What was your first impression of your very first cruise when you saw the ship

[john_galt]

Boarding the RCI Song of America. Miami, November of 1988. I thought the ship was huge (37,500 tons), especially compared to the RCI Sun Viking (18,500 tons), berthed just in front of us. 

[cpjo]

Our first cruise was on the Song of America in the early 80's, too!  I couldn't get over how huge and beautiful she was, at least until my DH opened the cabin door to our interior room!  He was not a fan of the small cabin until a day or so later realizing that was a very small part of the cruise experience.  Some 25 cruises later, we have graduated to larger and more luxurious cabins from time to time, but that first tiny cabin and wonderous cruise will always be one of my favorites. 

[Slugsta]

Our first cruise was in 2006 on the QEII. All we could afford was the lowest class of outside cabin - I wanted an outside because I thought I might be claustrophobic in an inside. As it happened the portholes (not windows) were covered and locked for much of the cruise due to bad weather, so I didn't get the daylight I had wanted. It didn't matter, so we have largely taken inside cabins since then.

 

The ship was tiny in relation to many of the other ships, even then. One day we looked down into the bay from the top of a mountain in Norway and saw 'our' ship dwarfed next to a modern, white behemoth. She looked beautiful in her traditional livery.

 

In retrospect, we now know that the ship was looking tired and getting near the end of her commercial life. Our subsequent cruises have all been on newer, larger ships with more 'bells and whistles' but that first one gave us our love for cruising 🙂

[Jetstreamer]

Our first cruise was on the Coral Princess just under two years ago.  Sadly in the internet era nothing we saw or experienced was much of a surprise as I researched the ship to death beforehand!  I feel like I knew my way around before ever stepping on board!  Would have been nice to have that feeling of entering the unknown like some of the above posts.  I also would’ve liked to experience the “golden era” of cruising I keep hearing about 🙂

 

Still, we were so impressed with the whole cruising experience which we had long avoided that we are heading off on our 5th cruise next month!

[lola2013]

First cruise was in the early 80s...the Cunard Countess...loved it so much that I repeated it five more times over the course of the next few years.  They alternated itineraries out of San Juan each week so I didn't repeat the same itinerary every time!

 

Since these were the "Love Boat" days, I remember thinking:  "where's the rest of the cabin? (we had an outside cabin, but still pretty tiny)"; "why aren't there any lily pads in the pool at night" (instead the pool was empty with rope netting covering it); "what's with all this wind?" (think back to the TV show and try to remember anyone standing on deck with even one hair out of place).

 

Ah...memories!!!

[Drews_Cruise]

Our first cruise was in 2005 on the Costa Classica embarking from La Romana Dominican Republic. .  It was a one week cruise followed by a one week All Inclusive in the DR.  As we drove up to the ship it looked massive.  Lots of portholes and we knew we were in one of those cabins.  There were very few, if any balconies.  We were so impressed by its size but it was definately "older" (but well maintained.)    Turns out it was quite small by comparison to anything else we have been on since.  It did plant the seed for many more cruises since then.  Out of all the ships we have been on, my favorite however, is the Coral Princess.  Not too big, not too small, and just an elegant mid sized ship.  Its the only cruise we had a mini suite for but it was a wonderful cruise through the panama canal.  Loved it.  Every Time we are in Florida and the early morning ships come in, we are up early to watch their arrival.  Were in complete awe of their size and beauty.  It's like the first time all over again and we just can't wait to get on board. So much gratitude!

[Josy1953]

Our first cruise was in 1985 on the Carnival Holiday from Miami to Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.  We were amazed at the size of the ship but last year we were on P&O Brittania and were docked near to MSC Magellan which is the old Holiday and realised how small it was compared to the modern ships.   The Holiday led to us becoming hooked on cruising and we went on P&O Canberra to following year.  We then cruised every 2nd year but still enjoyed land based holidays around the world until ill-health prevented my husband from flying 15 years ago.  We now cruise 3 or 4 times each year but are restricted to where we go since we have to do round trip cruises out of the UK.

 

Our next cruise is on Sapphire Princess which is a new ship to us though we have done 29 Princess cruises, the first of which was through the Panama Canal on Sun Princess.

 

Our favourite cruise was to Alaska on the Royal Princess in 1997.

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Josy1953

[hapster85]

It was 1991 on Carnival's Carnivale, out of Port Canaveral. The ship seemed huge, and we were amazed by the entire experience. We knew we had to do it again. And then life happened.

 

It was 2012 before managed to take our second cruise, this time on Star Princess. She may not by huge by today's standards, but we were blown away by how large she was. We were definitely hooked after that experience, and have taken 5 others since, with number 8 booked for the fall.

 

Hoping to take numbers 9 and 10 in the next two years, but nothing booked yet.

 

 

[Bruin Steve]

Okay...I'll bite...

First cruise ship I ever set foot on was the Princess Patricia...

 

...1965.  I was 11.  It was sort of impressive.  I didn't quite get it though.  Love Boat show wouldn't come around for another 11 years.  Yeah, you took a boat to Mexico.  Takes a week.  We usually just drove across the border to Tijuana for a day trip.

 

Flash forward to 1989.  My first cruise as an adult.  Premier Cruise Lines Big Red Boat Atlantic.  Disney's cruise line before Disney Cruise Lines.

 

 

I'd be more impressed...but we had a 3 year old and a 5 year old in tow...and had just taken a red-eye in from LAX (first cruise-didn't know better), rented a car and drove from Orlando.  Everyone was worn out and bleary-eyed.  We got on board and took a nap.  Luggage wasn't delivered to our cabin until after dinner.  Not a day I like to remember.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Bruin Steve

[suzyed]

7 hours ago, lola2013 said:

First cruise was in the early 80s...the Cunard Countess...loved it so much that I repeated it five more times over the course of the next few years.  They alternated itineraries out of San Juan each week so I didn't repeat the same itinerary every time!

 

Since these were the "Love Boat" days, I remember thinking:  "where's the rest of the cabin? (we had an outside cabin, but still pretty tiny)"; "why aren't there any lily pads in the pool at night" (instead the pool was empty with rope netting covering it); "what's with all this wind?" (think back to the TV show and try to remember anyone standing on deck with even one hair out of place).

 

Ah...memories!!!

Same here!  Cunard Countess September 1980!   Found out I was pregnant on that cruise....life happened...3 kids....5 moves around the country...so our next cruise after that was the Carnival Sensation in 1999!  Met some great guys on that cruise and we are still friends today!!

[Jasperdo]

On 3/1/2019 at 5:49 PM, Sea Hag said:

Our first cruise was on the Carnival Jubilee. We couldn't believe how big it was! Very small by today's standards.

The Jubilee was our first cruise, too. I remember seeing it as we drove across the Vincent Thomas Bridge and I couldn't believe how huge it was!

[Sunviking]

Our first cruise was on the Sunviking in 1983 (hence my screen name).  I had been avidly watching "The Love Boat" before our cruise.  We boarded the ship in Barbados and had an interior cabin on the lowest deck as far aft as you could be.  When we opened the door I thought "this doesn't look like the Love Boat!."   Some of you may not be old enough to know what I'm talking about, but when we sailed or docked we had so much vibration in the cabin that it felt like the beds had those magic fingers quarter machines hooked up to them.  We had a wonderful time nonetheless and 40 + cruises later, we still cruise, albeit in vastly different style.

[rkacruiser]

6 minutes ago, Sunviking said:

cabin on the lowest deck as far aft as you could be.  When we opened the door I thought "this doesn't look like the Love Boat!."   Some of you may not be old enough to know what I'm talking about,

 

My cabin was on Sun Viking's somewhat older sister, but of the same class, Nordic Prince.  Small?  No doubt!  Sitting on the two beds across from each other, my traveling companion and my knees touched.  Yet, it was a very good cruise; we both enjoyed it!