Blast from the past… Festivale Cruise 1986

[hova]

I was going through some old folders and found some interesting photos and information on our first cruise (Southern Caribbean from San Juan) aboard the Carnival Festivale in 1986.  We were young (as were most of the people on the ship), had a small inside room on the bottom deck, but thought we were in heaven! 

 

 

 

Our impressions back then were that this ship was “HUGE”.   This excerpt is from its history: When Carnival Cruise Line's 35,000 gt FESTIVALE was introduced in Caribbean cruise service from Miami in 1978, she was by far the largest passenger ship based in Florida and one of the largest cruise ships in the world.   Now days, the ship would be considered small by industry standards, but back then…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cost of the cruise and flights (3500 CDN - which was a lot in 1986!) is more than we paid for a similar cruise from San Juan in 2018.   By the looks of the boarding pass, there were “Prepaid Gratuities” back then, but I remember that we and most of the cruisers simply handed an envelope of cash to our servers and room attendant.  Another observation is the number of flights that we were placed on (booked by cruise line).  Four flights to get to San Juan and four to return home. Thankfully, we can now do this in two flights each way!

 

 

 

 

We remember that the food was awesome and plentiful. We dressed up for dining and would also go to the mid-night buffet.   There were lots of large ice carvings every night, and one night featured a large chocolate buffet (much larger than the ones now days). 

 

 

 

 

The entertainment options weren’t near as good as they are now and mostly consisted of the entertainment team doing events during the day (fastest beer drinking and pillow fights were popular)  and in the evening, there would be bands playing in the lounges as well as the odd comedian show and other shows put on by the entertainment staff.

 

 

 

 

The ship itself wasn’t as grand as they are now, and certainly not as stable (no stabilizers etc).  I remember the ship rocking a lot, and that we actually had to walk a little different so we didn’t tip over!  Many people had patches behind their ears, to keep from getting sick.  When we went into port, I remember that we had to adjust the way we walked.

 

Well, many years later, I may be in the minority, but I am happy with the way the cruising has transitioned.  Bigger ships mean more options for dining, cabin types, entertainment options and the price is much less.  If we want, we could still go on the smaller exclusive ships, but prefer the newer Holland America ships.

[TxTeach79]

Absolutely incredible post. Thanks so much for sharing. Love love love the posts and pics of the old liners, especially interior photos that are hard to come by. I really need to dig through my stuff and find pics from 80's and 90's cruises on the old Mardi Gras, Dolphin IV, StarShip Majestic, Tropicale, etc.... I remember the Holiday class ships seeming absolutely insane. So massive, so over the top incredible... nothing could ever top it!!! I was utterly convinced.

[Lane Hog]

Talk about a throw-back.  Our honeymoon a year later on Jubilee was very similar.  Somewhere we have all of our docs and the photos, but too many moves in between and I don't know where they got packed away...

 

[outdoors27]

Great post! The Festivale was my second carnival cruise that my parents took me on and last family trip as my mother passed away the year after. Will always remember that ship. 

[sgttami]

Thanks for sharing.  Love the old pics of cruising.

My first was in 1992 on RCL.  Sometimes I wished things stayed the same. It was definitely an elegant vacation back in those days.  These days, not so much.  Still fun but very different.

[AfricaTravellers]

Here are a few photos from my Festivale cruise in 1988. This was my first cruise. It was spring break and I went with a friend from college. That ship seemed so big at the time! The one thing I regret is not trying skeet shooting!

 

 

I can't believe they allowed vehicles on the pier. I wish I remembered how they turned around.

 

 

The ships look so small. Notice this is before Carnival's funnel became the iconic whale tail.

 

 

Can you imagine how these ships would be dwarfed by today's mega ships?

 

 

This was the bridge tour.

 

 

I do miss the huge midnight buffets. It was incredible what they could do with the food. 

 

 

Somebody was a boxing fan. Notice the "Sugar Ray vs. Duran" caption referring to the 1980 fight.

[pinto18]

Our honeymoon was on the Tropicale in 1984. I remember our friends and family could board with us and hang out until a big announcement  was made for all those not cruising to get off the ship! Can you imagine doing that nowadays?

[Jed12345]

Our first cruise was on the Festivale.  Fantastic time.  Flaming baked Alaska, midnight buffets, trap shooting on the fan tail. 

[a4ofspades]

Love this!! Thanks to all who shared pics and memories. 🙂 

 

[CruiseBro16]

Very cool. Thanks for posting. 

[FreightlinerFan]

Awesome post!   Love the "old" ship pictures and the deck plans.

[nyonefivetwo]

This just might be my favorite thread ever! Love the pics - thanks for sharing!

[csoud68]

holy batman, look at the cost of that cruise..that would be like 6k a week now and for an inside cabin, no less.. zoikes..

[HeidiHo]

My first cruise was on the Festivale in 1986 also. It was myself and 3 of my girlfriends going, all in the same cabin. I don't remember if we booked an inside or porthole cabin but about 4 days before the cruise we got a call telling us we had been upgraded to a suite with balcony. These were the most expensive cabins on the ship and there were only 10 balconies on the entire ship. We were amazed and all the friends we made on board were jealous of our cabin. The funny thing is, by todays standards, that suite was about the same size that standard balcony cabins are now. The biggest difference was the bathroom was a bit bigger with a full size tub and the balcony was deeper than most standard balconies are now. It spoiled me though. Now I only want balconies.

[DeanDeeDee]

Thanks for posting.  I really enjoyed!

[jerseyjjs]

 

 

      Gotta point out the obvious, but you can see what more active lifestyles and less preservatives in food did for the average person back then.

[jimbri]

Great post!

[tlw440]

Thanks for posting, we didn't start cruising until '02 but still enjoy looking at the pics.

[dltvermont]

Great post! Thats amazing that the cost for the two of you is actually a couple hundred more than it is for my wife and I aboard the Magic! Of course those were interiors as you say but still!

[Moviela]

I enjoyed seeing the phone next to the bed. It is a hoot watching a gen X trying to dial a number.

 

Thanks for posting with the back-up documentation.