Royal Founders

[skandls]

I don't remember the exact years (mid 1980s) but I did 2 New Year cruises one on the Song of Norway the next on the Nordic Prince. The second cruise we were seated at an officer's table. Anyone else remember those?

 

Those cabins were so small - they made you get out of the room and join the fun.

 

And DH has sailed the Sun Viking - early 1990s.

[Laoghaire]

Count me in. I sailed on the Song of Norway in 1980, 1981 and 1982 and Song of American in 1986. Remember climbing those outside stairs up to the Viking Crown Lounge??

 

Hello...Count us in if anything gets started on this! Yes, we have wonderful memories of those crazy back stairs..many cruisers didn't even find them until the final days. Hardly anyone up in the Viking Crown, so it was really cozy, and we loved those bartenders up there. Kinda like a private club!

 

How we loved the entertainment in those intimate lounges, what with the cruise staff doing "If I Were Not Upon The Sea"--remember that?? And you could reach out and "touch' the performers..many did!!

 

So much fun and wonderful memories.

 

Helen

[sea-cruise]

How we loved the entertainment in those intimate lounges, what with the cruise staff doing "If I Were Not Upon The Sea"--remember that?? And you could reach out and "touch' the performers..many did!!

If I were not upon the sea, an artist I would be! Yes, I remember. It got funnier each time the next person in line said something and they were doing all those crazy motions. LOL !!! How about running around in circles exchanging hats and shoes? They were nutty games and a lot of fun!

[Cruise_Couple]

Sorry... we are "of the seas" people. We are not OLD enough to be founders!!!:D

[Laoghaire]

Sorry... we are "of the seas" people. We are not OLD enough to be founders!!!:D

 

Pity, youngsters!! LOL You missed out on a lot of fun.

 

Helen

[sea-cruise]

Sorry you lost out guys...Our kids say that there are Losers & Founders just like Lost and Found Depts. :D ;) :D

[LeeLee]

Our first cruise was Nordic Prince to Bermuda in 1988. We enjoyed

it so much we did it again in 1989, and the rest is history.

[isujim]

Sorry... we are "of the seas" people. We are not OLD enough to be founders!!!:D

 

 

You missed a truly golden era of cruising........the new one is good too, but there is something special about the old one as well.

[glgolfer]

Song of Norway memories.

 

The bartenders show with the limbo and the flamng drink.

The musical hat game.

The masquerade night with the honeymooners dressed in sheets.

The talent show.

Hitting golf balls off the stern.

Shooting clay birds off the side of the ship.

Assigned tables for all meals.

The midnight owl club where most of the staff was partying.

The little area in front of the pool bar on the Song of Norway with 3 or 4 tables and chairs where you could have coffee watching the sunrise.

Good prizes like address books and logo coasters for trivia.

You had to go up-across-down or down-under-up to get from the front to the back of the ship.

Already mentioned: the small VCL with the outside stairs.

The beautiful artwork.

[sea-cruise]

OT but Jim...I love your state. We have many friends there who also travel to fish tournaments like my DH does. We've been there many times. Love Grand Lake of the Cherokees and I love Tulsa, but I don't like the tornados.

[Cruise_Couple]

Pity, youngsters!! LOL You missed out on a lot of fun.

 

Helen

 

You missed a truly golden era of cruising........the new one is good too, but there is something special about the old one as well.

 

I do wish I had been around to partake of a "true" cruise experience. What we have now is wonderful but I am sure it does not compare to the "golden era of cruising". I hope to meet you on some cruise in the future so you can share some of your memories.

[sea-cruise]

How about that beautiful scene in pink stained glass with the Victorian ladies? I think it was just as you entered the theater.

[Petert]

Our first cruise with RCCL was in '92 aboard the Viking Serenade out of Los Angeles. Sailed on the Song of Norway on the West bound Panama Canal transit the next year. We sailed on the Sun Viking, with Capt Bang, on the first, and I think the last Beijing to Tokyo cruise tour in 1996. We also made the Mexican Riviera cruise on the Song of America in 1993, and the Nordic Empress in 1994 out of Tampa Bay.

 

We really enjoyed the older RCI ships, and wish they were still around, but now our favorites are the Vision Class ships. We are booked on the Mariner of the Seas on it's second sailing out of Los Angeles next March. This will be our first experience aboard a Voyager Class ship, and I feel confident that we will come to enjoy these ships just as we did the Radience Class.

 

Petert

[glgolfer]

Petert:We were on the SON Panama Canal San Juan to Acapulco in 93.

Do you remember the Albatross that rode with us for miles the last day?

[Emi's Mom]

I have been seeing many different groups that people belong to on this website. I have been thinking, is there a group for those of us who have sailed on RCCL original fleet: Song of Norway, Nordic Prince & Sun Viking. You could even make it more exclusive by including the Song of America and say all the ships that were not "of the seas".

 

If there isn't such a group, does anyone have any interest in forming such a group. After all we were there when RCCL got it all started and we can exchange some fond memories of the old ships and old ways.

 

Good Sailing, Murf

 

Count me in too if the Nordic Empress counts!!! We sailed her before she became the Empress of the Seas :D

[isujim]

OT but Jim...I love your state. We have many friends there who also travel to fish tournaments like my DH does. We've been there many times. Love Grand Lake of the Cherokees and I love Tulsa, but I don't like the tornados.

 

Thanks.......we certainly like the cost of living here.........while things are getting tight, we haven't been hit like the rest of the country......at least yet. Having lived here my whole life except for 5 years, we get used to the tornados.......but certainly have a healthy respect for them.

[isujim]

I do wish I had been around to partake of a "true" cruise experience. What we have now is wonderful but I am sure it does not compare to the "golden era of cruising". I hope to meet you on some cruise in the future so you can share some of your memories.

 

Chris it was wonderful........Of course I think the golden era was better but I'm showing how long we have cruised LOL!! Both era's are unique and just different.........one probably no better than the other. Someday we will probably get to meet and compare era's :)

 

I think it would be great if the "Founders" had a group cruise on the old Nordic Prince or one of the original RC ships........now that is really wishful thinking:D

[abhb]

Does Viking Serenade count? Acctually it was our 2nd cruise. (First with kids) Our 1st cruise was 25 years ago, next week, for our honeymoon on the Norway.

[Lynnees]

Does Song of America 1984 or 5 count?

[berwyn]

I always looked forward to becoming a "night owl."

[aloha of the seas]

I happened to run across the old Nordic Prince while I was in Yokahama recently. At first I did not recognize her because they had removed the Viking Crown Lounge and obviuosly the new cruise line had repainted her. But when I started to look at her carefully I realized it was the same ship. I have attached a photo that I took. Good Sailing, Murf

[ddgleason]

If the Viking Serenade and the Nordic Empress count, that is. We sailed both. I remember each night in the Viking Crown lounge they would have a mock famous group come in and entertain. It was the waiters, bartenders, etc dressed up. I still have pics of me with the "Village People"! Fun times...

[truffles2]

I participated in the "fill your bathing suit with ping pong balls" game and I won, but I couldn't move because I had so many stuffed inside the suit. :cool:

 

I never saw that with ping pong balls but I did see (several times) "fill your bathing suite with fruit" that had been thrown in the pool. Hilarious! All those oranges and bananas made for some interesting shapes:eek:

[sea-cruise]

YIKES!!! :D

[CruiseKeeper]

I never saw that with ping pong balls but I did see (several times) "fill your bathing suite with fruit" that had been thrown in the pool. Hilarious! All those oranges and bananas made for some interesting shapes:eek:

 

I saw a very painful looking pineapple! :eek: The lady did it too.