Most memorable experience of first cruise?...

[chrislaurn]

My most memorable moment on my first cruise to Bermuda out of NY. I've posted this before but can't remember the ship (maybe the Millenium). As we were getting back on the ship in Bermuda, we watched a women drive a moped off the end of the pier.:eek:

 

Somehow, she missed the rocks and was able to walk away pretty banged up after being rescued by the ship's security. I think I will NEVER forget hearing a scream and turning to watch her fly off the pier. Of course, didn't stop us from renting some! Pretty fun once you learn how to use the brakes!! ;)

[MustardStation]

learning to walk...i haven't forgotten how to do so :D

 

otherwise, i can't say i remember much, i was only 9 months old. i don't remember much from my second either, i was 3. oh well!

[yogimax]

Seeing the size of the exterior ship. It was awesome!

[RadioRay]

My first was about a year ago on the Freedom. We had to haul it to get from Miami to PR (and didn't make it on time). 25 MPH forward, 25 MPH head wind and 14 foot swells. Rumor had it the stabilizers were retracted to get us there faster. I was thinking that a ship that big would feel as smooth as a hotel. I was wrong. Lots of rocking, big bangs on the hull, splash from the bow making it up to my balcony. When I was in the hot tub it would slosh over and some of the water would go out over the deck (they seem to refill fast). Same with the pools.

 

Everyone, including me, looked drunk walking down the halls. The thing is, I loved it! While some very sick looking people were going to their cabins with broth I felt like I had the huge ship to myself. All the segments since that one have been boring in comparison.

 

One of my personal rules is that I will not wear a watch while on vacation. When I forget what time it is, I feel like I'm really on vacation. The ultimate of that happened on the same cruise. I came into the elevator and the carpet said "Thursday". (On this class of ship they have a section of carpet they change every midnight so we know what day it is.) I had no idea it was Thursday. Now that is relaxed.

 

Ray

[kmcg8r]

Aaah... my first cruise.... June 1999 on Enchantment of the Seas... myself (just turned 18 at the time) and my 3 best friends celebrating our high school graduation... to date, one of the most memorable cruises I've taken. My best friend's parents went along with us...

 

There is definitely not just one thing. It was everything. I remember our server, Murat... making us a plate with the word "nothing" on it in chocolate syrup when we decided to skip dessert one night... I mean, even for us remembering his name shows it was all pretty memorable!!

 

Ken Rush was the cruise director... have some interesting stories about him...

 

I remember Quest and the group of guys stripping down to their undies, including my best friend's dad... I've never laughed so hard... (until I saw Quest other times in the future!)

 

Good times in the Viking Crown Lounge...

 

It was a Western Caribbean cruise so it was the first time I'd been to Key West, Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand Cayman. I was scared to death at stingray city and my girlfriends kept rubbing squid on my arms to try to attract them more... aah torture... (I still won't go back to Stingray City today!)

 

I made a scrapbook of that particular cruise right when I returned and look at it from time to time. It was one to remember for sure. About 2-3 years later (?), I tried to "recreate" that experience on Enchantment again (pre-stretch) on a 4 night... but it was nowhere near as good as the first!

 

To date I've also been on Mariner, Liberty, and are going on Grandeur next month. Good times. :)

[Grandiva]

The most memorable of my 1st cruise is karoke night. It was like night 2, and thinking I will never see these people again I really "performed". I thought I was on stage at Madison Square Garden:D.

 

I had a cordless mike and that proved to be dangerous for it permited me to move around. For the rest of the cruise I was a celebrity. Everywhere people were stopping me. When we were exiting the ship 3 crew members clapped and whistled telling me good job. My DH said I'm glad that s*i*s over!

 

It was fun. I was not expecting such attention. Now everytime I step onboard I throw up both arms and say "Im ready for my close up":D

[Pitcruiser]

The elaborate midnight buffets every night of the cruise (this was back in the 80s). Also how big the ship seemed at the time, and how tiny it would feel now.

[Trevoli]

San Juan, 1989, Carnival's Festivale

 

All I knew was what I'd seen on The Love Boat. As we all know, as wonderful as cruising is, it bears little resemblance to the show, especially when it comes to the cabins.

 

We had an outside cabin, but on a ship that small and that old, that meant a porthole. We had bunk beds. The sink was in the main part of the cabin, while the toilet and shower (with the oh-so-amorous shower curtain) was in an itty-bitty chamber off the cabin. There was this stupid footstool in the cabin that was ALWAYS in the way. I didn't know I could simply ask the cabin attendant to remove it.

 

We had the time of our lives, and went on the VERY SAME CRUISE (So Carib) exactly 6 months later, and in fact, hooked up with the same crew members!!

 

I was an administrative assistant for a large group at the time, so I was 'all things to all people' and to say that I was underloved and underpaid is an understatement. The fact that every single member of the crew could not do enough for us, delighted me no end.

 

That's what I remember most... that the crew was so warm and gracious and we did not want for a single solitary thing.

[fpcruiser]

My most memorable was on the Sovereign when my dd then 12 asked for a loaded baked potato in the MDR. The waiter asked what was on it, she told him and he said he didn't have most of those things in the kitchen at dinner but he would get them from the breakfast bar. The next day and everyday thereafter, he had a bowl of sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits waiting for her at the table when we sat down for dinner. This service really wowed us and hooked me on cruising.

[jewelofthefox]

My first cruise was on Liberty of the Seas and I was pregnant. I always remember how kind the crew was to me. For example, during the drill, one of them ushered me to the elevator and said, "Please take the elevator. You don't have to take the stairs." Then when I got to the lounge, another crew member made sure I had a chair! It was so nice of them and I didn't once tell anyone I was pregnant ... they just observed. It was a surprise because I hadn't grown that much yet, so I hope they don't guess wrong with someone else :)

[bigasufan]

I had surprised my wife with our first cruise, and when we were getting ready to exit our room on the final day, she burst into tears, hugged me, and said it was the greatest experience that she had ever had. That made it worth everything. Getting ready to do our fourth shortly, and still look forward to them.

[maricruise]

On our first cruise (Enchantment of the Seas) we won one of the ping pong tournments. Till this day we brag about it.;)

[ama-sam]

Our first cruise was our honeymosn on the Brilliance in the Med. Two things stand out:

- sitting on the back deck at the bar (with a drink in hand!) watching us sail away from Barcelona - we were finally there and it was just so awesome! Cruising has been my favorite way to vacation ever since.

- VENICE - - An overnight in Venice was a big part of why we picked that cruise and the memories of that city are amazing: sailing up the Grand Canal, a godola ride, dinner by the Rialto bridge, getting lost, people watching from our balcony.

[CptSticky]

On my first cruise, the waiter shorted me a fork at dinner. I was dumb enough to point it out to him. Every night after that he brought me a different fork, some very small, some very very large and once one make out of paper.

[996turbos]

Someone mentioned being "announced" when boarding the Disney Wonder(great memory too). This was our first cruise and at the sail-a-way we all sang and danced to 1999 by Prince, and it just happened to BE 1999. What a great memory and great ship! It was Y2K here we come!:p

[abhb]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon on the Norway in 1983. One of the things that I remember was the towel bars in the bathroom were heated. We found this out the hard way. DH put his swimming trunks on the bar to dry. It burned them:eek:

 

We were in St. Thomas on a Tiki boat ride. They stopped at a beach. We got off and went in the water. We were so drunk DH didn't know that he had cut his foot open on something in the water. When we got back on the the Tiki we noticed his foot was gushing blood:eek:. Thank goodness it wasn't too bad. Didn't require stitches.

[novalab]

When I broke my tooth while eating a hamburger by the pool on the Monarch of the Seas many years ago. At first, I thought it was a bone in the burger...then realized it was part of a tooth....my tooth!!!:eek:

 

On the upside, I have had many 'most' memorable moments while on cruises with friends & family. Hard to pick just one.

[cruisindoggie]

October 26, 1985 Carnival Holiday. I was a young man of 23 6 feet tall, 185 lbs, single and loved every minute of the cruise (Gloria made it more special, where ever she is now).

 

Now 25 years 13 cruise later I enjoy a cruise every year with my wife (not Gloria) and every moment is special.

 

P.S 48 years old now and 245 lbs and love every meal!;)

[cyscopup]

Ok, our most memorable experience on our first cruise happened onboard Radiance of the Seas in St Lucia. It was my birthday and just as we were docking the ship listed several degrees and we were staring directly at the ocean from our balcony ( and we were not looking straight down to see it :eek:). Needless to say it didn't bother us too much as we will be going on our 30th cruise in May.

[Trevoli]

Thank God it was YOUR tooth. Imagine the alternative....

[LookingForward2]

First cruise was on the Disney Magic. So far, still my favorite ship. My most magical memorable moment was seeing the BEAUTIFUL midnight blue, white, and red ship from a distance as we reached Port Canaveral. I was 29 years old and I was bouncing up and down in my seat in the car!!!

 

I was 45 years old and I started to cry as we approached the ship !!! That first view as you go over the bridge! plus as you enter the disney ships, they announce your arrival by family name....

 

As to any ship - the moment you step into the ship is the wow factor

[novalab]

Thank God it was YOUR tooth. Imagine the alternative....

 

LOL! Yes!!! At first I thought it was someone else's! I was actually relieved when I realized it was mine!

[Harley Granny]

Thanks so much for sharing your stories.

 

My very 1st cruise is a week from tomorrow.

I go by Port Canaveral all the time and always wanted to be on the cruise ships you see there.

 

I finally get to go on one.

[Bell Ringer]

It was Nov. 1991 and we were celebrating our 25th anniversary. We were on the Emerald Seas for a 4 day cruise. We tendered on to Coco Cay, and as the weather got worse, they insisted everyone off the island and back to the ship. That was one rough ride back! Just the jump from the moving dock to get on the ship was a challenge. Shortly after we arrived on ship, we were looking out the window of our cabin and heard a very loud sound. One of the lines broke and the sound of it hitting the ship was unbelivable. We were very happy to be back on ship, safe and dry.

[B-52]

Ours was seeing the ship from a distance for the first time. It was Disney Magic and we were on the third or fourth sailing (they were still working out the kinks). The ship was beautiful, the staff was great, they upgraded our cabin. Although we heard some grousing about the problems we had a "magical" time.

 

 

Same here. It was our first cruise. We used the Disney transfer from the airport.

As we came over that bridge, the bus driver announced on the PA "There She is, that's where we're headed"

Everyone on the bus crammed over to the right side to see the ship for the first time.