Tales of cruise from bygone years

[JaniceB]

Have a wonderful pic of my grandparents doing that in their 40's or 50's...it was always in their bedroom that special couples pic on deck with the sign holding cocktails...she always got very sea sick..so sad. They may have done more..so glad you had experience...I dreamed for doing it..the magic cruise... from that picture and those smiles..partially.

 

I just recently saw the pictures of the cruise including beautiful Leis that my parents were wearing. My sister had them displayed at her house.

[ksmcdonald]

I remember back in the late 1970's my uncle, who lived in Miami, was a salesman to the cruise lines (phones and electronics etc.) We would go visit him and just for something to do, we would go down to the docks and actually board the cruise boats to look around before they would sail. No ticket needed to get on the boat! They just blew a warning whistle to get off the boat before it set sail. I remember we were even served little sandwiches on the pool deck!

 

We then sometimes got discounted cruise through my uncle. First cruise was the Sunward II. I remember the slot machines were in the hallway, and they only had a few! I was only 16 years old and played the 10 cent machine and won $100!

 

No Lido buffet back then, if you didn't get up for breakfast at your assigned time, you missed breakfast! They served a half of pineapple every morning with breakfast. The sweetest most ripe pineapple I've every had! Loved the lobster newburg they served at dinner! It was actually prepared then filled into an empty lobster tail shell. Very fancy!

 

Also, remember being invited "below decks" to party with the deck hands! They had a special bar that was nowhere near as nice as above deck, but much more fun! Also, it was a bonus that my parents could not monitor us, they looked everywhere on the boat but couldn't locate us!

 

Miss those days!

Edited February 17, 2016 by ksmcdonald

[jstcruizin]

I remember in the late eighties when my husband's brother and his wife went on a cruise for their honeymoon. They had this big beautiful wedding and although I was happy for them I was so jealous especially after seeing their cruise pictures and hearing all about it. They still had the midnight and chocolate buffets every night and people still dressed to the nines on formal nights. My husband was a young airman with two little ones and we were lucky to go to the beach for a night for our annual vacation. Fast forward to 2003 after hubby retired from the AF. We finally got to take OUR first cruise for our 25th anniversary / Honeymoon ,( yes honemoon!) LOL, now... ever since then we've been honeymooning every year on a cruise ship.

Edited February 17, 2016 by jstcruizin

[jimdalva]

My first cruise was in 1986 aboard Home Lines 'Atlantic'.

 

I remember having to reserve your deck chair on the pool deck as soon as you boarded to get a good spot. The assigned lounge chair was yours during the day and your Pool Deck Steward would have a towel and a glass of Ice Tea waiting for you in the morning when you arrived.

 

She was small by todays standards, but to us then she was Huge!

[BecciBoo]

Interesting, never saw the tricks.

 

We had a mai·tre d' who did tricks at our table back on Splendor of the Seas in 2002 and then a waiter who was a magician who did magic tricks at our table just in 2013. They were fabulous.

 

But the biggest change has been food without a doubt IMHO. Mmmmm loved that She Crab Soup and the Coconut Creme Brulee....

Edited February 17, 2016 by BecciBoo

[fair-winds39]

I met the most interesting patient in work at the weekend who has been cruising for the last 60 years and the tales she told me were unbelievable I've only done one cruise but Royal could bottle her and use her as an ambassador for young and old alike my 19 year old student who was working with me exclaimed when we left the room I thought cruises were for old people and not young people she's really sold the joys of cruises .

 

Just thought I'd share

My first experience was on a special transatlantic crossing on the QE2 from Southampton, England to Philadelphia. It was a celebration crossing. We flew from Phila., to NY and NY to Heathrow, spent a few days in London, and boarded the QE2 in Southampton. Every night was formal. We weren't First Class passengers. I think First Class passengers dined in the Queen's Grill, but, we did have our own assigned deck chairs, and we met very interesting people from all over the world. I was seasick though, and swore I would never set foot on another ship. But, 19 cruises later, with the 20th in a few weeks, I can't wait.

 

Cruising has changed a lot over the years. We remember dinner being served and not already plated, midnight buffets every night, waiters with more time for jokes and tricks. I remember receiving a list of passengers on one or two of our cruises back in the 80's, but that was when ships were smaller, less passengers, and security was different. I remember horse races on some of our cruises. That was fun. We would bid on a horse (it was jockey and horse on a stick). The bidding could go as high as a couple of hundred dollars for a horse. You would name your horse, dress the horse, and every horse owner would bring their horse to the pool, casino, lounge, etc. If you weren't careful, somebody or a group could steal your horse and hold it for ransom. To get it back, you might have to pay the thieves with a bottle of wine or something. Eventually, they would have the Kentucky Derby, and each horse owner had a sectioned-off area in the showroom for 10-15 guests. Beverages were served, and passengers could place bets on the horses, and with six or eight horses in the race, the winnings could be really great. Our horse won once. It was a great time.

 

Even with the many changes over the years, we think cruising is the only way to go. Happy cruising everyone!!!

[sjn911]

I just recently saw the pictures of the cruise including beautiful Leis that my parents were wearing. My sister had them displayed at her house.

How sweet and hooray.....we have a guest room in my parents house with a lot of old framed pics..theirs is there...it helps when in a strong place to go down there..missing so many now, these grandparents were the closest..I will ask for it or a copy...classic times and my grandmother has a captains hat on and holdling her cocktail..lol...cozy with my grandfather...:(:).