I Remember when RCL ............

[coast2coast]

Head waiter would make cherries jubilee table-side.

Waiters would come out with Baked Alaska actually aflame on their heads.

Streamers at sail away

Huge midnight buffets every night!

 

One of my favorite memories was making ice cream sundaes on deck with my dad in the afternoon and sitting and listening to the steel drum band by the poolside.

 

2 children's cruise directors were actually hired for the week before Christmas sailing on the Song of Norway back in Dec. of 1979.  There were over 50 kids on board which was a lot back then!  The children's cruise directors actually took us kids on tours of the islands... without our parents!!!

I was 9 years old on that cruise, and I got hooked.  Unfortunately next cruise wasn't for 5 more years and then finally back on RCI 18 years after that...

[voyager70]

3 hours ago, PortSideCruzan said:

 

Hi Scootersdad ☺️

 

I remember when many cruise lines had 'passenger lists'..

 

However due to modern times & privacy acts, I understand why they no longer exist. 

 

 

☺️

 

Wow, I don't ever remember that.  Would certainly never fly in today's atmosphere.  Sadly.

 

 

[TinkBellaMom]

4 hours ago, cot427 said:

 

Savory bites! ❤️

Off topic a bit—but what happened to those?  Our last cruise was in Oct. out of Rome.  DH asked for them, they are his favorites, we were told they could be requested but the bakers didn’t bake them anymore.  We thought maybe it was a Jewel thing.  Are they really gone.

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, TinkBellaMom said:

Off topic a bit—but what happened to those?  Our last cruise was in Oct. out of Rome.  DH asked for them, they are his favorites, we were told they could be requested but the bakers didn’t bake them anymore.  We thought maybe it was a Jewel thing.  Are they really gone.

 

I don't see them routinely offered anymore, but I have seen them show up on the second and subsequent nights if requested.

[davekathy]

Receiving cruise documents with luggage tags in the mail in a nice holder. Doing the doc dance. 👣

[Pipo]

- Room service menu had plenty of options and all of them free.

- Welcome back reception for C&A members with sparkling wine.

[Nanarrow]

6 hours ago, nelblu said:

 

Yes, we bid a couple times on wooden horses with ethnic names attached.  The horse was usually kidnapped from our cabin and later returned for the dress up for the race a few days later.  Won first place once.

We bought horse on the Majesty one cruise...1996 I believe. We paid 300$ for that horse! I remember some crew members coming to our cabin with a huge brown bag full of decorations and markers, tape, a feather boa, metallic streamers to decorate the horse. We were instructed to bring it everywhere with us-MDR, bars, the pool...and talk it up, “sell people on your horse”...it was a memorable cruise and the horse race next to the pool was a blast! 

Cruising was so simple back then! We didn’t need video screen and water slides to be entertained! The entertainment was in the interaction!

 

So yes, I remember horse racing. And earlier than that- Song of America..late 80s/early 90s....Keeping your jewelry (that was borrowed from your mother- her good stuff) in the pursers safe, and going to sign out pieces to wear for the night. Packing our cocktail dresses and sundresses in hanging bags with tissue paper. And the room attendant always helping us repack. Having our hair done every night (differently)at the salon for supper. I remember the nightly uniform changes of the waiters. The huge amount of cash for tips and bar bills. Falling desperately in love with a casino dealer who taught me how to play roulette- as he taught me the slang that went with it. Hitting golf balls off the ship. I remember when Labadee was nothing but an island. Where they had a banana boat ride! I had an amazing time cruising with friends in my very early twenties and beyond. And yes I know I was privileged, and I’m grateful to have the experience.

Edited January 1, 2019 by Nanarrow

[MaiseyM]

5 hours ago, QTBabyNurse said:

Ship Shape dollars! I loved those activities!

 

omgosh. My dad had those shirts.  I may be wrong, but there were some coins too, I think.  But yes, Ship Shape!

[MaiseyM]

Do you think RCI could hold a 'throw back' cruise and do a lot of these things, knowing that prices won't go back (i.e .normal drink prices...).   I bet they could gather a crowd holding one cruise of throw backs and invite everyone to old memories that they can still legally pull off.  

[JamesEM]

Eating at the same table with with the same passenger the entire cruise, and no pay restaurants. 

[grapau27]

6 hours ago, davekathy said:

Receiving cruise documents with luggage tags in the mail in a nice holder. Doing the doc dance. 👣

Happy new year and hope you have a great DS Cruise.

[DISFANS3]

Cruise docs in mail...

[Paulxyz2004]

I remember when RCI had no special lounges and booking a suite was about giving a bigger room and few perks in the suite, but nothing else once stepping outside your suite.

 

[sellwingri]

- A glass of champagne when you boarded.  I was thrilled on our November transatlantic beginning in Rome when they handed us a glass of champagne when we left the terminal and walked to the ship. Haven’t seen this in probably 15 years.

- Cherries jubilee prepared tableside

- horse racing with betting.  I remember holding several singles and waiting in line to place my $2 bets

[2chiefs]

Drink of the day was $1.95 and Screwdrivers and Bloody Marys were always $1.95 everyday.

T

[Arubamoose]

I remember going to the Midnight Buffet on our July 2002 Explorer cruise and they had caviar......caviar!!

So the next night they had another buffet we made sure we were close to the beginning of the line to get in.  We had our fill that evening.  Heaven.

Now you are lucky if they put six eggs on a canapé.

 

 

[SRF]

19 hours ago, MaiseyM said:

Yes!  The flaming cakes on their heads!  I imagine OSHA put an end to that.  lol

 

FYI, OSHA does not apply, unless the ship is US flagged. 😄

[clean1owner]

HORSE RACES!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..

[clean1owner]

Port holes that actually opened.

[MaiseyM]

39 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

FYI, OSHA does not apply, unless the ship is US flagged. 😄

 

 

Excellent!  Bring back the flaming cakes on heads, prancing around the dining room.  

[voyager70]

22 minutes ago, clean1owner said:

Port holes that actually opened.

 

How long ago was that?  I honestly don't remember port holes that ever opened.  Of course, it's possible I just never tried!

 

[clean1owner]

1 minute ago, voyager70 said:

 

How long ago was that?  I honestly don't remember port holes that ever opened.  Of course, it's possible I just never tried!

 

 

February 17-24, 1991. 

 

To clarify, it was not on an RCCL ship. Was on Regency Cruise Lines Regent Sea. 

[voyager70]

5 minutes ago, clean1owner said:

 

February 17-24, 1991. 

 

To clarify, it was not on an RCCL ship. Was on Regency Cruise Lines Regent Sea. 

 

Thanks.  Would love to sail on a ship like that some day 😁

 

[SRF]

16 hours ago, voyager70 said:

 

Thanks.  Would love to sail on a ship like that some day 😁

 

 

Until someone leaves one open in heavy seas.

 

One option, join the Navy.  Some cabins have port holes that open.  Not many though.

 

Or, book a Balcony or higher level cabin.  The whole WALL opens up. 😄

 

 

[scootersdad]

Fireworks were from the shore from the private island.

As I recall it was during the winter months when the ship departed as the sun was almost down.

Definitely in 1979 on my honeymoon and a few years after that.