What do you remember most about your very first cruise?

[sunluvr21]

I haven't been cruising long (first was in December 2006) but the first thing I remember is thinking, "I am going to be on that behemuth ship all week?!?! How am I not going to get lost?" Good thing my hubbie was with me or else I might have gotten lost and had stay onboard forever! :P

 

Once onboard, I was so relaxed and excited for the week to come. I have done a lot of travelling around the world, and cruising is by far my favorite and most relaxing vacation ever.

 

Can hardly wait for the next one... :)

[Jeanie821]

On my first cruise, my now x-husband, informed me that at the next port, he was getting off and getting a divorce. That was the best news I had ever heard. I still had a great time and have been on 5 more cruises. Don't know or care what he is doing now.

 

Now that's pretty funny!

 

My memories of my first cruise? Running like H-E-double-hockey-sticks through ORD to make my connecting flight... singing praise and worship songs with some of my newfound friends... hanging out with more friends... getting the daylights scared out of me in Playa del Carmen by a strolling mariachi band... falling in love with Key West and wishing we never had to leave.

[BobBeaSea]

On my first cruise, my now x-husband, informed me that at the next port, he was getting off and getting a divorce. That was the best news I had ever heard. I still had a great time and have been on 5 more cruises. Don't know or care what he is doing now.

 

That's a good one :D. My first cruise was on Sovereign in 1990, when she was the biggest cruiseship afloat, and before cruising became mainstream. The size of the ship was overwhelming and absolutely beautiful. The food was outstanding, the service incredible, the surroundings and atmosphere something else. For lack of a better word it was elegant.

 

The dress code; this will throw you, for a 7 nighter: 2 formal nights- tux or dinner jacket, 1 night semi formal- dark business suit, 1 night smart casual- sports jacket and tie, 3 nights- casual.

 

The whole thing was just outstanding. :) I do however really enjoy today's cruising, it's a great way to travel.

[bthom70]

Wow, all these stories are nice.

In 2002 my Partner and I took a cruise with his brother and his GF.

We were 4 people to a bunkbed cabin on deck2. This was a 50+ person trip with a local marching band as a vacation. We had a bus take us into NYC on the Carnival Triumph for a 5 day Nova Scotia and St John's Bay trip.

 

I have to say other than 5gazzillion kids running all over we had a very good time. There were times the 4 people in the tiny cabin was very tight, but we all got through it. So much so we converted to RCL and are now on our 4th cruise, we are booked for the 13day TransAtlantic from Galveston to Barcelona in April.

[Mlkkc]

My dear daughter called about 3 in the morning had gotten in to an accident on campus thank God no one was hurt.We had to be at airport at 5:30 and we had a 2hr drive after leaving the hospital,but once we layed eyes on Destiny it was on.Man was that the best vacation we had ever had .Six cruises later and 2 planned for this year Majesty and Navigator again.I think I better getting to planning for next year.

[01821]

Our first cruise was supposed to be great, 3 days in Disney World, 4 days on Disney Magic.

I broke my arm just prior to leaving home, and My Sis, Ann, got sick, coming down with Bronchitis, as we left for Orlando. The cruise experience was lost on us, she sick in bad, and me unable to even cut my own food. We laugh about it now, and it didn't stop us from cruising.

[Deloresgardella]

I remember my first cruise vividly. I took my 14 year old daughter on Sitmars Fairsea in "81. I had booked an inside cabin and they upgraded us to a cabin that had both twin beds down. It use to be on the cheapest cabins one bed would be down and the second come out of the wall. I thought at the time this ship is so big we will never find our way around it. We desided we needed to go exploring so we did. Found our way around pretty easy. Loved sitting around the pool on warm days.It was seven days from Long Beach to Mexico. We had the best time then the officers could dance with you. I even had an ship board romance. I have been on about 12 cruises since then, All great but that was my most memorable.

[TMarie]

My first cruise was many moons ago when I was only about 7 years old. I went with my mom, brother and grandma and we shared a very small room. We were on a cruise line called Commodore Cruise Lines. I was on the last sailing for this boat.

 

The 1st thing i remember is my dad drove us to the air port and he wanted to have breakfast with us at mcdonalds and my mom told him we were going to be late for our flight and my dad said it didnt matter because they couldnt leave without us...boy was he wrong! we got to the gate just in enough time to watch it take off....fortunately we got on another flight on standby. we made it to the boat just in time.

 

I remember thinking that the boat was huge, although compared to the RCCL boats i have been on its was a bath toy...

 

I remember that my mom was seasick and dropped a cot on her foot and it turned black and blue.

 

I remember draping extra sheets over the fold down bed to make the bottom bunk a tent for my little brother.

 

I remember eating a cheeseburger in jamaica and then remembering the pitiful cows we passed on the way there and thinking it couldnt possibly

be beef...

 

I remember getting off at a small beach island and walking acrossed a puddle in the evening, and then having to swim through the river it had become several hours later.

 

I remember the Quest game where all the men came dressed as women and the horse races we participated in.

 

I remember winning at bingo and my mom standing up and saying "ive got B-O" because i was too embarrassed to do it.

 

I remember my grandma couldnt make it all the way up the dunn river falls and i slipped on a rock and bruised my butt.

 

I remember my mom calling my dad from the boat and finding out that he accidently run over my dog. He lived, but he had to have several surgeries and skin graphs.

 

I remember getting my hair braided and getting sun burn on my scalp before taking it out 3 or 4 hours later.

 

I remember that we had a horrible storm and my mom calling the pursers desk and thinking it was going to sink. When someone opened the outside door, water poured into the boat and flooded the floor. It was past my ankles...

 

I also remember the captain giving the daily reports in the morning and sounding drunk out of his mind.

 

I remember that even though it was probably the worst cruise i was ever on, i still thought it was wonderful.

 

And im still hooked to this day! And now im "loyal to royal" to boot!

 

Thanks to the person who started this thread, i hadnt thought about it in a really long time!

 

Also, it kinda reminds me how my boyfriend will feel on his first cruise in September. I have been trying to plan alot and keep him informed about stuff afraid he wont have a good time. But im sure he will be awestruck regardless!

[camperhawk]

My first cuise was on Rccl Explorer. My amazement was overwhelming at first! We made the mistake of booking a balcony the first time out and loved it. The ship was beautiful and we got hooked on cruising!

 

The best memory though was that My son who turned 17 on that cruise,boarded shy, quiet and not quite sure of himself. Later into the week we saw a changing kid, emerging into a social butterfly, if you will.

 

He went from saying "this is going to be boring "to walking down the promenade with 2 girls , and looking quite proud of himself.

He met several friends. (some of whom he is still in contact with).

 

He came home with a whole new attitude about who he was and it showed from that cruise on!

 

We have cruised every year since!

[Boo Boo]

My first cruise was a 7 Day Disney Magic Eastern Caribbean Cruise in September 2000. It was just my husband and me in a Balcony cabin and it was fabulous!

 

The things I remember most about that cruise:

- the size and the majesty of the ship

- the blueness of the ocean (turning turquoise near the islands)

- the freshness and warmth of the sea air on deck or on our balcony

- being rocked to sleep in our bed some nights (some would call it rough, we found it soothing)

 

Our most recent cruise (October 2006) was on RCCL's Mariner-of-the-Seas - that will always be remember because it was SUCH an amazing and beautiful ship.

 

Boo

[seetosea]

My first cruise was on the Song of Norway in '76. I was 26 years old and my DH and Parents shared an inside cabin. It was the best cruise we've every been on and we were sold on cruising every since.

 

Things I remember:

 

1. I won bingo

2. Jacob was our waiter

3. I won a trophy at a pool game

4. It was a Caribbean cruise

5. RCCL gave away lots of neat prizes (a set of glasses that we still have)

6. We took part in every activity there was.

7. Soda was free

 

On a cruise two years later on the same ship, Jacob switched to our table and again was our waiter.

 

We're now diamond members so RCI must have done something right.

[Cruisesquatch]

Lets see...

...the folk dancers at the San Juan airport.

...the drive from said airport to dock and looking out at Puerto Rico trying to absorb as much as possible.

...going to the liquor store and being nervous because it was directly across from the ship security checkpoint... uh oh.

...looking up at the ship...and up...and up...wow.

...going to the Lido Deck and seeing the party was already on...and then nodding my head, smiling thinking, "Yeah, I'm gonna like this." I felt like a kid in a candy store.

...being pretty buzzed.

...partying with Puerto Rican people who knew about 9 words of English (which is about 3 more than any Spanish I know) and having a blast in spite of the language barrier. We both used alot of hand gestures, it was kinda funny.

...after formal dinner going to the casino to drink a martini and play roulette like James Bond...even though I had no idea what I was doing.

...falling in love...10 times a night.

...being pretty buzzed.

...all the ports.

...the attentiveness and politeness and effort of the crew members.

...the DJ who was a real #$%%@@$

...the freakin' Kylie Minogue song, "Cant get you out of my mind" or head or something...everywhere we went that's all we heard...I STILL cant get that stupid song out of my head...la la la, la la la-la la la la la...help! make it stop.

...playing "Fun (yeah right) Blackjack 21" and having about 125$ in chips in front of me, and yes they were winnings...well, for that night.

...2 martinis later looking down and my pile was gone. Doh!

...drinking my first martini.

...smoking a cigarette on the top deck and looking up at the constellations at night at the back of the ship.

...being pretty buzzed.

...being bummed out on the last night, that it was, well, the last night.

...thinking, "Yeah, I'm definitely gonna do this again."

[HarborGrl]

This is a good thread! My first cruise was the maiden voyage of NCL's first ship, the Sunward out of Miami. It was really rough and I was 13 and by the time we had been at sea a few hours I wasn't feeling too well. I decided to find my mom and let her know this, which I did. She was at a formal party in the dining room and right about the t ime I opened my mouth to get some consoling from her, I threw up all over her brand new silk shoes!

 

This experience has in no way hindered my cruising however. Now, I'm going on my 9th and can't wait!

[polarismom]

Our first cruise was a DCL and they announce you as you board and the kids could not believe that they announced our name for all to hear, (not like anyone was listening) but they didn't know that. COOL!!

Polarismom Of 4

[marti2282]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon in 1971. (sigh) Yes... we are that old! We sailed on the Costa Flavia--three days. Inside cabin -- surly below the waterline! Had no money, but felt like millionaires! One of my strongest memories from that cruise, was our key. When you left your cabin, you hung your key on a hook that was in a box on the wall.

[beannie]

The thing we remember most about our first cruise was the size of the ship. We were floored.

[emdia43]

What I remember most is that I didn't get seasick. I just KNEW I would!

I had always wanted to cruise but I can get nauseated just thinking about the word,but I finally decided to try a 4 day on Majesty- I figured if it was just too bad I could always (a) hang over the rails for 4 days or (b) just get off the ship and fly back from Key West/Nassau/Coco Cay.

The first evening it was smooth sailing until late in the evening and then I just started noticing the motion badly and felt quite queasy. I went to lie down until it passed and the next thing I knew it was morning and we were pulling into Nassau. I was so excited to think I had sailed all that way without getting sick- I danced around the room.

Never thought about it again and have never got sick.

[dunmowin]

Love this thread!! Everytime I think of our 1st cruise I laugh so hard. Our 1st cruise was 5 years ago and it was on Disney. My DH, mom and 3 kids 12,8,4 (at the time) I can not tell you how excited (and nervous we were) I was so afraid we would be sea sick. I somehow found these boards and read everyday for about a year before our trip. I made sure that DH and mom and I had "the patch" but what would I do for the kids? Well there is absolutely nothing like that 1st time you come up and over that bridge coming to Port Canaveral when you get that glimse of the ships. We were so excited I turned around to say to the kids "look how big the ship is!!!!!!) My youngest apparantely had a bigger dose of dramimine than she should have because she looked up from her dangling head with drool dripping down to her knees and thought it looked Cool... Her image just really makes me smile but there is not another feeling exactly like the one you experience the 1st time you see how big the ships are.

 

We have our 8th cruise booked for April 1st on Freedom and another for next April on Liberty so we definately LOVE TO CRUISE!!!! By the way we never have used the patch again.

[CLQ]

...We remember being so excited that the check-in process didn't even seem annoying.

...Even though we had seen cruise ships from the outside, the sheer size was staggering.

...We took to cruising during hour-one, with no seasickness or any other disorientation. It was like we had been waiting to do this our entire lives.

...But, the best memory was my wife seeing the flowers waiting inside the stateroom as we got onboard. We had studied cruising for 5 years, but hadn't been able to pull together schedule, etc to make it happen til then. She cried the happiest tears I had seen her cry. We're hooked.

[luv2cruz64]

I'd never been interested until a travel agent/friend arranged for us to tour the Carnival Legend(when she sailed out of Baltimore). I could not believe how huge she seemed. I was floored by the elegance and since then I was gung ho. Our first cruise was on the Dawn Princess in 2004. We were so amazed at how many activities there were and I remember marveling that I was actually out to sea--it was a blast!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention that it was the first vacation that dh & I had alone after 20 years of marriage and 3 children. The prospect of any other vacation pales in comparison. We've only been on one cruise since then but I am constantly plotting!!

[derrick22]

First cruise was the Nordic Prince in 1988. I remember the sheer size and the food. First night our table mate ordered two entrees and ate both of them.

Sad part was my FIL died at home and we had to get off the ship and go home. Never did get to see Bermuda. RCCL was great and helped us all the way. The ships purser even remembered what we looked like and sent our formal pictures home to us.

Sailed the following year on Sovereign of the Seas and was impressed that we said good bye to our luggage in NY and it appeared in our cabin. Never had to handle it.

[QTBabyNurse]

My first cruise was on the Dolphin in 1982....for those of you who remember the good old Dolphin, it was only like 25,000 tons! Alot smaller than anything sailing these days! I was about 20 years old and I decided to book this cruise on a Wednesday for a Friday sailing. We put 4 of us in 1 cabin (my parents, my aunt and me) and we paid like $500 for the whole cabin.

There were two funny things that happened on this cruise....one night we were all walking around inside when all of the sudden the lights went out and all the interior doors slammed shut! We found out this was all part of a fire alarm (although we didn't hear any alarm!)...scared the crap out of everyone! Thought the ship was going down!! :eek:

The other funny thing was every afternoon when we were in the cabin getting ready for dinner, we kept hearing these birds squawking and couldn't figure out where they were coming from.....we soon found out that the ship's entertainment...a magician....was staying in the cabin next to us and the squawking birds were his pigeons! Oh...that's the other thing I forget to mention....for that nice price of $500 for all four of us....our cabin was on the same deck as the crew!! :eek:

I will never forget this cruise...it ranks as one of my favorites ever!! :D

[ottawapuppy]

Our first cruise was on Navigator in April 2005. I remember thinking at the end of the first day that we had made a very expensive mistake.

The opening night show was horrible (roller skating acrobats), we were seated at a table for 8 and there was just two of us, the parade was noisy and tacky, we had a problem tracking down some wine that was given to us by our travel agent, we had a horrible night's sleep in those teeny-weeny beds...Oy, we were so discouraged.

THEN...the next day...it was beautiful out, the pool was great, our service staff were so great we didn't care we were alone at the table, the captain's reception was so much fun (way too much free champagne), the show that night was fantastic (we went to both shows). The experience was immediately redeemed, and by the third day we had decided which ship we were going on next.

In April, it will be our 6th cruise within two years, and we have a booking for the fall and plans for next January.

 

LOVE IT!

 

Mike

[newhampshiregirl]

Our first cruise was on our honeymoon in 1986 and I had always wanted to go on a cruise. It was the Carnival Festivale (I am told this is now a Disney red boat). We had an outside cabin, it smelled like oil and I got seasick every night at dinner, but still had a ball! We had the sweetest bus boy from Norway (cute too!) who brought me crackers every night.

 

We dressed up for a costume night (me as charlie chaplin and dh as Dr. Quackenbush). We really had a good time and it was quite memorable.

 

What I also remember is how big the boat was (diminutive now in comparison to the size of Voyager class and Freedom of the Seas) but still great.

 

Tomorrow we leave for Ft. Lauderdale for our cruise on Sat. on the Jewel of the Seas. Can't wait!

[AlnzWife]

We took our first cruise on Empress of the Seas last year. My favorite memory...DH found the "private deck" at the front of the ship on deck 8. We stood out there one night alone and the full moon reflecting off the water was so beautiful, I cried. I'm looking forward to doing another cruise next year.