Visiting Cruise Ships New York City

[Cruise Guy 17]

Please tell me some more about when you could just drive into New York City and visit cruise ships for the day.

 

What times would they let you on and off the ship?

 

Did people bring soda on the ship to visit?

 

There was no need for food as ship were serving buffets then?

 

Do you think they'll bring this practice back in future? I know Princess offers "The Bon Voyage Experience" for $39, but I have never sailed Princess and know of anyone going on a Princess cruise. I enjoy cruising with Carnival, Celebrity, NCL and Royal Caribbean.

 

Post what you recall from this time.

[rkacruiser]

Arriving at the Pier 90, we boarded a large elevator with a group of people who were sailing; this was a trans-Atlantic departure. The excitement of these people is something I have never forgotten. They were more excited than any I have ever seen on today's cruises. Getting off at the embarkation level, we went to a booth to buy an entrance ticket for visitors. 50 Cents/person. We embarked by way of the First Class gangway and did our own tour of some of the public rooms of the ship.

 

Bon Voyage parties were going on everywhere. I do not recall seeing any food available, such as in today's lido buffets. Lots of hustle and bustle, and lots of people.

 

A PA announcement was made: "All Ashore that's going ashore." We found our way back to the gangway, left the pier and watched Queen Mary sail from the sidewalk. Streamers being tossed, the magnificent bass horn of the ship, the toot-toots of the tugs: just as vivid in my memory today as it was then!

[rkacruiser]

Magical: a Midnight sailing of S. S. France. Same kind of atmosphere and similar experience as I witnessed for Queen Mary. In the First Class Library, a crew member was selling mementos of the ship to visitors: we bought some post cards. I think dinner was being served in the dining rooms, so we couldn't see much of those rooms. Docked on the other side of Pier 88, where the France was, North German Lloyd liner Berlin. On a warm summer evening, crew were out on the bow, resting and I recall vividly the contrast between this new, modern French liner and the German liner with many more miles of sea under her keel.

 

Italian Line's Raffello: I remember how modern the ship's interior was; lots of color, very pleasing. I remember walking through the First Class dining room and the tables had nothing on them except white tablecloths I was looking to read a menu; there was nothing.

 

Swedish America Line's M. S. Kungsholm, departing for a North Cape cruise: Lovely ship, much more reserved and quiet; some visitors, but not as many as the others. Upon disembarking and watching her sail from the Pier, we could see Tea being served in the Main Lounge as she was sailing.

 

Greek Line's Olympia: Upon boarding the ship, one was overpowered with the stench of hot olive oil. My friend's cabin was for three people that was being shared by three men: a very small, cramped cabin with very old fashioned bathroom fixtures. Lots of lovely wood paneling and cut glass decoration; food was available, I think, but did not try anything. Frankly, I left the ship thinking I was glad I was NOT sailing on this one.

 

Norwegian America Line's Vistafjord, sailing from Port Everglades on a Caribbean cruise: Like the Kungsholm, decor was understated and ambience quieter. I saw a movie star, Arlene Dahl, if I recall her name correctly, who was boarding as I was disembarking.

 

Home Lines's Homeric that turned out to be her last sailing due to a fire that took place on the ship during the cruise whose start I witnessed.

 

Will such visitations ever occur again? No. The security situation of today's world will never allow that to happen.

 

What is most irritating to me is that even though you and me can't get aboard as a visitor--even if you are a shareholder in the Company that owns the ship--others are able to manage to get aboard. I know that it is a sales event for travel agents and that is well and good. And, I know that some very few, making arrangements for a visit that was done very, very far in advance, are able to get friends/family aboard for a quick visit and/or lunch. But, for the general public, visitations are impossible, mostly.

 

Watching the Port Everglades web cam, I just this week saw some civilians on a ship's Bridge as the ship was leaving port. This is a direct violation of the new safety rules instituted as a result of the Costa Concordia accident. Rules are made to be broken, I guess.:rolleyes:

[George C]

I used to cruise out of NYC in 1970s and early 80's had several Bon Vogage parties, remember I ordered food one time, drinks were so cheap back then heinkens were 75 cents and mixed drinls just a little more. Do not remember brining anything with us for food or drink. Long time ago, still love cruising out of NYC did it last May to Bermuda on Veendam. Wish more ships would cruise out of NYC.

[rkacruiser]

On my first cruise in 1970 aboard Rotterdam V, they offered draft Heineken for 25 cents/glass!

 

Oh, how times have changed!

[Scrapnana]

 

Watching the Port Everglades web cam, I just this week saw some civilians on a ship's Bridge as the ship was leaving port. This is a direct violation of the new safety rules instituted as a result of the Costa Concordia accident. Rules are made to be broken, I guess.:rolleyes:

 

I think I saw the same thing. There was a man and a woman and I wondered what they were doing up there. I decided they must be related to the captain or some other high ranking crew member.

 

Thanks for sharing your remembrances of these ships. I knew that friends and family could come on the ships for farewells but did not know that they sold tickets for visits.

[NYCruzr]

We were lucky in that my father used to work in the New York office of the Italian Line. When there was a sailing, he would bring my sister and I down to Pier 90 with him. While he was handling business, we would wander the ship until it was time to leave.

 

When we sailed with the ship to go to Italy, there was always a bon voyage party and the streamer throwing when the ship sailed. Such great memories...I really miss those days.

[Conte Di Savoia]

The wonderful Bon Voyage Party!! I remember them well and miss them greatly. My first was in 1961 when as a young teenager I sailed off with my family aboard the wonderful Leonardo Da Vinci. It was an event which became a larger family reunion on the ship. Aunts, uncles and cousins and family friends were as excited as we were as they boarded the ship for the Bon Voyage party which was held in the First Class Capri Dining Room. The invited guests brought arms full of flowers and fruit baskets ( I wonder if they were afraid we might get scurvy on the eight day crossing). We were going to learn very quickly that there was no shortage of food aboard. There was no alcohol available for sale while the ship was in port. They had no New York State liquor license, so my father brought a case of champagne aboard. Everyone was feeling pretty good by the time the "all ashore" announcement was made in preparation for the sailing which would be promptly at noon.

 

"ATTENZIONE, ATTENZIONE PREGO. GLI SIGNORI VISITATORI SONO PREGATI DESCENDERA TERRA. LA NAVE INPARTENZA! ATTENTION YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. ALL VISITORS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO GO ASHORE THE 'SHEEP' IS SAILING!"

 

So with hugs and kisses the crowd returned to the pier for act 2, the actual departure. We went up to Boat Deck to position ourselves once we spotted the relatives and friends in the crowd. The band was on deck providing more gaiety and then the streamers were handed out. There were so many thrown over the side that I thought the ship surely wouldn't be able to get loose from their web. But we did as the ship's horn gave the thunderous three blasts for a ship moving astern. That horn could be heard in midtown Manhattan, far from the ship. Many of the visitors on the pier would run down to the far end of the pier to get a final glimpse of the ship as it turned and headed down the Hudson towards the Battery and Statue of Liberty.

Two years later we repeated the event on the same ship for a return to Europe. This time the Bon Voyage Party was on my 16th birthday so my friends from high school were also invited. They also left the ship pretty happy but that's another story.

 

By that time I was really into ships so I used to go into the city with other ship daffed friends just to tour the wonderful liners, now long gone, which regularly visited the port. I particularly loved to visit on board the original Queen Mary where I would sit in a corner of the First Class Lounge listening to the band play on the stage and watch the Bon Voyage parties which filled the room, sorry that this time I was just a visitor and wouldn't be staying on for the crossing. I'm including a scan of the visitor's boarding pass which I got on one of those occasions. Note the price, just 50 cents. A great bargain.

On a couple of occasions I spotted well known personalities aboard the ships. On one visit aboard the Leonardo I literally bumped into Leonard Bernstein in the hallway in front of his suite. On a visit aboard the original Queen Elizabeth I spotted Ed Sullivan surrounded by the press, who regularly went aboard to interview departing (or arriving) personalities.

 

The Queen of Bermuda sailed weekly for Bermuda, the go-to spot for honeymoons. There were always newly weds fresh from the altar with an entourage of guests for their on board reception.

 

It all ended after the threatened highjacking of the QE2 but they were great times while they lasted.

[Mr Veendam06]

Wow where do i start !! First off i was born and razed in Hoboken NJ the home port for HAL !! So as a kid in the 50" & 60"s i got to visit all there ships and have lunch on there !! .Then in the mid 70"s we use to visit and eat on all the ships we visited at the time in NYC !! It was free .You payed a dollar to the seamen s found and you got to go on the ships ! Sometimes 2 to 3 ships depending on what ships were in !!And you could go on the piers to see the ships off !! Not now .Times have changed ! It payed off for the lines to let people come on there ships !! We been on 76 cruises since 1981 !! We always had a lot of friends and family come on broach for our B V party's !! The Oceanic was the best ! We always rented a Cabana by the pool ares !!And when the ship started pulling in to the north rive it seemed like there was as many peopl on the pier throwing steamers and partying as there was on the ship !! You just don't see that today !! We've cruised out of NYC 20 time !! Home lines and HAL was our favorite lines !!

[marco]

I remember going on the Home Lines "Oceanic" many, many times seeing friends off and friends coming to see me off. For every passenger, there probably were 4 or 5 visitors. Folks would pay a $1 to the seaman's fund to get on the ship and there would be coolers, trays of sandwiches, pizza boxes, deli platters and bouquets of flowers being carried on. Parties overflowing into the hallways, corners of public rooms filled with bon-voyagers. Staff would be in the public rooms with trays of h'ors douvres and pizza slices, bars were open (but they would be charging about 25% more than once the ship was at sea.....something about NYC tax, or something), bands were playing and people would be dancing. The purser's deck would be covered with flowers, candy, bottles, and fruit baskets awaiting dellivery to passenger cabins. They'd blow the whistle and announce "all ashore who's going ashore" over the intercom. A steward would be going through the ship chiming a gong announcing it as well. Last call.....and the parade of well wishers would march down the gangway. The band would be out on deck playing, streamers and confetti would start to fly, the whistle would blow, the tugs would toot and the ship would back out into the harbor. Going to visit was as much fun as sailing (well......almost!). Same when the trans-Atlantic liners were sailing to Europe, too.