Your first cruise ship

[Happy Peach]

Carnival Carnivale, 1991, Bahamas

 

I didn't cruise again for many years, but now I'm making up for that lost time!

[sexybackfool]

Celberty zenith 2003 to bermuda lol

[blueangel74]

Feb 2005 was my 1st cruise. Lived outside of NOLA & went on a cruise w/ my best friend & about 40 of her family members. Wanted to get out of town for Mardi Gras. The ship was Carnvial Sensation. Went to Calica & Cozumel, Mexico. Had a blast except when I had to lug my friend back to the room b/c she was wasted for most of the trip. Despite that I still loved cruising. Went on my 1st solo cruise on Carnival Triumph in October 2010 & went to Nassau, Freeport, & Key West. Had the time of my life. Cruise #3 (solo cruise # 2) will happen in October 2011(Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, & back to Cozumel). I can't wait. :D

[Stevedan]

Oceanic of Home Lines in 1970. After many cruises on many ships, I can still say there has been no ship ever like the Oceanic!

[Judge_Mental]

Regal Princess - Alaska, July 1994 One way down from Anchorage to Vancouver during our honeymoon. We called the ship "Geriatric Park" as the dinosaur movie had just come out. Active excursions were fairly empty since there were 10 people under 30 on the ship. I guess they no longer do the "lets see them club the salmon to death" portion. And the walk in the Tsongass Natl Forest where the tour guide had a machete and gun (to clear the path and take care of any critters) was a hoot. Alaska was still the last frontier then and I'm not sure I'd enjoy it as much now with the mass market and crowds. AMAZING ship, crew and experience. Italian crew always wished us "Buon Appetito" and it was fun to have Baked Alaska in Alaska. Food was superb-VERY local- tried elk, reindeer, etc. Really hard to forget- we used to sit in front of the huge glass windows, watch puffins, bears etc. and listen to Enya signing "Sail Away".

 

At the time, I thought cruising and its expense could only be justified if being on a ship added something special to it (ie hard to see calving glaciers from the shore). But, with economical crusing opening up in Texas, started again almost 10yrs later on RCCL. We travel a lot by other means so we try to squeeze a cruise in when price and/or itinerary is too good to pass up.

Edited July 10, 2011 by Judge_Mental
spelling

[canadiansnowbird]

Our first cruise was aboard the ship Seawind Crown out of Aruba. We had a great time and then spend another week in Aruba.

 

The ship has had other names as well; originally laid in 1959 as Infante Dom Henrique and sailed the water from Portugal to Africa.

 

Then she had a 50 million $ refit and was renamed Vasco Da Gama in 1989.

 

In 1991 she was renamed the Seawind Crown and sailed the Caribbean.

 

Very interesting to us was in 2002 we saw her sitting in Naples waiting to be towed to the Indian breakers. She was towed out the same day.

 

Snowbird

[chrisc71]

First was Celebrity Horizon from NYC to Bermuda. And I was hooked with a little brain washing growing up when Love Boat was first on TV then in reruns.;)

[zumbafan]

I cruised with 4 other girls out of Miami on a Chandris cruise--can't remember the ship's name but we did it in 1983 and went to Key West, Cancun and Cozumel. All 5 of us were in 1 cabin--these were the big hair days and we had to go down the hallway to use our curling irons into a room with multiple outlets. We were also the youngest ladies onboard and got quite a bit of attention from the waiters!:p

[Jimbo50]

First cruise was back in 1990 on the old Dawn Princess (RMS Sylvania, Fairwind) Great ship esp with the entire crew being Italian.

 

Still the best cruise I ever went on (could it be due to the fact that they upgraded me to Owners suite from balcony??:confused::D).

[twan60]

Our first cruise was with NCL Jewel on 7/2/11 - 7/9/11. We are so hooked that I'm now scanning websites for our next cruise. I miss counting down to the fun and talking to all my cruise critic friends that I met.

[nona0541]

NCL MS/Starward to the Caribbean--Jamacia, Haiti, Nassau and NCL Island GSC. Was april 1980. Due to circumstances beyond our control we did not cruise again until 2006. Been trying to make up for lost time since then. 11 cruise since then and have 4 booked between now and 9/2012. :D

[Airbob]

Holand America SS Rotterdam to Nassau. It sailed out of New York. What a great sight and feeling going under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and then out to sea!

[Bay State]

Mine was on the Big Red Boat (anyone remember who owned that line? was it Premier?). The itinerary was Bahamas, and the date - this is where it gets sketchy for me ;-) I believe was around May of 1994

 

Loved that cruise - I've been hopelessly addicted since then! :-D

 

Cathy

 

In 1979 went on the Festivale which later became Big Red Boat. It was when Carnival has three ships. We had a ball. I had no idea that we were supposed to tip and I spent all my money. Went to the casino and won $100 that saved me an embarassment. that was the trip that got us hooked.

[adpiterp]

RCI's Liberty of the Seas in October 2010 and definitely got hooked! Going on cruise two in less than two weeks!

[Thurston Howell lll]

First cruise was 35 days going in circles from Long Beach, CA to Japan in 1960 on a US Navy Destroyer. I was hooked for 4 years.

Ships have changed a bit over the years.

[Rina155]

My first cruise was 1985 or 1986 on RCCL's Song of Norway. Went to St Thomas, St. Martean, Private Island, and ? 7 day inside cabin and swore if I ever went on another cruise it would not be an inside cabin..

 

I did get hooked and many years later took my son and his wife to be and my youngest son on a 11 day Hawaiian Cruise with NCL. Have been hooked ever since and LOVE cruising.

 

This year will be returning to Hawaii with family and my Fiance`. Ships have really changed over the years!

[WendysMom]

Our first cruise was in February, 1993, where we celebrated our 25th Anniversary aboard Carnival's Celebration. We left frigid IL for sunny Miami, where we followed the Carnival Rep's instructions to join our bus even though my luggage had been delayed in Chicago. They assured me that they would pick it up and bring it with them before the day's end. Well...day ended, and it still hadn't appeared. We checked at the desk yet again before we sailed...and after we sailed, and they assured us it would appear before morning. They lied. I did have my carry-on case and a formal dress which had been packed in my husband's suitcase; but all my brand-new finery, sexy lingerie, and every bit of my underwear remained behind in Miami.

 

They assured me it would meet us in Puerto Rico...and they lied. They PROMISED me it would be there in St. Thomas...and they lied again. I spent most of my time either on the phone with Carnival Corporate (I had no faith in the Purser's staff) or searching for undies, not an easy task back then, but I did find a small store "somewhere" that had two pair of panties and a bra my size. I snatched them up even though they'd assured me my luggage would be on the ship waiting when we returned. They lied.

 

Then we proceeded to St. Maarten and I was assured that my suitcase was in the trunk of the Carnival rep in St. Maarten--where it had been sent, instead of to St. Thomas. It was there in the Carnival car. I could SEE the car just sitting there. But the rep had called in sick so HE wasn't there to OPEN the car and set my luggage free!! At least I had a change of undies, even if I did have to use the blow dryer to dry them - nobody from Carnival even offered me so much as a T-shirt!!!

 

It took me a long while before I would even think of sailing with Carnival again - even though they gave us a substantial discount towards a second cruise with them. In fact, it was ten full years before we sailed again...on RCL's Rhapsody of the Sea. United once again lost my luggage, but this time, we were spending a few days in Houston before our cruise, so they just brought it out to my niece's home! Now, we always add a day at the beginning of our trip...just in case...Thank you, Carnival!!

 

 

P.S. My suitcase was waiting at the United counter in Miami, where they assured me that it had been ever since we left...they LIED AGAIN!!!

[RalphRackstraw]

What a great thread: so many happy stories!

My first cruise was a westbound transatlantic on the Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Line, July 1961, when I was just turning 7. I was totally fascinated by the "big ship", though she was pretty small by later standards. We went through a bad storm in mid-Atlantic, pitching/rolling so severely that at dinner that night the dishes were sliding back and forth on the tables, and there was the crash of breaking crockery every few seconds somewhere in the dining room. I thought it was great fun, but the waiters had a pretty hard time. Another day, my older brothers (creative jokesters, always ready for a laugh at the little guy's expense) solemnly told me the story of the sinking of the Andea Doria in 1956, that we were now passing over the same spot, and that we were probably going to sink there, too. I believed every word, and hovered all day near the cabin so I would be able to grab my life-jacket as soon as the alarms sounded. I strongly considered putting on the life-jacket in advance and waiting at the muster station by the lifeboats! Moral: Young'uns, don't believe everything your son-of-a-gun older siblings tell you!;)

[Conte Di Savoia]

My first ship was also Leonardo Da Vinci and like you I was also aboard in July, 1961 but I left with my family on an east bound crossing leaving on July 15. By then the sea was calmer because we had a beautful voyage typical of what the Italian Line marketed as "The Sunny Southern Route". Late August we returned to New York from Genoa aboard her as well. Two years later we sailed on her once again but on that trip we returned from Southampton aboard France. The Leonardo, as she was affectionatley known, was amongst the most beautiful of ships. Here she is departing New York. What a glorious sight!

[Flob1954]

My first cruise was on the Holland America lines Rotterdam, actually my second one was too. Really enjoyed cruising then and now.

 

Was wondering if anyone could help me with dates of a past cruise on the rotterdam ? On the first cruise on her we were scheduled to go to Bermuda and Nassau...however the tugs that brought the fuel barges to the ship were on strike and we had to take on fuel ib the Chesapeake Bay and missed one port.

I cannot find any paperwork.

 

Any help with month and year would help.

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Flob1954]

Forgot this was in the 1970's sometime,

 

Thanks

Bill

[Flob1954]

Nevermind I found out.

[NYCruzr]

In 1979 went on the Festivale which later became Big Red Boat. It was when Carnival has three ships. We had a ball. I had no idea that we were supposed to tip and I spent all my money. Went to the casino and won $100 that saved me an embarassment. that was the trip that got us hooked.

 

Wasn't the Big Red Boat originally the Oceanic?

[MarkRichard]

...we are new to Cruising,,our first was The Norwegian Star to the Inside Passage, Alaska......2005....did Vancouver to Hawaii 09 ,,,,doing Oasis Of The Seas in 4 weeks Western Caribbean,,,,and Back to Hawaii in 2012 on Carnival

[Germancruiser]

Great Thread- my first cruise was back in 1983 on board Epirotikis " Jupiter" - a very small and a very old ship- but I loved every minute of it.

Really hooked I got when I sailed the Grandeur of the Seas in 1997- that was my real first BIG ship! Back then it was one of the biggest ship around.