Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 27, 2016 Author #2551 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Strand Cruises S.S. Ithaca May 1977 - 2 week Mediterranean cruise. I was 19 - first solo cruise, first trip out of North America. I wanted a taste of the Mediterranean to see what to go back to. Needless to say, there were 6 'young uns'(under 35) and the rest were very much older. I felt sorry for the 2 girls from up North that even packed sexy nighties expecting to have a choice of men their age for on board romances... they were disappointed. Learned a lot about travel and other things on that cruise - not the least is that young women on their own need 'mother figures' to protect them wherever we went, and when the crew (from the Captain down to the steward) mention 'being lonely' it wasn't for conversation. It did give me itchy traveling feet, but no - not necessarily by cruise ship. I usually need more adventure in my travels, but cruising has spots in my bucket list. Ulysses Line ss Ithaca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mef_57 Posted June 27, 2016 #2552 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Ulysses Line ss Ithaca Thanks for the clarification and the image. I hoped someone might have one. My old photos have 'Strand Cruises' on them, but might explain why I couldn't find much about the ship. I had to delve deep into my memory bank and the WWW to pull out anything about that cruise or line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innlady1 Posted June 28, 2016 #2553 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Love this thread of Copper ' s and am glad to see it resurrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2554 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Love this thread of Copper ' s and am glad to see it resurrected. Thanks Sheila; all the best to you and your husband! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2555 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Our first cruise was on the Horizon in 1990 during the inaugural year for the ship. She was the first new build for Celebrity which came into existence in 1988 as the cruise line for Chandris. She was beautiful and had the best dining. Thirteen cruise lines and 28 cruises later, I guess you can say we were hooked. Number 29 coming up in 2 weeks on the Veendam and Crystal Serenity in January will make 30. And, that will be our 14th cruise line. Celebrity Cruises' Horizon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2556 Share Posted June 28, 2016 My first (and only) time to travel by sea was on the Italian Line "SS Leonardo da Vinci" in 1968. Not a cruise, but a transport ship. We were four Peace Corps Volunteers, two married couples, traveling from the port of Lima, Peru to the port of Cartagena, Colombia where we were stationed on the Northern Coast. ............................................. Italia di Navigazione S.p.A. / The Italian Line's ss Leonardo da Vinci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2557 Share Posted June 28, 2016 First cruise was the Big Red Boat around 1991. Actual first cruise was Carnival Spirit to Alaska in 2008. Premier Cruises' StarShip Oceanic aka 'the Big Red Boat I' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2558 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Our first cruise was on the Carnival Triumph but our second cruise was on the Crown Odyssey from Barcelona to Athens. We really liked the ship and when it sold and renamed NCL Crown, we sailed her from Florida to Chile. Great ship! Carnival Cruises' Carnival Triumph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2559 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Our first cruise was in March 1987 out of San Juan on the Costa Daphne, which was built in the 1950s as a refrigerated cargo ship. She was a small ship, but we thought she was great. ............................ Costa Crociere's Daphne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2560 Share Posted June 28, 2016 (edited) My first cruise was on the Devonia out of Greenock, Scotland in 1964. We called at Vigo, Gibraltar, Tangiers and Lisbon. The Bay of Biscay left an enduring impression! The ships in those days were not so well stabilized as they are nowadays! British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. ss Devonia Edited June 28, 2016 by Copper10-8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2561 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Tiny ship, tiny rooms, great big waves and the best time ever!! We were on the smallest Big Red Boat, the S/S Majestic at a whopping 17,000 tons. .................... Premier Cruises' StarShip Majestic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2562 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Hi guys, first cruise was on the Commadore Cruise line, the Boheme. Back in 83 to the Caribbean. Just saw what the love boat was, an I didn't know any better. Thought the captain, dr, bar tender greeted you when you got on board. First formal night, on the menu was either chicken or lobster, thought about chicken, but my friend told me, you can get chicken anytime, get lobster. Didn't like, but I sure like lobster now. My next cruise I found Rccl and never looked back. The waiter's on the Song of Norway, called the Boheme, the banana boat. Also, on the first cruise, didn't know you were suppose to read the daily guide, so... Sure do keep the daily guide with me now. Commodore Cruise Line's ss Boheme. She's still sailing as ms Freewinds for the Church of Scientology and you can often see her in Oranjestad, Aruba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
106f Posted June 28, 2016 #2563 Share Posted June 28, 2016 first cruise was on Empress of the seas about 25 years ago. Our inside cabin was 117 square feet (yikes!) We were not hooked until we did a signature suite on Ooosterdam years later. Now we are NS fans. I think the NS bathroom is about the same size as that first cabin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2564 Share Posted June 28, 2016 first cruise was on Empress of the seas about 25 years ago. Our inside cabin was 117 square feet (yikes!) We were not hooked until we did a signature suite on Ooosterdam years later. Now we are NS fans. I think the NS bathroom is about the same size as that first cabin. Royal Caribbean International's Empress of the Seas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbeaver Posted June 28, 2016 #2565 Share Posted June 28, 2016 My first cruise was on the Matsonia, A Matson Lines ship. I went with my parents and brother in 1961 when I was eleven years old. (under 12 was a half fare.) We cruised from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Our return to L.A. was on a Pan Am 707. Jets were just starting to fly between the islands and the west coast.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 28, 2016 Author #2566 Share Posted June 28, 2016 (edited) My first cruise was on the Matsonia, A Matson Lines ship. I went with my parents and brother in 1961 when I was eleven years old. (under 12 was a half fare.) We cruised from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Our return to L.A. was on a Pan Am 707. Jets were just starting to fly between the islands and the west coast.:eek: Matson Lines' Matsonia (as Lurline) Edited June 28, 2016 by Copper10-8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrmiles Posted June 29, 2016 #2567 Share Posted June 29, 2016 NCL Star, to Mexican Riviera, early 2007. Me, my wife, wife's sister and elderly mother, two teenage sons. Had the potential to be an interational disaster, but turned out fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scapel Posted June 29, 2016 #2568 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Matson Lines' Matsonia (as Lurline) Great thread-- I like those that describe certain experiences. I wonder if it would be off topic to report interesting experiences like hitting another ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bphman Posted June 29, 2016 #2569 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Thank you for the beautiful photo of the Horizon, Copper. I don't know how I forgot this one but, when I was 16, my parents took me on a transatlantic crossing on the S.S. France. She was a beauty. No other ship could compare to her. I was spoiled because we sailed First Class and we were privileged to have the best cuisine ever served at sea. Years later, I became nostalgic as I took my family on the Norway. I cried after I saw what Norwegian had done to her. It did bring back some great memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Eyes Are Sailing Posted June 29, 2016 #2570 Share Posted June 29, 2016 First cruise? Carnival's Festivale in 1986 to the eastern Caribbean. Wow, what a difference a day makes (or in this case, 30 years). Times and ships sure have changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 29, 2016 Author #2571 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Thank you for the beautiful photo of the Horizon, Copper. I don't know how I forgot this one but, when I was 16, my parents took me on a transatlantic crossing on the S.S. France. She was a beauty. No other ship could compare to her. I was spoiled because we sailed First Class and we were privileged to have the best cuisine ever served at sea. Years later, I became nostalgic as I took my family on the Norway. I cried after I saw what Norwegian had done to her. It did bring back some great memories. The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique / The French Line ss France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponcruising Posted June 30, 2016 #2572 Share Posted June 30, 2016 My first cruise was the Dolfin in1981 and then I went on Carnival Carnivale shortly thereafter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minoushka Posted June 30, 2016 #2573 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) My first cruise was on Carnival Destiny ...rebaptised Sunshine now ....went to Southern Caribbean with my kids aged 5 and 8 ....loved Curacao and Aruba from San Juan Got hooked since then have completed 48 cruises ....love love love ships My kids travelled withme for most of these ..now they are young men ... Edited June 30, 2016 by mmemichele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 30, 2016 Author #2574 Share Posted June 30, 2016 First cruise? Carnival's Festivale in 1986 to the eastern Caribbean.Wow, what a difference a day makes (or in this case, 30 years). Times and ships sure have changed! Carnival Cruise Lines's Festivale, Carnival's third cruise ship after Mardi Gras and Carnivale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandij Posted June 30, 2016 #2575 Share Posted June 30, 2016 It was called the Ameriquest back in 1984, don't know what the line was, there wasn't a lot of them back then. I remember getting so sea sick I spent the last day in bed, now 30 some cruises later I never got sick again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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