Your first cruise ship

[deliver42]

My first cruise was on the NCL Sunward 2 in 1978 to the Bahamas. I believe the ship was about 18,000 tons.

[whogo]

Vasco de Gama was painted on the ship marketed to us as the Seawind Crown. Sailed her in January 1992 with our 10 month old daughter and three year old son from Aruba to Curacao, Venezuela, Grenada, Barbados, and St. Lucia.

 

Our first cruise was in July 1989 on the Donau Stern (Danube Star) on the Danube from Vienna up to the Wachau Valley and then down to the Black Sea. Vienna, Budapest and Ezstergom were particular highlights. There were just three other Americans on the Romanian flagged boat, lots of German and French speakers and a number of Romanian workers on holiday. Definitely a budget boat, all the others looked much more luxurious. We were happy as can be. Our eleven month old son was a big hit with the staff who were not used to blue eyes. Czechoslovakia was still Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was still Yugoslavia and brutal Romanian strongman Ceaușescu would be overthrown in less than six months. A fellow cruiser was led away by security for photographing the Romanian passenger plane we were boarding in Constanta. Those were the days.

[IslandCurls]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon; the Carnival Victory in 2012 sailing the 7 night southern Caribbean itinerary out of Barbados:)

[DeeniEncinitas]

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!

 

Viking Serenade (still sailing today as Island Escape)

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Hi Cooper!

Just saw your blog! I would have to say Ryndam in 2007 doing San Diego back "Sea of Cortez". We had done The WindStar Venice to Athens in 2006 but at that time too much was going on in London then where we were gone for 2 months and with the bomb threats at Heathrow our luggage was never gotten to us on our cruise!!! 2 months later it arrived on Thanksgiving ! Never get off Tarmac in London! So HAl was a breath of fresh air and we never looked back!

Happy New Year too!!!!

Denise :)

[gkbiiii]

My first was the Disney Magic, seven-night Western Caribbean, including Castaway Cay island. I got an employee rate of just over $1,000 for a single Balcony cabin, that retailed for just over $6,000+.

 

Disney really set a standard, that is hard to meet!

[Hows the Serenity]

Silver Whisper October 2013 - 10 night Canada/New England - a wonderful cruise, amazing staff & food, and a beautiful ship

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[scapel]

Stella Oceanus 1975 East Coast of South America

[TheCalicoCat]

1st P&O Great Barrier Reef cruise for my honeymoon in 2006 (It was part of the package so we went along - liked it well enough.)

 

2nd RCCL - friend asked us to join her my husband was interested un curaçao, so once again we went along - really liked this mass market version of cruising.

 

Booked out next cruise as soon as our son was old enough to sail & old enough to enjoy the kids activities which led us to the one that really got us hooked - Carnival Pride in 2010 - our son was 2 (they changed diapers) & he had a blast - as a family cruising works for us!

 

The Pride leaves out of baltimore which is also great for us, but there were times when we wold see this ship & my son would ask, "When can we go on the big boat?"

[Former Goalie]

1998, Celebrity Century - Eastern Caribbean.

[Banditswife]

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!

 

Viking Serenade (still sailing today as Island Escape)

 

I confess, I didn't read this whole thread. well over 2000 posts- yikes :eek:

 

But our 1st cruise was Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Sea, Seattle to Alaska round trip. Hubby wanted to try a cruise. I said something like " I don't want to be in the middle of the ocean on a ship with a bunch of people I don't know for 7 days." But I did want to visit Alaska, so we gave it a try. Yes, I was hooked by day 1.

 

Thanks for the memory booster. I think everyone's 1st cruise is a special one.

[Tangocherie]

I confess, I didn't read this whole thread. well over 2000 posts- yikes :eek:

 

But our 1st cruise was Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Sea, Seattle to Alaska round trip. Hubby wanted to try a cruise. I said something like " I don't want to be in the middle of the ocean on a ship with a bunch of people I don't know for 7 days." But I did want to visit Alaska, so we gave it a try. Yes, I was hooked by day 1.

 

Thanks for the memory booster. I think everyone's 1st cruise is a special one.

 

That's exactly the problem. We have been hooked ever since our first cruise. There should be a law! ;)

Edited January 19, 2016 by Tangocherie

[BravoTango]

Oh dear, Sitmar Lines TS Fairstar "The Funship" with an army buddy in 1982. Pacific Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia

Those that know will remember the "Animal Bar" LOLOL.

[Banditswife]

That's exactly the problem. We have been hooked ever since our first cruise. There should be a law! ;)

 

Yes, it's such an easy vacation choice. You can be as active or inactive as you choose. There should be a law that everyone's 1st cruise is free, so we can decide whether we like it or not. haha

[cayman09]

Oh dear, Sitmar Lines TS Fairstar "The Funship" with an army buddy in 1982. Pacific Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia

Those that know will remember the "Animal Bar" LOLOL.

 

We were on sister ship Sitmar Fairwinds in 1975, our first.

[kiwijohn]

My first cruise was in 1970 on the "SS Nevasa" a British India ship which cruised round the Mediterranean. She carried groups of British schoolchildren on cruises and a few adults were allowed on board as well. She was a former troop carrier.

[The Tsar]

Our cruise was with Holland America.

 

It was a 14 day cruise to Mexico on the, then new, Nieuw Amsterdam, in March 1984. I am not much of a vacation person, but was hooked on HAL cruising ever since.

 

We spent so much time on the Promenade Deck, that I obtained the original brass directory as a remembrance, when HAL sold the ship.

[Hoverdemon]

My first cruise was on the MS Zaandam (HAL), July 2010. It was a 7 day Alaska Explorer. Really enjoyed the Harley ride in Ketchikan. Definitely hooked from day 1. Looking forward to retiring (in 25 years), so I can cruise full time.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Hoverdemon

[gmh300968]

I have been trying but failing to remember the name of the cruise line and ship that I first sailed on. It was only 16 years ago but my memory fails me. Perhaps someone here can suggest a way to find out. It was a 7-day round-trip cruise during late December 1999, sailing from Montego Bay, calling at Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Havana and Isla del Pinos. Not necessarily in that order. I am fairly certain that the hull was dark coloured, and it was not a large vessel. The food was amazing.

[eroller]

I have been trying but failing to remember the name of the cruise line and ship that I first sailed on. It was only 16 years ago but my memory fails me. Perhaps someone here can suggest a way to find out. It was a 7-day round-trip cruise during late December 1999, sailing from Montego Bay, calling at Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Havana and Isla del Pinos. Not necessarily in that order. I am fairly certain that the hull was dark coloured, and it was not a large vessel. The food was amazing.

 

 

Not too many cruise ships would have called to Cuba in 1999. Perhaps VALTUR PRIMA? The hulk wasn't dark but she would fit the bill otherwise.

[gmh300968]

Not too many cruise ships would have called to Cuba in 1999. Perhaps VALTUR PRIMA? The hulk wasn't dark but she would fit the bill otherwise.

 

Maybe my memory of the blue hull is a red hearing. I think therefore it is likely that it was Sun Cruises - Sunbird.

 

Thanks for helping.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

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. We got the last cabin, a two room suite with a bathroom the size of most todays's cabins. The cruise included St. Marteen, Martinque, Gaudalupe, Antiga, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Thomas. Fortunately, we were younger and could handle six full and busy port days. Since then, we have come to love sea days.

 

In spite of the fact that we boarded the ship on Saturday and that all our luggage arrived on Monday in Martinque, we were hooked as you can see from our signature. Our daughters did several cruises with us, but most of our cruises have been since 1996 when our youngest graduated from high school.

[Scotswoman]

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!

[dznymom]

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. Crossing the gulf stream is was very rough, and i was terrified my 3 year old would be thrown from his tiny top bunk so I made my husband sleep up there while I held on to our son and the bed for dear life - haha!

 

We had no idea how fortunate we were to have chosen a very special itinerary. It was the Abracadabra cruise (I think) and we anchored in the Abaco Islands and could tender back and forth between 4 gorgeous islands for 2 days. They threw a huge Pirate Party on Great Guana Cay (I think it was) which was a blast. Man O' War Cay was totally unspoiled and a place I will always remember fondly.

 

9 months later we got an extra Souvenir that shows we had the time of our lives!!

[dawei]

Ours was on the Regent Sea for a 10-day New Year's S. Caribbean cruise in 1990 RT from San Juan. The ship was built in 1957 for Swedish America Line's trans-Atlantic schedule. She was 22,000 GRT carrying 700-plus pax.

Winter storm weather with lots of delayed flights resulted in the first port, St. Barts, being cancelled. I recall the itinerary included a visit to tiny Marie Galante, Guadalupe (haven't seen that on any itinerary since).

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Onboard, we soon discovered that my DW was quite sensitive to motion sickness. Even so, port visits were fascinating, and the cruising experience was addictive. Like so many other couples, it was DW who at first had a strong urge to try a cruise while hubby was not at all interested. Finally, I decided to agree for her sake. Well, I got well hooked, to put it mildly.

Afterward, we thought that it would probably be our first and last cruise, in light of how easily sick DW got. Several months later, she brought the subject up again, and in 1993 we took our first HAL cruise on the (1983) Nieuw Amsterdam.

[dawei]

Quartzsite Cruiser, I recall spotting the Daphne for the first time from the deck of the Regent Sea during our first cruise in Jan. 1990. We were near the port of St. Lucia, I believe. I have a photo of her I took that day somewhere among old negatives.

 

David