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Your first cruise ship


Copper10-8
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What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

Ours was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's m/s Viking Serenade, a converted car ferry, back in NOV 1991, a 3-day L.A. - Catalina Island - Esenada, Mexico - L.A. cruise. Never forget our first impressions - we were hooked from that day on!

Ship+Photo+VIKING+SERENADE.jpg

 

Viking Serenade (still sailing today as Island Escape)

Ship+Photo+ISLAND+ESCAPE.jpg

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Hi Copper,

Mine was a three night cruise from Miami on the Dolphin IV in 1991. The itinerary was Nassau, and a private island. It was an introductory cruise before deciding to book our honeymoon on the Dolphin Oceanbreeze, a 7-night Southern Caribbean from Aruba. I believe Dolphin Cruise line later was sold to Premier. The ships were older, but we loved them. Oh yes, we were hooked from the start, and our cruises only keep getting better :)

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Wow, this is going to be fun. First cruise ship was the Assure Sea's, have no idea if that was the ships name or the cruise lines name. I'm guessing it was the ship's name. I'm sure someone else will know. It was a three day like yours, down to Ensenada. Was not impressed at all, it was then years later when my DH gave us a Christmas present of a cruise to Alaska during August of 1995 on the Ryndam, it was only 6 months old, in a suite. Well, as they say, the rest is history, 35 cruises, 23 with Hal.

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I can't answer that without looking at my siggy. It was to Bermuda in June of 1990 on the Royal Viking Star. My daughter had canceled her wedding too late for me to cancel the order for my formal dress. So I had this gown and no place to go. We decided to celebrate our anniversary on a cruise to Bermuda.

 

My first cruise didn't really get me hooked, though. It was the first one on the Veendam that did it. Sam sailed as a dentist on that cruise. There was some contract dispute between HAL and the dental organization and they sent out an email before we left that all dentists would be canceled from the December cruises. But, our cruise left in November so we just flew to Tampa without checking, and were amazed when we got there to find out they had no cabin reserved for us. They told us to come to the ship at 8am and wait to see if anyone canceled at the last minute. Lucky for us, someone did. I was so excited to be sailing that cruise, I would have sailed in the lifeboat. :eek:

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As a child, I sailed on Empress of Britain in 1957 with my family from Montreal to Liverpool. This ship sailed as Topaz until this year.

 

My father bought one of the best suites on the ship and we were taught to use the First Class corridors which didn't seem fair. It was my first realization of the haves and have-nots and I didn't like it. It is so good to see that pompous era at a close, although the various dining rooms on Cunard are certainly a society divided into classes.

 

My parents were global travelers and generous enough to bring along us two girls on most of their jaunts. On the Empress of Britain, the cabin stewardess called us the Mucky Dears, a term which stuck to us like glue whenever our parents wanted us to behave.

 

I also enjoy land travel to soak up local environments and cultures but, when a luxury hotel sails you from exotic locales to exciting cities, it's a grand pleasure.

 

Ruby

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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

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My husband and I had took our first cruise last year on the Disney Wonder as part of the Land & Sea Package. It was our honeymoon! So far it's been our only one, but we do plan on cruising again...when we can afford it!

 

Regarding the itinerary, we left out of Port Canaveral, Nassau and Castaway Cay. It was only 3 nights and 2 ports. I'd do it again in a heart beat!

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Great thread John!

 

Our first cruise was onboard the M/S Statendam 2002 Circle Hawaii. My DH finally decided that if he was ever going to get to Hawaii he'd have to break down and cruise, as he doesn't fly.

Well, we did it and haven't stopped cruising with HAL since. Addicted, yes; happy, yes; loving it, yes.

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The Nieuw Amsterdam was the beginning of cruising for us. It was 1992 and I treated my Mom to an Alaska cruise, something she had long wanted. I was a 30-something working gal at the time, so we went in "shoulder season" (code: we froze) so I could afford an OV room. We had a blast. It was an easy move to convince my DH to take a Caribbean cruise on the Westerdam later that same year. We've been hooked on HAL ever since.

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Was not impressed at all, ...
My first cruise didn't really get me hooked, though.
My first was the Amsterdam, Alaska, 2002, and like both of you I came home with no desire to cruise again. The one that got me hooked was three years later: Westerdam, Baltic. I still prefer newer ships, and Noordam is my favorite.
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Some things you can never forget! The old Noordam September, 2001, European capitals Copenhagen to Rome 14 days. A true "Grand Tour." Paris, Gibralter, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Provence, Tuscany. I was totally capitivated. My first cruise, first trip to Europe beyond London, first trip anywhere alone, and 9/11 happened 4 days out. It was very hard to be so far from home, but we became our own "ship family" listening to CNN all day and all night. There was even a huge storm with massive seas. HAL took good care of everyone and has never let me down since. I can't imagine a better way to see the world. Smooth sailing to all.

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My first cruise was on the Volendam, Pacific Northwest itinerary in April 2006.

 

That started a horrifying chain of events that can be seen in my signature on this thing :)

 

While I'm branching out a bit next week and next YEAR (NCL and Carnival, primarily to see what the fuss is about) my heart remains with HAL and I'm incoirporating at least one HAL cruise into every year regardless of anything else!

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For my then very young husband and me, our first cruise was on the Costa Carla C in 1975, embarking from San Juan for a week in the Caribbean. I still remember the beautiful midnight departure and exploring the lovely, undeveloped Islands we visisted, including Martinique. The ship was small, 20,000 tons, and decorated with lots of velvet in jewel tones. This sailing was so long ago that the toga parties, which I understand are now part of Costa cruises, were non-existant. The crew was first rate, and the Italian food outstanding. We had a terrific time and remain hooked on cruising. Here she is:

 

CarlaC_01.jpg

COSTA CARLA C

 

We are off on yet another sailing this fall on the Noordam, and our son, who also loves cruising, will be joining us.

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"K" Lines (Kavournides) Hellenic Cruises ship Galaxy/Galaxios, 1976. Just out of high school, with my parents on their first trip to Europe.

 

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/K-Lines.html#anchor408585

 

A wonderful itinerary: Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes. Heraklion, Santorini....in 4 days! Talk about port intensive!

 

PathfinderEss, my second and third cruise were aboard Azure Seas and Emerald Seas in the 1980's.

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