Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

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

 

Paquet Ulysses Cruises' Dolphin IV

 

[donaldsc]

The Lewis R French - https://schoonerfrench.com/.

 

Bet nobody has that as their first cruise.

 

BTW our second was the Alaskan Dream but it went under a different name when we sailed on her - http://www.alaskandreamcruises.com/ships-deck-plans/alaskan-dream/

 

DON

[Copper10-8]

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

 

Norwegian Cruise Line's Sunward II

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

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.

 

SeaWind Cruise Lines's Seawind Crown (retaining her prior name Vasco da Gama)

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

SeaWind Cruise Lines's Seawind Crown (retaining her prior name Vasco da Gama)

 

 

Goodmorning Copper 10-8,

I have already said our first cruise was on the WindStar to Greece Islands.

But if I really go back in TIME.... 5 years old sitting in a kiddie cruise boat at my first ride at a amusement park !!!

Does that count? Just kidding😎

Have a great morning!

Love your photos!

[Copper10-8]

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

 

Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Victory

 

[Copper10-8]

DeeniEncinitas

 

Hi Copper!

 

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 :)

 

Holland America Line's Ryndam

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

Holland America Line's Ryndam

 

 

Thank you!!!!!

She sure was such a fun and beautiful ship!

Denise:)

[Copper10-8]

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!

 

Disney Cruise Line's Disney Magic

 

[albi]

Home Line's Oceanic, where everyone was treated like a king and queen! Perfect service and fantastic food! Priceless!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[geoherb]

My first cruise was on Carnival's Carnivale in 1988. Three of us shared an inside cabin--my ex and me on the lower berth and a friend in the upper berth. She had to climb a ladder over our bed to get to hers.

 

My first HAL cruise was until 2005 on the Maasdam with my current DH. We are taking our fifth HAL cruise in August.

[alexpress]

Our first cruise was on Radiance of the Seas in 2003 for our 25th wedding anniversary. We were hooked. The trip was down the Southern Caribbean islands from San Juan. Done it nearly every year since and already booked for next February. We are just looking at Cunard's Queen Victoria for a cruise in August.

[scapel]

Our first cruise was on Radiance of the Seas in 2003 for our 25th wedding anniversary. We were hooked. The trip was down the Southern Caribbean islands from San Juan. Done it nearly every year since and already booked for next February. We are just looking at Cunard's Queen Victoria for a cruise in August.

 

I guess you own some RCCL stock and get the OBG.

[Iggysue]

Disney Magic! It was just a 3 day to the Bahamas and Disney's private island. We booked a land/sea package because we weren't sure we would like the cruise part. But boy did we ever!!! Hooked since then. After a couple of cruises in the Caribbean, we decided we wanted to try a line that had a casino, entertainment that did not center around a cartoon character, and somewhere less than 2,000 kids on board. So we cruised on the Ryndam up into the Sea of Cortez. Awesomeness - never looked back!

[NW SOUTHERNBELLE]

The Grand Princess in 2001 to the eastern Caribbean...oh was she grand. Hooked- why yes I was/am. [emoji175]

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Carnival Cruise Lines's Festivale, Carnival's third cruise ship after Mardi Gras and Carnivale

 

Thanks for the pic Copper 10-8.......I know the Festivale was scrapped back in 2003 at Alang.......too bad. Was an old ship in the classic style......they are almost all gone now.

[CruznGal145]

My First ship was the TSS Fairsea on Sitmar Cruises. Went to Mexico and sailed her many times! I was 14 at the time! Sitmar was bought out by Princess, but then I switched to Holland America.

 

Haven't been on a cruise since 2007.....I'm WAY overdue and booked on HAL next March on the Veendam....can hardly WAIT!!

[bassmk]

My first ship was the Carnival Fantasy in April 1997! It was a 3-day to Nassau from Port Canaveral. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was a marching band trip. We marched in a parade at Universal Studios, then got on the ship and the jazz band played in one of the lounges.

 

That cruise TOTALLY got me hooked. My next cruise wouldn't be for 10 years, though. I've been on 8 cruises, all with Carnival so far, but my next one is an Alaska cruisetour on the Noordam next May! (I've already booked it and my boyfriend doesn't know...it's his birthday/Christmas present. YIKES.)

 

We like Carnival because it's the most affordable you can find, but we're both ready to branch out and see what the other lines have to offer. The loyalty program is hardly a loyalty program anymore, and the perks were the only thing keeping me cruising with Carnival. I'm really excited to try HAL!!

[ExpatBride]

I grew up watching the Love Boat and always wanted to take a cruise :p

 

My first was a solo cruise was in 2011. I cruised the Norwegian Fjords in an inside on RCCL's Vision of the Seas, but it wasn't nearly as classy and romantic and I imagined. I can't say I was hooked, but I definitely was up for trying it again when got married.

 

Last June, I cruised the Fjords again, this time in a balcony with my husband on the Norwegian Star and I was hooked! So was he.

 

But then in January, we cruised the Western Mediterranean in an aft balcony on NCL Epic and had such a horrible time that we contemplated catching a train from Naples to Rome and flying back early!

 

We're trying our luck again next month on the Zuiderdam and we're hoping HAL is more to our taste. This is our make it or break it cruise. If we don't love this one, we're done with cruising.

 

We both want to love it like we loved the Star.

Edited July 5, 2016 by ExpatBride

[cruisin'teach]

First HAL cruise in 1986 on the old Noordam. Parents took husband and I and 4 kids, 2 brothers and their families on the 11 day Holiday cruise. 9 Kids ranged in age from 7 to 19. They still talk about their memories whenever we all get together. Such a wonderful family bonding time!

[scapel]

I grew up watching the Love Boat and always wanted to take a cruise :p

But then in January, we cruised the Western Mediterranean in an aft balcony on NCL Epic and had such a horrible time that we contemplated catching a train from Naples to Rome and flying back early!

 

We both want to love it like we loved the Star.

 

Can you tell more about what happened on the NCL EPIC?

HAL is owned by Carnival, but I don't think the perks carry over, like they do with RCCL to Celebrity and Azamara.

Carnival is a low cost line because of the volume they serve,but great fun and really give good service considering the large number of passengers served. There food for me so far has been as good as any of the others that I have been on.

[ExpatBride]

Can you tell more about what happened on the NCL EPIC?

 

Mega ships just aren't for us. Our room was shabby, and the carpet and sofa were filthy. The announcements selling things when on night and day. And the clientele just wasn't our demographic.

 

During the first few days, I watched people sneezing and coughing into their hands (or into the food), wiping their noses with their hand, etc., then serving themselves from the buffet. Lo and behold, five days into our cruise I got deathly ill and spent two days confined to the cabin. All of this after suffering the hand sanitizer people at the entrance to the buffet saying "washy washy, happy happy" before spraying us every time we entered.

 

During those two days, crew members asked my husband where I was. He said I wasn't feeling well, and one of them said, "oh you've had a fight." Which we thought was very unprofessional because what if we had?

 

The quality of food wasn't very good in the buffet, in the MDR, or in O'Sheehans. And the service was worse, we were in and out of the MDR in 35-40 minutes most nights. We ordered wine for each course and they brought it all at once and lined it up. Not that we actually could've drunk that much wine in a span of 40 minutes! And there's an upcharge for a very limited room service menu.

 

There wasn't a walk-around promenade deck and the promenade deck they had looked more like a crew passageway. There weren't any nice quiet outside areas (or inside for that matter) to sit and relax. Aside from port days, when most people were off the ship, the ship always felt crowded and hectic.

 

One night, I was sitting at the bar, and the woman next to me complimented me on my jewelry and handbag, then said, "aren't you afraid they'll get stolen? They steal things." I don't know who she was referring to, but I thought that was a bit off.

 

If we couldn't have afforded better, I'm sure we would've thought it was a lovely cruise. But we can, and were disappointed and angry for the time and money we wasted. We knew that NCL wasn't an upscale line, but we'd had such a lovely experience on the Star that we never considered that we wouldn't have a similar experience on Epic. It's hard to believe that the ships belong to the same line.

 

We prefer smaller ships and we'd like to sail with a clientele that's closer to our demographic, which NCL just doesn't attract. This is why we're looking to smaller ships on the next tier up. If we don't like HAL, we may try Seabourn or Crystal, or give up on cruising altogether.

Edited July 6, 2016 by ExpatBride

[scapel]

Mega ships just aren't for us. Our room was shabby, and the carpet and sofa were filthy. The announcements selling things when on night and day. And the clientele just wasn't our demographic.

 

During the first few days, I watched people sneezing and coughing into their hands (or into the food), wiping their noses with their hand, etc., then serving themselves from the buffet. Lo and behold, five days into our cruise I got deathly ill and spent two days confined to the cabin. All of this after suffering the hand sanitizer people at the entrance to the buffet saying "washy washy, happy happy" before spraying us every time we entered.

 

During those two days, crew members asked my husband where I was. He said I wasn't feeling well, and one of them said, "oh you've had a fight." Which we thought was very unprofessional because what if we had?

 

The quality of food wasn't very good in the buffet, in the MDR, or in O'Sheehans. And the service was worse, we were in and out of the MDR in 35-40 minutes most nights. We ordered wine for each course and they brought it all at once and lined it up. Not that we actually could've drunk that much wine in a span of 40 minutes! And there's an upcharge for a very limited room service menu.

 

There wasn't a walk-around promenade deck and the promenade deck they had looked more like a crew passageway. There weren't any nice quiet outside areas (or inside for that matter) to sit and relax. Aside from port days, when most people were off the ship, the ship always felt crowded and hectic.

 

One night, I was sitting at the bar, and the woman next to me complimented me on my jewelry and handbag, then said, "aren't you afraid they'll get stolen? They steal things." I don't know who she was referring to, but I thought that was a bit off.

 

If we couldn't have afforded better, I'm sure we would've thought it was a lovely cruise. But we can, and were disappointed and angry for the time and money we wasted. We knew that NCL wasn't an upscale line, but we'd had such a lovely experience on the Star that we never considered that we wouldn't have a similar experience on Epic. It's hard to believe that the ships belong to the same line.

 

We prefer smaller ships and we'd like to sail with a clientele that's closer to our demographic, which NCL just doesn't attract. This is why we're looking to smaller ships on the next tier up. If we don't like HAL, we may try Seabourn or Crystal, or give up on cruising altogether.

 

Try Silverseas and or Azamara. You will love these ships and be treated very well, I promise.

[ExpatBride]

Try Silverseas and or Azamara. You will love these ships and be treated very well, I promise.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, I've added these to our list.

[Lady Arwen]

Mega ships just aren't for us. Our room was shabby, and the carpet and sofa were filthy. The announcements selling things when on night and day. And the clientele just wasn't our demographic.

 

During the first few days, I watched people sneezing and coughing into their hands (or into the food), wiping their noses with their hand, etc., then serving themselves from the buffet. Lo and behold, five days into our cruise I got deathly ill and spent two days confined to the cabin. All of this after suffering the hand sanitizer people at the entrance to the buffet saying "washy washy, happy happy" before spraying us every time we entered.

 

During those two days, crew members asked my husband where I was. He said I wasn't feeling well, and one of them said, "oh you've had a fight." Which we thought was very unprofessional because what if we had?

 

The quality of food wasn't very good in the buffet, in the MDR, or in O'Sheehans. And the service was worse, we were in and out of the MDR in 35-40 minutes most nights. We ordered wine for each course and they brought it all at once and lined it up. Not that we actually could've drunk that much wine in a span of 40 minutes! And there's an upcharge for a very limited room service menu.

 

There wasn't a walk-around promenade deck and the promenade deck they had looked more like a crew passageway. There weren't any nice quiet outside areas (or inside for that matter) to sit and relax. Aside from port days, when most people were off the ship, the ship always felt crowded and hectic.

 

One night, I was sitting at the bar, and the woman next to me complimented me on my jewelry and handbag, then said, "aren't you afraid they'll get stolen? They steal things." I don't know who she was referring to, but I thought that was a bit off.

 

If we couldn't have afforded better, I'm sure we would've thought it was a lovely cruise. But we can, and were disappointed and angry for the time and money we wasted. We knew that NCL wasn't an upscale line, but we'd had such a lovely experience on the Star that we never considered that we wouldn't have a similar experience on Epic. It's hard to believe that the ships belong to the same line.

 

We prefer smaller ships and we'd like to sail with a clientele that's closer to our demographic, which NCL just doesn't attract. This is why we're looking to smaller ships on the next tier up. If we don't like HAL, we may try Seabourn or Crystal, or give up on cruising altogether.

 

I completely understand. We decided to try NCL Breakaway to Bermuda this past May. BIG mistake! Awful ship. Terrible decor......beyond cheap. Food was OK, but nothing really good. Cagney's was the worst food ever! Le Bistro was slightly better. Such a disappointment! One day at lunch, I had to resort to yelling at an older man who was eating the lasagna out of the buffet dish with his hands! The server removed the lasagna and the "gentleman" told me to "Mind your own !!!!ing business!" Never, ever, again on NCL!