Your first cruise ship

[norcal2]

My first cruise was NCL Star in 1984. We flew from California to Miami and cruised to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Puerto Plata, and Haiti. Instant addiction for me.

[many cruises]

Now I understand why this addiction started. Our first cruise was on RCI the Sovereign of the Seas. We thought it was wonderful...that was in 2001. No more land vacations for us!

[Mary Ellen]

Unless one counts the numerous ferry trips across Puget Sound, the Virginia V boat I took to/from camp on Vashon Island each summer or the Princess Margarette that sailed between Seattle and Victoria.... Our first cruise was on the Prinsendam (I) in Sept 1980. That was her last completed sailing.

 

Now, DH had crossed the Atlantic and Pacific a total of 5x as a child, but I doubt he knows the names of those Army transport ships. He did actually sail on the cruise ship s.s. Lureline when his dad was transfered to Hawaii. That he remembers, as he (about 8-yrs old) ordered beef bouillon at dinner the first night and was quite surprised about what he was served. :rolleyes:

 

I can't say DH had an instant addiction until we sailed on the Prinsendam. :D

[bb-62driver]

My first cruise was in 1968 as a seven year old on the SS United States going from New York to Bremerhaven, West Germany. First adult cruise in 1981 on NCL Starward out of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise ship was the SS Volendam II. I was all alone and knew nobody. It was February 1981. The first few days were long as we only had about 400 passengers if I remember correctly and most were of the older age compared to myself - 29 at the time. Eventually met others my age and hung out. It was a 9 day cruise and by the 6th day we knew everybody on the ship. It was great and the extra 2 days made a difference as compared to todays 7 day intineraries. The group of us even got together after the cruise in a common city of Detroit a short time afterwards. I was hooked and even took my honeymoon on a cruise ship with my new bride. She is now hooked and we have taken a few since. Our children are growing up now and we are about to take our first cruise without them-like the empty nest syndrom we are preparing ourselves for in the future. I hope our list continues to grow of ships and cruises we will be taking. Thinking back she was a great ship for her era. I was able to take the engine room tour and the bridge tour along with the usual kitchen tour. Carvier at all evening dining room meals along with tuxes on formal nights was very common. You even got to shake the hand of the Captain and all the main crew as well. You did not have to worry about security like today but the drug scene was of age then especially "weed" off the islands. The crew was watched heavily and one was deported for dealing. Oh what memmories. Colakid

 

Brasil (1958-2004) Delivered to Moore-McCormack as Brasil in 1958. Sailed for that company until 1969. Acquired by Holland America Line as m/s Volendam II in 1972. Sailed with HAL from 1972 until 1975 and for a second tour from 1978 until 1984. In between, she sailed as Monarch Sun for Monarch Cruise LInes from 1975 until 1978.

In 1984, she was renamed Island Sun and from 1985 until 1986 she sailed as Liberte for American Hawaii Cruises and in 1987 as Canada Star. She was Queen of Bermuda between 1988 and 1990 and Enchanted Seas for Commodore Cruise Lines between 1990 and 1996. In 1996 she started sailing as Universe Explorer until meeting her demise at the infamous breakers at Alang, India in 2004.

 

[MightyQuinn]

Copper John – I goofed!!:eek::eek:

When I thought of our first cruise, my mind raced to HAL and our Nieuw Amsterdam voyage to Alaska in 1992. But alas – our first cruise was actually in 1989 aboard Society Expeditions World Discoverer. It was a 14-nite expedition cruise down the Amazon River from Manaus, Brazil to Iquitos, Peru. This was a fabulous intro to adventure travel (we didn’t think of it as a “cruise”). And yes we were hooked & sailed aboard the World Discoverer to Antarctica a few years later – before ill fate met the company.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hi, John. Just checking out the sites before heading off to run errands with the girl. Saw your name on the main menu. I just wanted to tell you that when watching the coverage of the tragedy that happened Friday (just a few miles away:( ), I was very touched when I saw those two lines of officers when they were bringing out the officer from the wreckage. It was as if they were hugging her. Our community is very saddened that she and the others lost their lives.

[May4]

My first cruise was in June of 2001 on the Maasdam.

I liked it so much that as soon as I got home, I went to the travel agency and booked another Maasdam cruise for early July. :p

[FRANKIEDNYC]

:) In 1965 We Were On Spring Break From College In North Carolina And Decided To Take A 3 Day 2 Night Cruise From Miami To Grand Bahamma I Think The Ship Was Either The Seaward Or Sunward (hey It Was The 60's) I Do Remember That It Cost $39.00 For The Least Expensive Stateroom, It Was Fabulous , I Was Hooked, So Much That I Joined The Navy A Couple Years Later, Retired In 1993 And Have Been Cruising About 60 Days A Year Since

[estebofarr]

My first cruise was on the old Rotterdam 1974 round-trip New York to Bermuda and Nassau. I've really been enjoying the pictures and now know where some of my favorite ships have ended up. Thanks, John.

[kalliekae]

First HAL cruise was on the Noordam in the 1980's. We will always love that ship. Got to sail on the new one sometime in the future...Ruth & Jim

 

 

Our first cruise was also on the Noordam in the summer of 1995. It was a western Caribbean cruise which was a gift to us from a TA friend since my kids had missed out on a trip to Disney at Xmas due to my kidney transplant. We all had a blast and have been hooked ever since. HAL has always treated us great and dh and I have yet to try another cruise line.

 

Great thread and I love reading all the stories and seeing the pictures!!

[Northshorecruisers]

Wow! Look at the response this thread has gotten in 1 day!

 

Our first was on Holland America's Oosterdam in Jan 2006 to the Mexican Riviera. My husband had always resisted a cruise because he doesn't like buffet food, he'd be bored, he'd get seasick, he'd have to dress up for formal night, there'd be nothing to do.

My dad had booked the trip with the senior group he joined shortly after my mom died. When he had come to visit that past summer, my husband told me to check into the cruise that my dad was on because then my husband thought it might be fun to spend more time with him. By the time my husband got home for dinner I had the cruise and airline tickets booked.

My husband immediately fell in love with Holland America. Barely found time to take a nap. Up at the first sign of dawn. He thinks cruising is the best vacation ever - and I have to agree.

He even wears a tux on formal night - no problem. Last fall we sailed with friends we met on that first cruise who live in Vancouver.

 

 

 

[Assateague Island Princes]

Wow! I feel like a newlywed. It was Sept. of 2006 to Alaska on the Oosterdam (HAL). Ah....such fond memories!!! Loved the Oosterdam and cruised on her again this past May, where else? To Alaska. Yup, we're hooked! Wish we had gotten started much sooner. It only gets better and better. Got the cruisin' blues....not another one planned til June of 2010 - but I'm counting the days!

[RlrCstr]

The S.S. Independence when I was a kid.

TA from (I think) Livorno to NY.

My parents were both career Navy and I had been

on ships before, but always Navy. This was my first

commercial ship.

And many after that, but don't recall many of them

until I was in Grad School and started on my first

HAL ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam, as a celebration for

finishing my Ph.D.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Norwegian Star in 1999.

This ship was once the Royal Viking Sea and is still around as Albatros (2)..

 

Royal Viking Sea (1972-present) Delivered to Royal Viking Line (Norway) in 1972 as Royal Viking Sea. Renamed Royal Odyssey and sailed for Royal Cruise Line between 1991 and 1997. Became Norwegian Star for Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998 and for Norwegian Capricorn Line between 1999 and 2001. Transferred to NCL's parent, Star Cruises, in 2001 where she became "Crown" until 2002. Between 2002 and 2005 she sailed as Crown Mare Norstrum for Spanish Cruise Line. Renamed Albatros in 2004 and on charter to Phoenix Seereisen (Germany) for which she is still sailing

 

 

Albatros after being converted to aircraft carrier for the Belgian Navy

[cruz chic]

My first cruise was also on the Noordam in 1984. I think that was the inaugural year for that Noordam.

[ger_77]

My goodness - I get busy with a full court docket on Saturday and Sunday as well as presiding at 2 weddings and look what happens - I end up on page 9!!! Thanks John for starting this thread - I love looking back at our first cruise. It was in July, 1989, on Carnival's Jubilee. I won the cruise through a radio station contest where the prize was for a cruise for 2; we upgraded so we could bring our then 7 year old along with us and by day 3 we were all hooked. We've done several cruises since then, mostly with Holland America, and our entire family (3 grown children and 1 significant other) is now booked on the Rotterdam next year in October for a wonderful Mediterranean experience. We've made some fabulous friends through cruising and we look forward to making many more. Thanks for the memories!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[LAFFNVEGAS]

John, this is certainly an interesting picture what with the plane appearing like it is landing on the water :eek:

Was this in San Diego by chance?

 

[Copper10-8]

Homeric 1955. With drinks at 10c a shot, and free wine at lunch and dinner, a person can immigrate, and, have a ball doing so. It beat the old Norway hands down!:) :) :)

 

john

 

Mariposa II (1931-1974) Delivered in 1931 to Matson Lines and sailed for them until laid-up/mothballed between 1947 and 1953. Genoa, Italy-based Home Lines purchased her in 1953 and she entered service for them in 1954 as Homeric II, being used on the transatlantic runs to New York City and Quebec City, while running cruises to the West Indies in the winter. She suffered a major fire in her galleys and restaurants in 1973 off Cape May, NJ, and had to be withdrawn from service, ultimately being scrapped in 1974 in Taiwan.

[Copper10-8]

John, this is certainly an iteresting picture what with the plane appearing like it is landing on the water :eek:

Was this in San Diego by chance?

 

 

No Ma'am - Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

[v702]

Ours was seven day cruise on American Hawaii's ss Independance in January 1997. Definitely was the way to see the islands but our cruise on the ms Veendam 11 months later is what got us hooked. While we have strayed from the line a few times, HAL is what hooked us and keeps us coming back.:)

 

Now that I think about it I believe we would have been mighty disappointed with the Independance had we cruised on HAL first. Very interesting to cruise on a classic ocean liner but the American crew paled in comparison to HAL staff. And naturally the ameneties on a 50's liner were much less than what you find on a modern ship.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

No Ma'am - Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

I certainly hope that the airport is very very close;)

[the_dylaness]

RCCL's Legend of the Seas in January of 2002. I was with my mom (not her first cruise) on a 12 day NZ to Australia... a few days pre cruise and about a week and a half post. The ship didn't seem to be entirely full and it was mostly older couples... I was one of the few people onboard under 50 and one of perhaps 3 or 4 ladies of college-ish age... quite popular with the crew ;) What a great trip!

[Boytjie]

Mine was USS Ruchamkin, APD (later LPR) 89, June '66 to November 20, '69. For some reason, they wouldn't let me off! The ship was sold to the Columbian Navy, and I beleive it still exists somewhere as a floating museum!

 

Maybe I should amend my earlier post: first ship was the SAS Fleur in 1977 (South African Navy). That did not get me hooked on cruising; I got to seasick that I was eventually transferred to a land base.

 

[ekerr19]

My first cruise was also on the Noordam in 1984. I think that was the inaugural year for that Noordam.

 

I was also on Noordam III in 1984!!!! That was my first cruise. I still have the brochure. It was touted as "maiden voyage" but it technically wasn't.