Do you remember your 1st cruise? I kinda envy 1st timers.

[geoherb]

My first cruise was in 1988 with my ex and a friend. She slept in the upper berth above our bed. We had a tiny inside cabin. It was on the Carnivale--a tiny ship compared to the new ones they're making now. The two stops were Freeport and Nassau. I wasn't too impressed with either.

[WyKnott]

I don't remember everything about my first cruise. I do remember it was the Azure Seas in the late 80s. Midnight buffets, baked Alaska and my friend and I were invited to the Captain's table on one of the formal nights. It helped that we were two 20-somethings. After that, there were several annual weekend cruises to Ensenada and Catalina out of Long Beach on Viking Serenade. A cheap way to cruise for someone who didn't make a lot of money. The first cruise there were just two of us, after that it was more and more in our group, the two who organized everything in our group would put together scavenger hunts for us, we'd be all over the ship searching for things.

 

Tianamen Square and Johnny Carson's last show happened during some of those cruises. Carson's last show was aired in one of the lounges and the room was full.

 

Thanks to all those weekend cruises, I had enough points with RCL to make me a Diamond. Have cruised ever since, on Carnival, Holland America and of course Royal Caribbean.

Edited April 14, 2015 by WyKnott

[GUT2407]

I still get the same thrill as my first cruise.

 

Just love boarding, even a ship I've been on before.

[Velvetwater]

I still get the same thrill as my first cruise.

 

Just love boarding, even a ship I've been on before.

 

I thats true for me as well, I also love the 'first ship sighting' feeling.

 

 

I always say to my husband 'cruising is my crack' as I am so addicted.

[RMorgan]

This is my first cruise!!!!!!!! I'm so happy to share it with the love of my life!

[PEB]

Yes I remember my first cruise very well. I think of it often and look back at pictures and video often. It was on the SS Independence. It was an old ship but it is still my favorite ship. I did sail on her again before she stopped sailing and would do so again if she was still sailing. I have had many great cruises on many newer and bigger ships but the Independence is still my favorite.

[Linda Barnes]

It was 1999, and it was an Alaskan cruise that left out of San Francisco. It was wonderful.

 

 

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[pghsteelerfan]

Carnival Festivale, southern Caribbean out of San Juan (our honeymoon) in 1992. From what I remembered from watching "The Love Boat" (didn't tune in regularly but saw several episodes), I pictured it to be very structured where all passengers had to participate in every event announced and also thought port of call stops would be organized tours to specific sights that all passengers had to go on together as a group. Kind of like a week-long, "floating field trip". LOL!!! From what I do remember, every time an announcement was made, it signaled the people being focused in that segment to go to where the announcements were telling them to meet. No, a cruise was not for me EXCEPT that DH's parents worked for a travel agency that specialized in cruises at the time and a cruise was to be our wedding gift from them. We got to choose the itinerary but I was leery. I wanted to relax and enjoy it and see things I wanted to see and not some "field trip" type tours of the islands. My soon to be DH and his parents, whom were also frequent cruisers, told me it wasn't that way and asked why I thought it was. I told them from the episodes of "The Love Boat" I'd seen. They laughed and said it was a show and we could do our own thing. They assured me that, yes, there will be tours but there are several to choose and you can choose based on what you want to do, IF you want to take an organized tour. It was recommended by DH's parents to go to The "talks" where the cruise director explains, in detail, certain things we'd need to know weren't mandatory, but DH's parents recommended we attend (we did). The only thing that was really mandatory was the Life Boat Drill (nowadays called the "Muster Drill"). Otherwise, we were "wide eyed newbies" and went with the flow and found things to do. We really didn't know what to expect until we experienced it first hand and enjoyed it. There was no Cruise Critic then to get so many great ideas of things to see and do. The one who was hesitant to cruise is now addicted, even though we've only been on five more cruises since then. :D

 

Carnival Festivale docked in Barbados, June 18, 1992:

[vestamark]

Majesty of the Seas, western Caribbean, in August 1996. It was our honeymoon. We were pretty exhausted from the wedding and didn't take advantage of the ship's offerings like we could have. Really weren't hooked until our second one on the Nordic Empress to Bermuda in 2003. Rough ride from NYC but still had a blast.

 

Did get the the thrill of the first time cruiser two years ago when we took our then five and eight year old boys on the Elation out of New Orleans to Cozumel. I think they're more hooked than we are now.

 

We will be taking our fourth cruise this June, Alaska on Ruby Princess, about two months ahead of our 19th anniversary. No kids this time.

 

Maybe another with the kids later in the year.

[nickw]

I was 12 years old when I took my first cruise in 2001 on the Carnival Celebration out of Galveston. It was a 4 night cruise to Cozumel. My family had booked a 4 person ocean view room. I remember sitting inside the window and watching the water, and also eating pizza every chance I got. I think the pizza was better back then! I remember tipping on the last night at dinner with cash in a white envelope, which now seems very odd. I remember telling the waiter it was our friend's birthday (even though it wasn't) and they brought her out a large birthday cake and sang for her.

[flashncrash]

first cruise was on the Carnival Festivale out of san juan in november 1990. remembered we had an inside cabin with a large bathroom and kept sleeping in (without any window). loved the itinerary of st. thomas, st. maarten/martin, barbados, and antigua. loved that you could get fruit nectar at dinner. loved the midnight buffets and other late dining possibilities. believed there was a topless section unless it was another early cruise of ours. everything was fantastic and got us going on more cruises.

[chadci]

Carnival Legend with Wee Jimmy.

 

Got to the port (Tampa) extra early and watched the workers load all of the food and drinks and just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

 

Boarded into a narrow hall and rushed to Lido. Had burgers and frys as the was the first place we came to, had no idea what was past those sliding doors until I went to find a bathroom. I grabbed my wife and we ate until we couldn't anymore.

 

Skipped dinner that night to watch the ship pass under the Bridge.

 

By far, the best moment of the cruise though was telling my wife "welcome to Mexico" when we ported in Cozumel. She'd always wanted to go but never had.

[CruiseLovah82]

Carnival Victory September 2012. My honeymoon and first cruise. No trip, land or sea will ever top that one.

[CruisinGma01]

My first cruise was on The Big Red Boat in 1993! We were hooked on cruising from then on [emoji568][emoji572]️[emoji267][emoji485][emoji41]

 

 

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[OCruisers]

1961 ... SS Bahama Star ... Sweet 16 ... High School Senior Trip....

Life long love of cruising! :)

Still can not even stand the smell of Sloe Gin after all of these years! :p

LuLu

Edited April 16, 2015 by OCruisers

[MrsKNZ]

P&O Australia's Pacific Pearl in 2013 for my first wedding anniversary. Not total luxury or anything like that, but just such a great time and relaxing trip! Leaving in three days for another one, with a friend's wedding on one of the Port calls - been talking it up!

We'd decided that we'd have to try it at least once to decide if we'd ever cruise again, and so glad we did! Not a huge choice in New Zealand, but still happy with the Pacific Islands visits on a giant ship every couple of years - we were so overwhelmed by so much going on on the first one that this one will be a kind of 'make up' experience where we're more confident about doing more onboard activities. Absolutely dying for it - just can't wait!!

[legion3]

I remember that the "kids program" met at the ship's "movie theater" which was nothing more than a small room with a screen and some chairs. The activities consisted of doing arts and crafts. Would love to see the reaction of kids today if that was the only thing offered on modern cruise ships! Haha.

 

I also remember that the swimming pool always splashed and sloshed everywhere (small ship, no stabilizers), and what would be a reason to close the pools today was a source of fun for us. It was like jumping in a tide pool at a water park!

 

Might like this

 

http://www.cunardqueens.com/pdf/acpdecks.pdf

[mishka422]

Thanks for the atrium photo of Legend. I was so overwhelmed with everything else I lost sight of the atrium. Loved that ship and the staff was absolutely the best.

 

We had Wee Jimmy too. My favorite cruise director of all of my 11 cruises. Awesome. When he came out in that kilt, I knew he was going to be great. Laughing now as I think of it.

My first was on the Legend also and Wee Jimmy was our CD as well. My favorite so far!

[RACASmith]

2000 Royal Caribbean Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona around Italy. A most wonderful time. 12 days of heaven for our Honeymoon [emoji173]️

 

 

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[Kayakbride]

My first cruise was Mexican Riviera on the HAL Noordam. It was lovely and elegant but I was shocked the cabin steward went through my things to my out my nighty at turndown. My now-ex told the steward that once was enough. We took three kids and MIL for our second cruise in the late 80s where my 12-year old daughter won the big stakes progressive bingo. That was on the brand new Navigator of the Seas in the Caribbean. Fast forward to the pat five years and a better traveling partner and we've cruised to Scandinavia and Russia, two California Coastals, Hawaii, Oz/NZ all on Princess. Our Danube river cruise with Avalon and our Alaskan cruise is coming up next month. While not our first cruise, by far the most memorable was our wedding cruise sailing from San Pedro around Cape Horn to Rio. It was two 14-day B2B cruises and Capt. Thomas Kent was our officiant. Since we had made many new friends during the first two weeks, we were delighted to see the wedding chapel on the. Star Princess fill up with lovely guests. All of our Princess shore excursions were wonderful custom tailored and exclusive to Princess. My only regret was that the wind came up and Capt. Kent wouldn't let us go kayaking in the Beagle Channel. They gave us our money back and we did the ships Ultimate Tour instead and came home with enough goodies (fluffy robes, chef's coat, personalized note pads from the printing room, And professional photos backstage with the dancers in costume and with the Cap'n up in the bridge. There were other goodies (like pins, hats, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries..) We had to buy another duffel bag to get them all home.

 

 

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Edited April 16, 2015 by Kayakbride

[lady_cruiser]

I will never forget my first cruise. It was on the Conquest out of Galveston. We spent two extra days at sea because Hurricane Rita closed the port. We got to dock at any extra port for one day not on our original itinerary; Costa Maya, the best port on that cruise. The weather was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky and water as calm as a plate of glass.

 

Of course being from the Gulf region of South Louisiana we were worried about our home and property but all we could do was pray that everything was ok. BTW, it was.

 

That cruised hooked us on cruising.

[rwturenne48]

Holland Ametica Veedam in '85 from NYC to Bermuda. Was the most relaxing vacation ever to that point but that ship was tiny compared to even modest size ships of today.

[ontheweb]

I will never forget my first cruise. It was on the Conquest out of Galveston. We spent two extra days at sea because Hurricane Rita closed the port. We got to dock at any extra port for one day not on our original itinerary; Costa Maya, the best port on that cruise. The weather was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky and water as calm as a plate of glass.

 

Of course being from the Gulf region of South Louisiana we were worried about our home and property but all we could do was pray that everything was ok. BTW, it was.

 

That cruised hooked us on cruising.

 

That reminds me of our second cruise which was out of Fort Lauderdale. We too had a hurricane, and could not get back for two extra days. The ship was the Enchantment of the Seas, but one of the assistant cruise directors renamed it the "Entrapment" of the Seas.

 

In the internet center, I overheard one fellow passenger from Florida wondering who he could e-mail to board up his home. I also remember two Caribbean ladies looking in horror at the map of the hurricane's path that the captain had posted. It was aimed at their home island.

 

The two free extra days of cruising were nice, but disembarkation was hell as there were not enough immigration agents for three days worth of ships coming in at once. Plus everyone needed to reschedule flights, so there were too many of us on the first several disembarkations all in an overcrowded lounge waiting and waiting for the disembarkation to finally start. And the airport on Labor Day after no outgoing flights for several days and numerous passengers needing to get home was also a horror show.

[BradnTracey]

Absolutely. .. it was a Present I gave to my mom. 7 days eastern carribean a board a Commador Cruise ship. It was amazing, Seeing the ship for the first time. Seeing my mom's face as we boarded. It was priceless. Particularly since she now gone.

[AKman2495]

Our first cruise was a 17 day B2B. It was a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to LA and then to FLL through the Panama Canal. We were on the Coral Princess.

 

It definitely got us hooked on cruising. And yes, there is nothing like the first time walking onto a large cruise ship! We will never forget it.

 

One of the best things about Princess is the feeling you have when you board their ships-it is like coming home. The rooms are familiar. The layout is generally familiar and comfortable.

 

As for being a first timer again...I have been on a few B2B cruises. Byt the end of the first leg, people know where they are going, there is a laid back feel to the ship. The elevators are not generally crowded. Life is good. Getting back on the ship for the second leg was an shock. People running about frenetically, elevators crowded. People wandering around lost. People in a hurry to get to the fun.....

 

So, no thank you, I've been there and have no need to back to that....