Do you remember when??

[floridalover5623]

In the late 50s , you actually reserved your deck chairs, where you wanted to sit , and the chair was yours. Blankets were supplied if needed.

Same as today except you now how to pay for them.

[Cruise Raider]

I'm not a dancer, but I loved watching the older couples dance their fancy moves to a live big band. The music was wonderful and watching them was so much fun.

 

 

I even remember that they used to hire gentlemen escorts to dance with the single women onboard HAL. We would go up to the lounge on top of the ship and watch these wonderful dancers cut a rug to big band music. :)

[Woobstr112G]

I miss getting the cruise documents in the mail then doing the document dance.....:):):)

 

Bob

[tonyweir]

I make a scrapbook for each cruise. I have all those luggage tags, documents, on board magazines and other stuff we got. I still have the Royal Caribbean key chains and travel documents folio we got in 1986 and 1987.

 

Great memories!!

[Astro Flyer]

I even remember that they used to hire gentlemen escorts to dance with the single women onboard HAL. We would go up to the lounge on top of the ship and watch these wonderful dancers cut a rug to big band music. :)

Since you remember the gentlemen escorts hired to dance with single women have you seen the comedy "Out to Sea"? It's another funny movie staring the duo of Jack Lemon & Walter Matthau about scamming their way onto a cruise ship as dance hosts in an effort to meet rich widows.

[markf]

I believe they are still in place especially on longer itineraries

[geoherb]

-waiters wore white gloves and French served each passenger

I had to look up what French service was to see if it was how I remembered service on our first few cruises. It is. We would order our appetizers, soups, salads, and main courses. The main course would come without any side dishes, and the assistant waiter would serve the vegetables to each passenger.

[VibeGuy]

When you had to cling to a scrap of wood in freezing water because the hull steel was unexpectedly brittle and then have to drop a priceless diamond in the water 80 years later.

[shredie]

when you had to cling to a scrap of wood in freezing water because the hull steel was unexpectedly brittle and then have to drop a priceless diamond in the water 80 years later.

 

lol. :)

[GUT2407]

In the late 50s , you actually reserved your deck chairs, where you wanted to sit , and the chair was yours. Blankets were supplied if needed.

 

 

Wouldn't that be called a chair hog now.

[brianlojeck]

As a kid I'd see, on Love Boat reruns, people would shoot Trap off the back of the ship.

 

My first time onboard, I ran around the whole ship looking for the shotgun station. :-(

[Nezmo]

Since you remember the gentlemen escorts hired to dance with single women have you seen the comedy "Out to Sea"? It's another funny movie staring the duo of Jack Lemon & Walter Matthau about scamming their way onto a cruise ship as dance hosts in an effort to meet rich widows.

I love that movie. Two great actors and a great theme.

[brianlojeck]

When you had to cling to a scrap of wood in freezing water because the hull steel was unexpectedly brittle and then have to drop a priceless diamond in the water 80 years later.

 

These days, the cruise line is all: "Hey! There's room on that wood panel for two people!"

 

Just no sense of service, I tell you...

[Mackenzie1]

* When the Cruise Director was the entertainment, and pulled passengers out of the audience to help out.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Mackenzie1

[VibeGuy]

The wood is complimentary after your 15th cruise credit, or $9.50 before, but in neither case will you receive a collectible shot glass.

[pennst8r]

Princess had "Love Boat Legends," a lip-sync performance, complete with choreography and costumes, and performed by passengers in the main show lounge at the end of the cruise. Each performer had rehearsals every day prior to the show and were provided with a cassette player with the music for on-your-own rehearsals.

 

Among the cast of characters: Pavarotti, the Blues Brothers, Dolly Parton (with inflatable breasts -- portrayed by a male passenger), Michael Jackson and the Temptations. On three cruises, I was Shirley Temple and did "On The Good Ship Lolipop" with pink dress and a curly wig topped with a huge pink bow. The ship's male dancers were dressed as sailors and danced with me. What fun!

[azbirdmom]

I remember no balconies and being happy if you got a cabin with a porthole.

 

I loved grabbing my book and stretching out on a lounger on promenade deck to read while occasionally glancing up to watch the waves through my toes.

 

The bathroom was so small that there was a lid on the toilet paper so that you wouldn't get it wet when you showered.

 

Only traditional dining and if you were a lady, dresses were required and always suits for men.

 

The midnight buffet was special and everyone stayed up for it.

 

Great memories but I really like it so much better now.

[CATGUY7]

Having the crumbs swept from the table in the dining room - I could never decide if I felt really special, or just really messy... Regardless, it's one of those memories I won't forget.

[nimiq]

Having the crumbs swept from the table in the dining room - I could never decide if I felt really special, or just really messy... Regardless, it's one of those memories I won't forget.

 

 

Love this one :-)

Actually some waiters still do and I feel special every time :-)

[nimiq]

How about an announcement a day or two before the end of a cruise asking if anyone would like to stay onboard for the next cruise half price or 2/1 :-)

[Jessejo]

I remember being in the Island Princess (sister of the Love Boat) in 1990 during Princess 25th Anniversary year. They had a gorgeous afternoon dessert buffet and ice sculptures on deck one day to celebrate.

 

We had a tiny cabin, basically two beds attached to the wall at right angles, one folded up against the wall so the second could be used as a sofa during the day and there was very little room to move around, even with one bed up! There was one dining room where we ate all meals at specific times and at our assigned table. They did do the flaming baked Alaska parade on the last night.

 

They had entertainment at various bars/showrooms around the ship, comedians, musicians and magicians. The ship had about 650 pax which seemed huge after our first cruise on a ship with 250 pax - they've getting bigger and better.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Jessejo

[CATGUY7]

How about an announcement a day or two before the end of a cruise asking if anyone would like to stay onboard for the next cruise half price or 2/1 :-)

 

I'm all for that!!

[scienceteacher]

We've chosen cruising as our favorite form of travel for the past 30 years and thought back on what policies and procedures were in place back then and what it looks like now. Please feel free to add to my short list -- it will bring back memories.

 

Things that have changed over the years:

 

- You used to be assigned to a table of strangers at a specific time ... sometimes you liked them but sometimes not. There was an early seating and a late seating. If you showed up more than 10-15 minutes late, you had to go to the buffet. NOW: ANYTIME DINING OPTIONS

 

- Collecting envelopes and cash to tip each staff member on the cruise separately. Rumor has it that people didn't show up to the dining room on the last night of the cruise so they wouldn't have to tip their waiters. :( NOW: AUTOMATIC GRATUITIES

 

 

 

 

- Early wake up on the last day of the cruise to line up onboard to go through customs. Lines would string all throughout the entire length of the ship. NOW: CUSTOMS USUALLY (not always) HANDLED IN THE TERMINAL

 

- All large pieces of luggage were put outside your doorway the evening before disembarkation; this was pretty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

much mandatory. NOW: CARRY OFF AND LUGGAGE VALET OPTIONS

 

- Long lines at the front desk to get a copy of your bill. NOW: FOLIO KIOSKS AND TV OPTIONS (on some cruiselines)

 

- A call to the room service pantry for requesting food items. NOW: ORDERING OF ROOM SERVICE ON THE TV (on some cruiselines)

 

- Drinks were offered at per drink pricing, albeit decent pricing: NOW: BEVERAGE PACKAGES AVAILABLE

 

- Midnight buffets, special champagne brunch buffets, other specialized buffets with food displays and ice carvings: NOW: SPECIAL BUFFETS SEEM TO HAVE ALL BEEN ELIMINATED :(

 

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment - some positive and one or two negative in my opinion. Many will complain about the cutbacks here and there but I still think cruising gives us the best bang for our buck. While I recall my first cruise way back in the early 80s was in an oceanview cabin on Carnival - the cost was $100 a day per person excluding gratuities. I see better pricing than that across many of the mainstream cruise lines....and that was 30+ years ago. Wow!

 

I agree with everything you said. Cruising is the most economical way to travel. It cannot be beat. There are pros and cons to changes made but you still come out with a fabulous vacation.

[Mackenzie1]

Princess had "Love Boat Legends," a lip-sync performance, complete with choreography and costumes, and performed by passengers in the main show lounge at the end of the cruise. Each performer had rehearsals every day prior to the show and were provided with a cassette player with the music for on-your-own rehearsals.

 

Among the cast of characters: Pavarotti, the Blues Brothers, Dolly Parton (with inflatable breasts -- portrayed by a male passenger), Michael Jackson and the Temptations. On three cruises, I was Shirley Temple and did "On The Good Ship Lolipop" with pink dress and a curly wig topped with a huge pink bow. The ship's male dancers were dressed as sailors and danced with me. What fun!

 

The Pavarotti skit was hilarious. The cruise director had a squirt gun under his jacket, and as he sang, he would push his arm against it to squirt water on the audience--like it was sweat coming from his forehead. Maybe you had to be there, but it was a riot.

[Cruise Raider]

I love that movie. Two great actors and a great theme.

 

I do remember that movie as well. It was quite funny!

 

I also remember watching The Love Boat and still watch it onboard whenever I sail on Princess.

 

Just of note, we were in Grand Cayman recently on the Equinox with several other ships in port with us at the time. When it was time for either the Regal or Royal Princess to depart, they blew their horn but it didn't sound like you would have expected it to ... it started playing the theme song of the Love Boat ... not the whole thing, just a few bars. It was quite amusing as I am sure you could have even heard it onshore!! They probably told their passengers, if you hear this tune, you have probably missed the boat.