Your first cruise ship

[Shebba]

Shebba, thanks for posting the photo of Britanis. She was lovely. Learning she was Lurline's sister made me tear up for some reason. What a wealth of beauty and history in these liners and cruise ships!

 

I hope Copper 10-8 is thinking about that ship history book. Or how about a "Guide to Ships" for us shipspotters?

 

Linda

 

Glad you enjoyed! It's been fun to look back in old scrapbooks to reminisce. Of course, the Lurline holds a special place in our hearts, given the "family connection". What a moment it was for us when we learned it was the sister of our cruise ship (esp. for my husband).

 

What a great thread!! So interesting to read everyone's stories.

[Shebba]

Thanks for the memories, loved the big white X. Sailed Chandris in the 70's, still one of our best cruise experiences and memories. Older ships, but great food and service, and Takis on the bazooki. Can we turn back the clock, please?

 

Yes, let's!! I would LOVE to sail on that ship again!

[rwalls]

My first cruise was in 1981 aboard Cunard Countess in the southern Carribean. It sailed from San Juan. I was hooked, and have cruised about 16 times since. The Countess was a small ship, and only carried about 800 passengers. The following year I sailed on Carnival's Mardi Gras. I believe this was the first ship in their fleet. It had been an old Italian ship in need of much repair.

[tcook052]

My first cruise was out of Houston to W. Caribbean on what was in 1997 already an older ship NCL was using called it the Norwegian Star

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Norwegian_Star_(1997)

[GrammieK]

My first cruise was aboard the Home Lines Oceanic NYC-Bermuda-Bahamas-NYC in October 1978. An inside-inside cabin (if you sailed on the Oceanic you know what I mean) The dresser was in the bathroom because the room was so small. Beds came out of the wall! Not only was I hooked, I knew there must be bigger and better cabins! Just returned from my last cruise - Athens - Istanbul on Oceania Nautica in the Owner's Suite. NO dresser in the bathroom and actually a whirlpool tub!

[lcand1923]

First crise was on the Ryndam in 1999. It was part of a land/sea package in Alaska. Yes, we were hooked.

[mauiedin87]

Actually I would count my coming to the U.S. on the "United States" back in 1966 (in "steerage", sharing a cabin with two Russian women who didn't speak a word of English). But my first real cruise, with DH, was in 1988 on the Stella Solaris, a converted freighter. A wonderful experience all around. We had an inside cabin with oodles of space including a large coffee table and two club chairs. But the beds were bunks, not very romantic.

[cmdchiefthom]

1995 two week holiday cruise aboard the old Noordam. Did the Caribbean circle out of Tampa, St. Thomas, Dominica, Aruba, Colombia, San Blas Islands, Panama Canal, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I was hooked, and haven't stopped since!:D

[oofroggie]

I moved to Florida in 1987 and took my first cruise on the Reagent Rainbow in June 1993 and have been cruising ever since.

[boards]

The Carnivale Mardi Gras in 1981.

[C 2 C]

Not exactly a cruise but I was onboard in June 1951 arriving in Halifax.

 

[Vic The Parrot]

Not exactly a cruise but I was onboard in June 1951 arriving in Halifax.

 

 

 

 

Another beauty from Cunard/White Star!

[mudscraper]

Hi Vic.

[Robb]

Thirteen years ago (46 cruises ago) we sailed on our first cruise, the Carousel, ship built in 1953, an antique by todays standards. We thought it was wonderful, little did we know that the world of travel was just opening to us. I would not trade that cruise for anything, we met such great people. Kept in touch with them until unitl they passes, Muriel and Albert. Such great British souls, I hope to be like them as I age. :)

[Racker'sCruz-Set2Sail]

Our very first cruise was on the Burmuda Star!!! A cruise to nowhere in the Gulf for a 3 day cruise. It left out of Tampa Fl. If our memory are correct the late 80's. I also remember you had to back into the bathroom Been hooked on cruising since!!!!!:) :cool:

BTW next sailing 11/16/2011 21 day on the Veendam to South America

[CruiseAdict218]

Going through old photo's from my mom's cruise on the Celebrity Zenith I found these:

 

SS Britanis at Grand Cayman?

 

Old Westerdam at Ft. Lauderdale?

 

Btw, my first cruise was on the Carnival Triumph, 5-Day Canada/New England in '09 and trust me I'm hooked :D

Edited October 15, 2011 by CruiseAdict218

[buffetking]

My first cruise was aboard NCL's Song of Norway. A first cruise on a historical ship for the cruise industry.

 

Actually, Song of Norway was a Royal Caribbean ship. I sailed to Europe on her in 1990.

It later became the Sun Cruises "Sundream" In 2008 was renamed the Clipper Pacific.

 

Cheers,

[buffetking]

1989 I sailed on the RCCL Nordic Prince to the Caribbean. Fantastic cruise. All the old traditions were still in place.....Dining room decorated each night with a different theme,

Midnight buffets, Masquerade night, horse racing with auction, actual cruise staff, Host & Hostess..... to name a few.....mostly all gone now.

Loved that first cruise, been on many others, but none have ever matched it.

 

My latest ship will be the MS Volendam cruising New Zealand and Australia. I leave this Thursday........all packed up and ready to roll !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Da fAt mAn

[NMLady]

Our first cruise was a Caribbean cruise on RCI's Nordic Empress (later renamed Empress of the Seas) in 1999. It was a win from Frommer's Guidebooks from an entry at their monthly giveaway at their website.

 

Yes, it definitely hooked us on cruising. We've taken more than a dozen cruises since then and would take even more if we had the budget for it.

Edited October 16, 2011 by NMLady

[moyer424]

Our 1st cruise was 3 years ago on the Wind Surf out of Barbados. 69 passengers on board. We loved it!!! Been on RCCL, Majesty of the Seas, Carnival, Glory and we just returned from Bermuda on the Veendam. Booked on the Westerdam, 1-2-12.

[jezzyebelle]

Our first cruise was in January 2001 on the Rhapsody of the Seas. My poor husband got sick (flu) and spent four days of our seven day cruise in the cabin & it was his birthday. We love to travel and cruising is probably my favorite travel method.

 

This photo is us in Matzalan during that first cruise

[cate54]

Cruise to Bermuda out of Boston on the SS Galileo in September 1986. Didn't cruise again until 2006, but was "hooked" from the first experience. Now it's Holland America for me. Never had a bad moment on any of my trips.:D

[dpm321]

 

First one was RMS Carinthia, Liverpool to New York on 7 December 1957. The ship later became the Fairsea cruising the caribbean . First "cruise cruise" was on the Norway (fomer SS France) in 1980, Loved the sea and ships since 1957!

[terrydtx]

Our first cruise was quite the experience. It was in 1993 and left from Galveston TX. I can not remember the name, we called it the "Rust Bucket". This was an old ship built to the 50's as a transatlantic cruise ship and was converted to a gambling ship in Galveston. By US law it had to cruise to a foreign port (Cozumel) every 30 days to keep it international licence. We won a 5 day cruise in some contest on this ship and it was not the most pleasant experience. The air conditioning was so poor and in the middle of the Texas summer the ship never got very cool. The plumbing backed up a couple of times on our deck and we had raw sewage in the hallways. As bad as this cruise was we were still hooked and have been cruising ever since.

[seadog67]

My first "cruise" was a Trans-Atlantic crossing on the SS France in 1963. I traveled with my aunt, uncle and cousins who were moving from the US to Belgium. They invited me to go along for the summer which include traveling to Europe on the France. This is what she looked like when I sailed her.

 

 

 

Absolutely a gorgeous ship!

 

First cruise for me was Celebrity Horizon in August 2004 from Philadelphia, PA to Bermuda.