50 Years of Cruising on Royal -- Share Your Memories!

[LauraS]

Royal Caribbean is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, and we'd like to hear from you!  Please share your favorite memories of cruising on Royal Caribbean International -- perhaps you were celebrating a milestone event, or you have special memories of your first sailing long ago! 

 

What made sailing on Royal Caribbean special for you?

 

OK, go!

 

 

[rbschultz]

My most memorable experiences are cruising during the inaugural season of the Freedom, Quantum, and Oasis class ships. Stepping onto brand new experiences was always incredible to me.

[LauraS]

This is a personal memory, too, but more so this is a cruisecritic memory.

 

It was 2006.  October.  Freedom of the Seas. 

 

One of the largest Cruise Critic Meet & Mingles ever was held on board -- over 350 of you joined us on that sailing!  Not only did it take our breath away -- but the folks at Royal Caribbean were floored! 

 

Were you there?  If any of you have any pictures to share, that would be awesome....

 

Laura

 

 

[mondas42]

It was 2010, my 40th Birthday and our first ever cruise. It was a 12 night Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona on the gorgeous Brilliance of the Seas. We called in at Pisa, Rome, Kushadasi, Nice, Naples, santorini, Athens. We fell in love with cruising and haven’t looked back since. The picture is me and my then nine year old daughter showing off for the camera.

[Host Star]

The Nordic prince 1984.  Hurricane dennis

 

the Nordic prince bounced around like a rubber duck.  She destroyed  sailboats in st Thomas harbor. As the captain claimed he had clearance and the harbor master said he did not.  We had to stop there on our way back and all the black suits with briefcases boarded. And were asking for cameras. No cell phones then

[johnjen]

It was our first cruise on Grandeur. We were in the midnight buffet line. This large woman in front of us had lined up her handbag with paper towels and was "stealing" the emptied lobster shells from a display and she kept saying "we gonna eat GOOD tonight"....

[Beav1279]

My favorite memory is taking my very first cruise in 2012 on Majesty of the Seas. I fell in love with cruising and save every penny to continue to cruise as much as I can! There is nothing like being rocked to sleep by the waves of the ocean :) 

[Host Carolyn]

I can remember being docked in San Juan on a smaller ship in 1988-89(?) when the Sovereign of the Seas sailed into the harbor.  We were all in awe of this HUGE ship, no one could imagine a cruise ship of that size.   My first cruise on RCI was on the Nordic Empress.  I loved it but remember that was the smallest inside cabin on the planet -- for 4 of us!   Having been on only older "traditional" ocean liners (Caribe, Britanis....) prior to that 3-night cruise from Miami, she was the most beautiful, modern ship.  Been on RCI many time since, twice with Cruise Critic groups.  The huge ships look pretty but I prefer the Jewel of the Seas, Navigator class ships .

[John&LaLa]

Having Pinnacle lunch sailing westbound Suez Canal just last year on Mariner.

 

[LBumb]

Song of America 1995. It was such an amazing time. I fell in love with cruising. I loved cruising then the most. No phones tv newspapers. Escape from reality. 

[Germancruiser]

OH what a wonderful idea- my very first cruise ( on big ships anyway) was on board the then brand new Grandeur- one may cruise as many times as one can- but the first one keeps special- at least to me! Such fond memory´s . They had still formal nights in these days- 1996.  The wonderful people I met - Sharon - if you out there- a big Hello... from Michael- you may remember...! Beata - the wonderful waitress in the My fair Lady Dinning Room....!

A year later- the unforgetable Maiden Voyage of Enchantment of the Seas- with the great Petula Clark as Special Maiden- Voyage- Guest!

I will see if i can find a picture of that cruise- and I keep looking at this here posts.

Michael

Edited February 22, 2019 by Germancruiser

[cementhands]

Transatlantic Visions of the Seas. October 2018. Activities director Talita Leone had a large group of captives, transatlantic and she kept us busy. 

Wonderful active cruise.

 We were so sore from dancing we couldn’t take the stairs. Just kidding. It was memorable! Very friendly group of fellow passengers. The best cruise experience ever.

Cruise Director Steve was equally active. Great night time party. Loved it!

[LBumb]

I’m going back to smaller ship rhapsody for a change of pace

[jcc1025]

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 9:32 AM, Host Carolyn said:

I can remember being docked in San Juan on a smaller ship in 1988-89(?) when the Sovereign of the Seas sailed into the harbor.  We were all in awe of this HUGE ship, no one could imagine a cruise ship of that size.   My first cruise on RCI was on the Nordic Empress.  I loved it but remember that was the smallest inside cabin on the planet -- for 4 of us!   Having been on only older "traditional" ocean liners (Caribe, Britanis....) prior to that 3-night cruise from Miami, she was the most beautiful, modern ship.  Been on RCI many time since, twice with Cruise Critic groups.  The huge ships look pretty but I prefer the Jewel of the Seas, Navigator class ships .

Ours is almost the same, we were on the Nordic Prince in 1986 and sailed into San Juan. We docked next to the newest ship at that time, Majesty of the Seas, it looked huge next to us. In those days if you had a ship id, this was before sea passes, everything on board was cash, you could go over and get on Majesty and look around. We were sure that their would never be a bigger ship. Now we have been on Oasis class several times and love it and say the same thing. Many great memories over the years on RCCL ships, many of them have to do with the officers and staff and how well we have been treated. 

[Germancruiser]

Brilliance of the Seas- Transatlantic- 9/11/2003- Memorial Service for the victims of the attacks on board! Unforgetable!

Also the wonderful people I met there! One is very special!

Michael

[NewarkCC]

May 22nd 1995. As newlyweds my wife and I embarked on Majesty - at the time the biggest cruise ship in existence.

 

Dinner was a 10 top with 4 other couples, all married the 20th. Great time and great memories.

 

Going back to Majesty in April for a new adventure with our teenagers!

[Germancruiser]

What a wonderful idea- going back with your kids to the very ship you went as newlyweds...! Have the greatest of fun!

[griffster]

I think the first cruise we did to the canarys on ventura will always be special to us. it was our very first cruise, cant explain enough, of how excited I was, could not get over the size of the ship. it was absolutely brill. that was 2016, then 2017/18 we did our second, to the Caribbean for 2 weeks. we went the 15 to the 29 dec. my hubby was 70 on the 16 dec I was 70 on the 19 dec, and then on the 23 it was our Golden Wedding anniversary, we truly had a wonderfull time, we even got to swim with the dolphins, which was amazing. I really hope we can go again to the Caribbean, but to different islands. we have a cruise booked on Brittania to the fjords on the 8 june 2018. we started late at cruising. we both gave up smoking 4 years ago, and have saved that money every month, so that goes to our cruises. we love it. really hope our health continues to be good, so that we might get away to the Caribbean again.

[LBumb]

All great stories

[Bootman4U]

1981-January. The Nordic Prince, one of the three ships that RCCL had at that time.  It had previously been returned to the shipyard, cut in half, and a"lengthening section" inserted. The same had been done to the Song of Norway.

 

Two-week cruises with 8 ports including Port-au-Prince.  Two sittings for dinner only. Bingo was a person sitting at a card table in the "showroom" rotating wooden Bingo balls in a metal cage.  Midnight buffets every night.  Wooden decks, polished, made out of northern spruce or some such wood-not teak. No balconies. Three slot machines. One gift shop and not open all the time.

It was wonderful!

[PopeyeDaSailor]

Something to think about next time you complain about service on RCCL ...

 

[bonsai3s]

Favorite memory: New Year's Eve dinner...2015 to 2016...Voyager of the Seas...sailing from Sydney, Australia.......got an invitation to join the Captain for dinner.  First we thought it was a joke...very nearly threw away the invitation.

We then asked Guest Relations if the invitation was legit...it was.  "You have been invited to the Captain's Table for New Year's Eve".

What a wonderful dinner......a great group of tablemates, free flowing wine, truly fine dishes and utensils, free group photos, and a menu to die for.   To this day, we still don't know how/why we were selected.  Thank you Royal Caribbean!

[Germancruiser]

Popey I cant make the connection between the service of RCI and that pictures- which is incredible by the way!

[PopeyeDaSailor]

9 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Popey I cant make the connection between the service of RCI and that pictures- which is incredible by the way!

 

I'm just saying the Titanic was supposedly top notch in service/class.  But look at the size the crew has to take care of on a modern day cruise ship ... I think they do a great job.  The crew of a modern ship would probably almost fill the Titanic alone!

Edited February 25, 2019 by PopeyeDaSailor

[LBumb]

I agree