Most Memorable Cruise

[djyellowsub]

My husband also died in March 2021, pcur,  so we never got to go on our planned 30th anniversary cruise.  My most memorable cruise, although it is hard to pick one, was this past November when our daughter went on my 30th anniversary cruise in place of her dad.  We had a special time together and our favorite moment was finding the same bookstore in Old San Juan that my husband so excitedly found on a previous cruise.  It was a very touching moment.  It was actually on my anniversary date, and we both bought books in his memory.  It was her first cruise, and she is now hooked!

[Thisguylikestocruise]

Went on our first cruise aboard Oasis, February 2017, to escape a cold Michigan winter. I lost my brother tragically months earlier, and needed something positive in my life. My wife and I were in awe of the ship, and being at sea watching the sunset. The St Thomas sail and snorkel excursion was memorable, saw sea turtles and tropical fish. It was perfect weather and the guides were so much fun. The view on the way back to the ship was beautiful. Sun was going down, sipping rum punch, warm tropical breeze hitting our face as we sailed to Oasis and it’s lights reflected on the water. That day I knew cruising was my favorite vacation. 
 

Cruise #2 is on Wonder, February 2023, ocean view balcony. Very excited to make more good memories!

 

After that hope to cruise the Greek Isles in 2024-2025. Either Celebrity or RC.  Our honeymoon was in Rome 11 years ago, and we’d like to return, plus see more of the Mediterranean. 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Thisguylikestocruise

[bonsai3s]

Answering for my beautiful wife...she just reminded me.

 

1. New Year's Eve dinner...Voyager of the Seas...Sydney, Australia...we got invited (along with 10 other lucky couples) to the Captain's Table. To this day, we still don't know why/how we were selected.......incredible.

 

2. Istanbul to Barcelona...14-days...last cruise with my parents...rest in peace...thank you.

 

3. Vision of the Seas...Venice to Dubai via the Suez Canal. We had armed security onboard while sailing near the Somali coast.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

5 hours ago, loman said:

Our first cruise on RC Voyager of the Seas . We were new to cruising and were real happy with our selection. 

Remember a Beatles tribute band that was so good we saw the show twice that night.

Later on , several years later we stepped onto the Oasis , and boy were we wowed . 

Was the Beetles band Mexican? The reason I ask is because the ones we heard were and they were fabulous.

[MightyMike]

For me it was the Windjammer Polynesia in October 2001. It was shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Flying had just started up again and international flights (like ours) were under intense scrutiny. Every suitcase was inspected inside and out by hand in St. Lucia. We could see some travelers were packing some very interesting toys!

 

Ours was the first cruise after a major renovation. For those who don't know, the Polynesia was originally a sailing ship used for fishing that was converted into a small cruise ship in the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises fleet. It was fitted with a new engine when renovated--an engine that was much lighter and ran hotter. The weight change affected the balance of the ship. It would continuously lean to one side the entire trip. Water would pool up in the corner of the shower because it could not reach the drain.

 

Water was heated by the engine, but when they hooked up the water line to the new (hotter) engine, steam came out of the faucets--so they had to turn off all hot water for safety reasons. Showers were tepid at best.

 

There were some sewage incidents on the lowest deck, so water had to be turned off to all toilets except for a shared one near the bar. Luckily, we had a cabin on deck so were not as severely impacted.

 

One evening all power went off for a several hours. All that we had were the emergency lights on the mast. Everyone stayed up on deck. Captain Casey and the crew couldn't figure out what was wrong and we didn't know if power could be restored. Finally, they figured out that a garbage bag got stuck in the fuel line. Drinks were free while the crew was figuring it all out.

 

It was our best cruise ever. We were prepared for a more rustic cruise than on the major lines but this exceeded all expectations. There was plenty to complain about, but anyone who could go with the flow had a great time. We made friends we still keep in contact with 20 years later.

[Marilyn Johannes]

In 2005 we were cruising out of Galveston when hurricane Katrina hit. I couldn’t understand why everyone was evacuating to Houston because we hadn’t watched the news. Spent the next 20 hours in extremely rough seas. Vowed I’d never go on another cruise if a hurricane was coming! 

Also, first cruise on Song of Norway in 1987 got us hooked. 

[loman]

44 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Was the Beetles band Mexican? The reason I ask is because the ones we heard were and they were fabulous.

I dont  think so . Looked like good old american boys pounding out one tune after the other . Great harmonies and excellent musicianship .

[sgmn]

9 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Kinda quiet for me since I was solo. I ate and drank a lot.🤣🤣

 

Did a Live review centered around UDP

 

 

Must of missed this John , can you post a link ?

[the penguins]

11 hours ago, the penguins said:

What a question:

90 mph winds, 60 foot waves and a mutiny by a group of passengers - Celebrity Infinity to Antarctica.

Standing amongst 20,000 King Penguins in South Georgia - Hurtigruten the Fram to Antarctica.

60 days, 5 x B2B Auckland to Seattle - Celebrity Solstice.

Around South America for our Golden Wedding on Celebrity Eclipse included Iguazu Falls and, on the anniversary day itself a Tango Show in Buenos Aires with a CC Group.

Christmas and New Year in the Med Royal Independence - included New Year Eve fireworks in Naples.

Sorry, sent without "approval from the boss" who wanted to include:

Rio Carnival and the Amazon on HAl, Maasdam.

Norway Christmas and New Year, dog sledding on Christmas Day and the Northern Lights with Hurtigruten,Trollfjord.

Petra and the Suez Canal also included The Falcon Hospital in Abu Dhabi and Mosque in Muscat on Celebrity, Constellation.

All so different, impossible to choose the best.

 

[kernow]

Hard to pick but my top 2 are

 

Splendour of the Seas Santos to Barcelona TA, our first time to South America, mostly Brazilian passengers onboard who were great fun and less than 100 English speaking guests so we were treated like Royalty with lots of special events for us. We stopped in Rio which was amazing, and crossed the Equator.

 

My other favourite is Celebrity Constellation Rome to Abu Dhabi through the Suez canal. We visited Petra and best of all the cruise ended in Abu Dhabi on F1 grand prix weekend so we were able to go to quali and race days which as F1 fans was fab for us.

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, sgmn said:

Must of missed this John , can you post a link ?

 

Re live our cruise😉

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by John&LaLa

[John&LaLa]

Reading everyone's favorites gives me lots of recommendations on things to do on our world cruise.😁

[mandyleighflies]

This is a tough one as they are all wonderful. However it's between 2, my first cruise as a kid back in 1998 on the Sensation and taking my children on their first cruise on Mariner OTS in 2018. There is nothing like your first cruise or seeing that reaction/experience for your children. 

[CruiserLucas]

18 hours ago, DrewCC2225 said:

I figured it would be interesting for us to read everyone’s stories - what cruise that you guys have taken over the years was your most memorable?

I have two I'd say

1. My first cruise in 2017 on Carnival Conquest. A present to myself for finishing my master's program. I always wanted to cruise through college and when I started working, but that single supplement on lines and not finding a solo cabin on any NCL itineraries I checked was quite the barrier so I waited until the time was right. Went with my then new BF now long-term SO, who had been on a cruise with his family before as a teen. It was awesome and amazing and I was hooked on cruising since!

2. My last cruise, #5 overall. It was our first time on RCCL on Harmony. Our first time trying a new line after all Carnival previously, and we were blown away by the difference and step above Carnival in every way. It was a gift to ourselves after 2 years of no vacations through COVID and having sold our house when we moved, and I'm so glad we took the trip. My partner had just started back to college, too, which is hard enough as an older adult, so we used the college's spring break week to relax. And even though we were nervous that it would be more rowdy during spring break, it was not at all. I also got to check off one of my bucket list items of going to Maho Beach and seeing the plane landings and blast of a jet taking off. Sorry, I'm an avgeek, so I was like a kid in a candy shop lol

 

18 hours ago, firefly333 said:

We had a naturalist onboard

This just reminds me of a conversation the other day when my partner said, "They're a naturist" and I corrected him to it's a "naturalist" in the context he meant. I'm sure it would have been a really memorable cruise with a naturist onboard who told you what to watch for! 🤣 

[hallux]

They're all memorable for one reason or another.  I always think back to my first cruise though, and how it's a wonder I've done 4 more since then.

 

Explorer of the Seas to Bermuda in March/April.  The weather on the sea days was HORRIBLE, to the point that the outside decks were closed.  Waves so rough that the theater shows were at risk of being cancelled, they DID have the seasick bags out in the stairwells and the pool (while it had water in it) was more like a wave pool.  My luggage wasn't delivered to my room - both the cruise line tag and the regular luggage ID tag had been torn off, I had to go to GS to find it at 9 at night.  Sitting in the Windjammer having lunch and watching lightning strike the water behind the ship.

 

Oh, I never needed the seasick bags, with no 'aids' to prevent it either.  On my last cruise we had some mild weather, they put the bags out but compared to that first cruise it was like glass.

 

Other cruises since then have been memorable for other reasons.

Edited July 13, 2022 by hallux

[The sea calls my name]

17 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Hasn't started yet😉

 

Ultimate World Cruise

274 days

150 ports 

60 countries

7 continents

7 New World Wonders

1 voyage of a lifetime

Has Bella gotten her "special Papers" yet?

[John&LaLa]

16 hours ago, Surfguyxxx said:

John&LaLa;  I see we were on the Independence together in June. Quite an interesting cruise huh 😲 ?????

 

Oh, did you mean the rocket launch🤔🚀👍

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, The sea calls my name said:

Has Bella gotten her "special Papers" yet?

 

No, she'll be at the beach with Linda and Jerry.

[Rogueperson]

18 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Hasn't started yet😉

 

Ultimate World Cruise

274 days

150 ports 

60 countries

7 continents

7 New World Wonders

1 voyage of a lifetime

You doing a live thread for that?  That would be AMAZING....

[Rogueperson]

My best cruise ever and it would rub some people here the wrong way, was my 2015 cruise on the Carnival Pride.  It was so good, I have to remove it from consideration when comparing other cruises as no cruise would ever beat this.  It is the cruise that I married my wife.  For some reason, we were like minor celebrities on board and that whole week was just amazing.

2nd best cruise, which counts as the official best cruise was actually 9 month before the one I got married on.  It was on Grandeur of the Seas over NYE 2014-2015.  I can't even put my finger on why that cruise was so good.  Everything just fit into place.  The passengers were amazing.  The service was top notch.  The itinerary was an awesome 10 night from Baltimore which Royal does not do anymore.  The ports were a blast.  No cruise, other than my wedding cruise has come close to touching this particular one for some reason.

[RedSails1968]

Most memorable for destination: Honolulu to Honolulu aboard Norwegian Wind. Also the worst ship we have been on, although the food was excellent.

Most memorable for ship: Symphony. I loved everything about it plus all 3 grandchildren and their parents were with us.

[barbeyg]

20 hours ago, BND said:

30 foot seas for about 12 hours returning to Baltimore on GR a few years ago.  Other than that, they all have something to be memorable for, whether it's meeting new people, doing fun excursions, etc.  

I agree with you about all being memorable.  But ours was also one with 30' seas.  On Empress many, many years ago, a Bermuda & repositioning cruise. 

 

We had an inside cabin all the way forward (we were young and broke 😃), and fortunately, the top of our bed was at the front of the ship.  We laid in bed, listening to  the drawers and doors slam open and shut repeatedly, and we could feel the ship climb, climb, climb, then descend, descend, descend.   😂  We would slide a bit down the bed as we climbed, and then slide back up the bed as the ship descended.  It was like riding a roller coaster. 

 

I don't know how we didn't get sick that long night, but we still laugh about that adventure to this day.   Our friends, not so much.  They spent 24 hours in their cabin, and never sailed with us again. 😬  There were so many people seasick on that cruise that room service was run ragged delivering sliced apples and crackers pretty constantly.  

 

Our favorites?  Alaska, the Panama Canal, and the last NE cruise before Covid.  We made such wonderful friends on those, and AK is amazing!

Edited July 13, 2022 by barbeyg

[OCSC Mike]

Too hard to decide for me. Not meant to be a cop out, but I have specific memories from different cruises, some of which are fairly random, more so than entire cruises that stand out in my mind.

 

Alaska was my most memorable "trip" but that largely includes the 10 days we spent on land prior to the cruise.

 

My recent extended family cruise on Harmony was memorable as it was our first time in a suite and the Sky Class perks were amazing!

 

Other random memorable events may not seem overly special but they stood out at the time and still do...

 

We had a wonderful week on Freedom with an unusually small number of Diamond members aboard and spent each evening taking advantage of the open bar in the DL (pre-vouchers obviously) and chatting with a friendly server every night. It was so empty that she was able to sit with us. Love the DL on Freedom class in the crown as well. I also remember having a bagel with the DL concierge that week on a Saturday morning while we chatted and watched EPL (English football/soccer) on the tv's there since I was the only person in the DL.

 

On an Oasis cruise during which we ate most dinners in the WJ, we met the happiest crew member we have ever come across. She was a greeter from the Caribbean and never stopped smiling. After the first couple nights she recognized us and we ended up chatting so much over the course of the week that my wife ended up friending her on FB.

 

Lastly, we were on Mariner about 15 years ago and they played the same random song all over the ship before every show and activity. It was catchy and got stuck in our heads though we didn't even know what it was until we looked it up. It was "Love Today" by Mika and my wife has used it as her ringtone for me ever since.

 

Sometimes it's the little things...

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by OCSC Mike

[cruiselvr04]

One most memorable was on Empress, also an inside cabin at the front of the ship. I think because the ship was small the “fun” people just kept hanging out together.  We had huge swells the last night sitting in the water outside Puerto Rico.  It was the only time I’ve been a little seasick. 
 

For itinerary it has to be Europe. Rome, Naples, Athens.  We love all the Roman and Greek history.

 

Future we’re looking forward to 45 nights circumventing Australia in 2024.  Next year Alaska and a full Panama transit.  Wish we could join the world cruise but not this time.  If they ever do one again I’m pretty sure we’ll be ready! 

[sellwingri]

My overall favorite was on Jewel through the Panama Canal 4 years ago..  we sailed from Ft Lauderdale to San Diego. We went through the old locks, which we had partially done before, because a Disney ship beat us to the new one. We stopped in Columbia and took a ships tour through an animal reserve.  Zebra met us by the gate and every area had different animals including a family of lions and a bunch of giraffes.  One actually tried to get on the bus but the driver wouldn’t let him (spoiled sport!).   We’re going on another one next April from Galveston to LA but we’re not stopping in Columbia.