Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[mef_57]

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.

[innlady1]

Love this thread of Copper ' s and am glad to see it resurrected.

[Copper10-8]

Love this thread of Copper ' s and am glad to see it resurrected.

Thanks Sheila; all the best to you and your husband!

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[Copper10-8]

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'

 

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[Copper10-8]

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

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[Copper10-8]

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

 

 

[106f]

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.

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[mrbeaver]

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:

[Copper10-8]

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

[wrmiles]

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.

[scapel]

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.

[bphman]

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.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

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!

[Copper10-8]

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

 

[keeponcruising]

My first cruise was the Dolfin in1981 and then I went on Carnival Carnivale shortly thereafter.

[Minoushka]

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

[Copper10-8]

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

[sandij]

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.