I finally took a cruise, but had been dreaming of one for much longer... :D

[Cruising Golfer]

Wish I would have been younger. I missed out on so many wonderful sailings.

Trying to make up for it now, always seem to have one booked every year.

When I win the lottery, I will live on a cruise ship!!!:cool:

[cruisemom42]

I took my first cruise at age 8 on the Emerald Seas; it was a family cruise over Christmas back when cruising for pleasure was in its infancy. And I've never looked back.

 

Thanks Mom & Dad for introducing me to cruising and travel at an early age, spawning a lifelong passion. For those who claim young children can't appreciate travel -- at least some of us do.

[cruzeluver]

My family started me young. Went on my first in 1983 at the tender age of 12. 31 years and 18 cruises later the love affair is still on!

[littlej]

My first was when I was about 15 or 16, on Royal Caribbean's Song of Norway, 7 nights to Bermuda. It was a big family reunion cruise, we must have had 8 or 10 cabins booked. I remember meeting a bunch of teens onboard, then spending the rest of the week trying to ditch the two teen cruise directors! I had a blast, and I was hooked.

[LOVINCRUIZIN]

Does anyone else get little pleasures when you squeek within an age threshold :o I was 29, clearly within the 20-29 bracket, even if it was just by a month.

I have been sailing with my kids since they were babies. My daughter was 9 months, and my son about a year. Spoiled kids :)

[clackey]

I was 51 when we took the plunge in 2002. We have 15 under our belts now and looking for another one. Before that we were too busy trying to make a living to take a vacation. Then we found out how cheap we could cruise and the rest is history.

[Sat1]

Some of y"all were younger, but when I was 22, sailed in 1950!! to Havana, British Honduras ( now Belize) and Costa Rica. Sailed from New Orleans.

[crystalspin]

37 and did not enjoy. Next cruise 42 and a slightly larger ship with a few more activities, but still did not enjoy enough to want to go again! Finally capitulated when I was 50 (same ship) to Alaska -- enjoyed more, ready to go again but still only interested in going somewhere only a ship can do -- so did the Canal at 55 and Cape Horn at 56.

 

Also for those last two, I had found Cruise Critic and attended M&Gs etc. I guess I've decided the ship(s) itself is fun, as we've booked a transatlantic for this spring!

[Laughing Angel]

I was 43.

 

Several members of my family had cruised before, and I had been invited on those trips, but always declined. They finally talked me into going on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera (PV, Mazatlan and Cabo). I remember feeling not too excited in the days leading up to the cruise, but promised I would try to enjoy myself. Long story short--I LOVED it! I was planning the next cruise before I even stepped off the ship.

:D

[GottaKnowWhen]

Are you ready for another meaningless poll? Of course you are! :)

 

Some provisos that apply:

 

* Only count cruises of 2+ days

* If you were in mother's womb, don't count that one

* If you were conceived on a cruise, don't count that one

* Don't count trips on a military vessel, whether you were military or not

* Count trips on freighters and similar ships if you were a passenger, but not if you were on the crew

* Do count any trip as a member of a cruise line crew

 

Thank you for replying. Feel free to share any interesting stories.

Four years old, but it was more of a voyage than a cruise. Cheaper those days to travel by ship than by airplane and people weren't in such a rush to get someplace. Eleven years old for the first cruise/voyage I remember much about.

[fishywood]

First one I remember: July 1972 just before my eighth birthday. My dad sent my mom and me out of town as he was double-shifting with the Democratic National Convention in town and the GOP coming a month later. (No he wasn't a cop, just a city official who I will remain vague about).

 

First one of my own choosing and on my own dime: August 1989 for my 25th birthday. Me and five single ladies at our dining room table--and all three meals were fixed seating back then :D

Edited January 22, 2015 by fishywood

[Krazy Kruizers]

It took me years to get DH on a cruise.

First one we took was back in the 80's.

[Folk Singer]

We went 5 years ago was our first Cruise and have cruised 2-3 times a year since. Now that the CDN $ is so low, this year will probably be our last for a while until the dollar goes back up.

[kelmac]

I was 28 and sailed on the NCL Starward. I was a new teacher and I remember how expensive this first seven day cruise was going to be ($624 per person; port hole cabin). We drove to Miami from New Mexico -- 2 1/2 days on the road. Flying was out of the question back then; just so expensive.

Looking back, this is what I remember:

-- the cabin was really small; like 116 sq ft.

-- the MDR food was really mediocre and the buffet was awful.

-- the ship seemed large to us, but at a 15,000 tons, it was a tug.

-- the hall ways were curved; higher aft and at the front, with the mid-ship at the lowest point. We you were either walking up-hill or down-hill.

-- people smoking just about everywhere.

-- service was good, but it seemed the entire crew was at war with each-other. I'm pretty sure our waiter stoled the tips we left for the asst' waiter.

 

Having said all that -- I was hooked after that cruise, but it took four more years to save up for my second cruise on Sitmar's Fairsea. Much better food and service -- the ship was a whopping 20,000 tons.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[TomAceEsq]

I first cruised at 19 aboard the Disney Wonder out of PC in 2003. It was actually pretty awesome. I was able to access all the adult only spots and stay away from the young kids the whole cruise.

 

My second cruise was a year later aboard the USS Enterprise. My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I was invited on a Tiger Cruise with her father. That was by far my most memorable cruise. The food was fantastic (Officer's Quarters!) and there was always something to do. Best part was it was two years after 9/11 so the ship was battle-ready to the nines. They actually had all the Tigers on the flight deck WHILE they were launching and retrieving aircraft. I'll never forget the extreme heat of the jet wash as F-16s launched from the deck literally 150 feet in front of my face.

Edited January 22, 2015 by TomAceEsq

[Katgoesonholiday]

I've wanted to cruise since I was a young kid and my parents would take us to the port to see the ships. Unfortunately cruising is quite pricy in my part of the world and the itineraries don't enthrall.

 

So I didn't take my first cruise till last year when my husband and I both turned 40 and celebrated our 15th anniversary. With celebrating such significant dates we decided to have the cruise of our dreams and we took a Mediterranean cruise without the kids.

 

I knew we would love it. I knew I'd be hooked on it. So before we even left I was planning the next one - this time with our kids (13, 8 & 7 years). That happened in Dec so now our whole family is hooked on cruising!

 

Unfortunately the next one won't be for over two years. It's expensive to take a family of five across the world. So we are focussing on paying off our mortgage and then we will be having cruises at least once a year.

 

 

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