What do you remember about your first cruise? What hooked you?

[lemonade-sails]

Just went on our first cruise last month. Fabulous! We also left the kids at home with the grandparents :)

 

One of the best things I remember is the rocking of the ship. So cool! Also, the service and food was amazing for us. It's funny to think about it, but it was so strange at the end of dinner to just . . . leave. We're so used to waiting for the bill and paying that it seemed awkward to just get up and go. We were at our own table (MTD) so had no one else to really "follow" - we were also often the first table in and the first table out of the dining room each night. Did we miss something or is that what you do when you're done with dessert - just get up and leave :o:)??

 

So glad you are able to go on another cruise together! Hoping to do the same in a year or so :D.

[happyiam]

Two years ago was our first (& so far only) cruise for our 25th anniversary and went on the Oasis with an ocean view balcony. Hooked is not the word :). We were amazed at so many things...the decor, the fabulous crew, (especially our waiter and assistant that made us feel special),the shows, watching the water mesmerized me, seeing flying fish...& much more. I still miss being gently rocked to sleep. Now we are eagerly anticipating our next cruise in 2014 and are looking at going on a smaller ship to see which we like better.

[ktbr11crs]

My first cruise was many years ago with my sister on a Disney ship. It might seem like a strange choice for 2 single girls in their mid-20's, but we had a blast. The Platters were one of the acts and we ended up partying with them a few nights. We were invited to dine with the Captain; we had a great time. We have wondered if both of those occurrences were due to us likely being among the few, if not only, young single women on board!

 

After that I did a couple more with my sister and a couple with other single friends before I met my BF; he had been on 14 cruises already and we immediately started planning one. Fortunately he had been going on Royal Caribbean and I often thank him for introducing me to it. We've been on 50 cruises together so far, have 6 more booked, and can't wait to hear more details about the Quantum class ships so we can book for Fall 2014!

 

Two things hooked me: Being surrounded by water; transatlantics are a favorite. I love being taken care of! I have never liked roughing it and really appreciate the great service. I'm just glad I toned down one aspect of it; on one of my cruises with a few girlfriends, my bar bill was bigger than the cost of the cruise! Fortunately I haven't done that again; I do enjoy some adult beverages, but want to remember the cruise too!

[cjdixon4]

I really believe that it was the sailaway deck party. Food, drinks, dancing, fun, and sun!:cool:

[Protseq]

First cruise on Nordic Prince, 1986:

 

- offered a 10 day cruise instead of the 7 day originally booked on Sun Viking;

went from an inside cabin to outside cabin. no charge;

- standing by the railing promenade deck, watching the ship leave, and a staff member telling me about bow thrusters. Found out later he was the cruise host.

- finding out the ship was two-thirds full of capacity. No lounge chair hoggers at all, and felt like I was on a luxury yacht with just me and the wife.

- reading a book on a sea day. The cruise host's wife stops and has a chat with me.

- sharing a bingo grand prize.

- finding out I picked up 10 pounds in body weight!

[tamsno]

First anythings are hard to forget, but my first cruise marked a true changing point. September, 2001. Old HAL Noordam, inside cabin booked at last minute. Frist cruise, first trip to Europe beyond London, first anything alone (widowed one year) and yes, 9/11 happened three days into the cruise. 14 days Copenhagen to Rome. I saw everything I wanted, Paris, Rome, Provence, Tuscany, Spain, Portugal. It was amazing! I watched every line let go at every sailaway, every early morning arrival. I was seriously hooked, and knew I was very fortuntate. And to be that far away during that time gave me a very different perspective. The Europeans were so supportive and scared for us. I figured if I could handle this, I was good to go anywhere, any time, and I did. Cruised mostly solo until 2008 and with DBF, met on a cruise of course, since then. My Motto "Now Voyager sail though forth to seek and find." Bon Voyage!

[banshee72]

Someone mentioned the rocking and rolling of the ship. I only remember feeling this once on the enchantment as we were walking down the hallway. LOVED it. However, I also love turbulence on an airplane...I'm just crazy like that I guess

[kingsgirl]

A lot of things had me hooked.....

 

a. The ship was so big (Majesty :rolleyes:)

b. I'd never seen water so beautiful

c. I loved being able to unpack but go to several different places

d. The fact that there always was something to do

e. I've never experienced fine dining where someone else placed your napkin on your lap!

f. I couldn't get enough of walking out on deck, at any time of day or night!

[Dmom & dad]

I will never ever forget our first cruise!! we decided to go on new years eve. My mom was over bringing in the new year with my dh, our 5 kids and myself. We had the travel chanel on and the Disney cruise ship was on it. She said she would love to do that, that it would be so much fun. little back ground on my mom she doesnt leave home!! never gone on a vacation ever!! so dh and i loolked at each other and thought we are gonna do this. I talked to a travel agent and got details the next day. then i had to make sure if i booked it she would go. I dont think she believed we would do it. within the week we were booked. Two inside staterooms side by side. we were so excited!! I discovered ther Dis boards and learned about the fish extender we couldnt wait. i took my mom to get her first swimsuit I think i ever saw her in in my whole life. she almost backed out a few days before we flew out. we convinced her the kids would really need their granny! not that they did but she didnt know that!

ok so we flew in the day before and had transfers from the airport to the ship so we had to get back to the airport the next morning. I loved the checkin desk at the airport and the amazing bus that took us to the port it was painted like the ship! so cute!! all the way it played disney cartoons and told about the ship on the tvs in the bus. seeing the ship was so amazing i didnt we would ever do something like this. and seeing my moms face was priceless!!! It seemed like we waited forever to get on but as we boarded we knew why they anounced us as we walked onto the ship it was so breathtaking. all the hidden mickeys, the animators palate, the characters, the kids clubs my daughter made flubber!! how much fun is that. Dh and I had a couples massage and a private balcony with a hot tub. The bingo games were so much fun. certain numbers equal cute little song and dance acts. I havent been on another ship that did that. just the ocean with lights shinning down on it at night, the sound of the waves crashing into the ship, i just love it!!! our wait staff on that ship really made it memorable. we all just loved them in fact on our last night our assistant surver and i and my oldest daughter were just in tears. so crazy we got so close in just 7 days. she knew my son loved cherries and she would bring him a bowl of them every night Castaway cay need i say more!! we went jet skiing in the ocean got way out and stopped on a sand bar we stood on a sand bar in the middle of the ocean!! And my mom who does nothing and is afraid of everything was there right beside me! i truely could go on forever. we were hooked and have done a cruise every summer for the last five years since we started. I cant imagine a summer without cruise !!:p

[AlanS17]

We're going on a cruise in less than a month, but we've only been on one other cruise - our honeymoon.

 

My single-biggest memory from that cruise was the port days. It was a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Athens and we were in port every single day. There was always something to do despite the ship not having many activities because the port days were so long.

 

The food was also quite good and this particular cruise line (Azamara) offered unlimited wine with dinner.

[LAatl]

My first cruise was in 1992 when I sang on a ship for 3 weeks. My favorite part was going on deck after we were done and looking at the stars (they would turn out all of the lights on deck after midnight)

 

My second was on Disney. I loved how you kept the same waiters all week, but your whole table moved restaurants each night.

 

Now, I love sleeping with the balcony door cracked so I can hear the water slapping against the ship.

[Daghis]

One of the distinct memories I have from our first cruise on Celebrity Century about fourteen years ago was after we boarded, we were led by a young woman wearing white gloves down to our cabin. I thought that was so elegant, and even though we had a cabin down on one of the lower decks, we were made to feel special. I don't know whether Celebrity still does that, but I hope that they do.

[pcur]

All inclusive, great food, Caribbean Ocean and islands, weather, and $550 for two including roundtrip air from SFO and an overnight hotel pre-cruise for TWO.

 

Of course, this was in 1972. :D

[Desert Cruizers]

First thing that comes to mind, is the peacefulness and totally relaxing feeling. Being this was our first we were in awe of the beauty inside the now much older Sea Princess. Since then we have come to see other ships far lovlier.

[kleo30]

I've only been on one cruise; Explorer Nov. 2011. Now I'm hooked!

 

Things I remember:

 

Walking around the ship felt so surreal. I looked at pictures and read reviews for 1 1/2 years while waiting for the trip. It was incredible to feel like I was "in" the pictures.

 

We went big; 10 nights in a GS. The room was incredible!

 

Loved how relaxing it was and how pampered I felt. The first night at dinner when the waiter put my napkin in my lap.....I'll never forget that. All of our vacations while raising our boys were camping or spending time at my Dad's lake house...both of which involved me doing my same work at a different spot. This was not that...and it was incredible.

 

It was the first time I'd seen the ocean, swam in the ocean, snorkeled. So many firsts. It was so awesome.

 

We met quite a few fabulous folks who we still are in contact with and will be cruising with again...in November. Awesome!

[gelo7]

The vastness of the deep blue sea.

[Gardener5b]

My first cruise was on the Big Red Boat with my mom, back in 1987 or 1988 . I loved every moment of it...the elegant dining room, the sea views, the "exotic" ports. I don't think I ever felt so pampered in my life. Second cruise was just a year or so later on my honeymoon (NCLs Seaward). DHs first cruise--he was hooked. We loved the ports, the sea days, the whole ship experience. We're getting ready to sail on #15 (Summit, southern caribbean). We love cruises for the ports, we love them for the sea days, we love them for the "we don't have to plan anything if we don't want to" experience. We love meeting our fellow cruisers. Stressful lives and jobs make cruising the perfect vacation for us.

[welikepalms]

My favorite memory from our very first cruise was driving into the Navel Yard in Philidelphia and seeing the cruise ship for the first time. I actually stopped on the road just to stare. My favorite picture from that cruise is me standing on the gang way with the ship in the backrground. Now remember this was even before we stepped onboard. The awe I felt when I first saw the inside of the grand lobby.. All the pictures I had looked at before the cruise paled in comparision to the real thing.

 

Still get that feeling when we first step onboard for the first time.

 

Happy Cruising and great question!

[tracyedw]

Just reading everyone's posts is making me so happy. lol

I didn't like my first 2 cruises which were in the early 80's and 90's. I would rather just go to a place and stay there for the week. Had a 3rd cruise on a Disney ship, and I still wasn't convinced. But that cruise I had a balcony, and knew I could never cruise without one again.

Flash forward to March 2012, and I won a free cruise on the Serenade for a week. Ok, not big on cruising, but can't turn down a free trip to the Caribbean, right? I spent 6 weeks reading everything possible on Cruise Critic,and by embarkation day I was over the moon excited. Instantly on the ship I was in love. Loved the wonderful service, loved our balcony cabin, loved that everything I could want was right there with us. Loved going to a different beach each day we were in port and a constant feeling of pure relaxation. Just booked the Indy for February 2014, and am beyond excited.

[Paul65]

First cruise was on Monarch of the Seas in 1993. I remember being impressed with how huge the ship was. At the time, it was one of the biggest.

 

I remember a few things that are now things of the past:

The gala midnight buffet with all the fancy decorations and carvings

The sommelier who came by the table each evening at dinner (and probably didn't like us, because we weren't wine drinkers at the time)

 

I remember hearing daily announcements that started something like, "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Bang . . . "

 

I remember booking an outside cabin, because we were worried about feeling claustrophobic in an inside. But the cabin ended up having just a porthole window that you couldn't really see out of unless you got right up to it. And we were very close one of the anchors, so the sound of dropping anchor woke us up early a few mornings.

 

I also remember doing a bunch of little activities like morning walk or dance class and collecting ShipShape dollars and redeeming them at the end for little RC logo trinkets.

 

And, of course, there was just lounging around on deck, with servers wandering by saying, "Bar service, service."

 

All-in-all, it was full of good memories, so we've cruise a few more times since then.

[ALSEAU]

My first cruise was a 3-nite weekender. My wife had to drag me on while I was kicking and hollering there will be nothing to do. But the fresh ocean air, constant flow of the assortment of food and pampered service, entertainment and the nightly rocking and swaying of the ship quickly won me over. The rest is history.

[smoosh21]

My first cruise did not hook me, It was OK, but I wasnt sure I ws going to book again. The first cruise was on Carnival Sensation.

A few years late I decided to give it another goal. I was reading about the new HAL ships and decided to give it one more shot

 

We did the Oosterdam and loved it. Everything about it was great, from the tablemates we had to the Neptune lounge to the shows on the ship.

 

after that, we have been hooked and cruising is now our primary form of vacation

[shutterbug63]

A few things (and actually this was my second, but the first was so very long ago, the memories have faded):

 

Seeing the pier for the first time...and the ships. Seeing the Freedom and how gorgeous it was for the first time.

 

Our balcony. I'll never forget the sound of the ocean when I was sitting on it at night or being serenaded by a violin on the last night from the neighboring cabin.

 

 

And the priceless looks on my son's face when he played with the baby sea turtles in Georgetown and swam with dolphins in Cozumel. How special to see that through the eyes of a child.

[gambee]

Having everything in one place, no need to drive, all the activities and who can forget the unlimited supply of food :D.

 

One thing that I will never forget was the first love and marriage show, it was incredibly funny.

[poncho1973]

I was opposed to cruising. I had lived in Florida for 9 years before I ever went on a cruise. I knew it was close. I knew that most of my friends had been on cruises. I knew it wasn't for me.

 

My wife & I decided early to take turns planning our anniversary trips... one year on her turn she talked to me about a cruise. I refused. I cited the masses of elderly people, the poor food, the small cabins, the stomach flu, etc. I declined.

 

She, being a very sweet person, kindly pointed out that I brag about always trying things at least once and I was not following my own mantra. She had been on cruises before and said she thought I would enjoy it. Humbled, I agreed to go.

 

I went on Mariner for a 7-day Eastern back in 2007. There were a lot of old people, but they didn't seem to run in that same circles that we did and were in bed quite early. No major sickness that we saw on the ship and we didn't catch anything. The small inside cabin didn't bother me at all because it was clean, really awesomely dark, and other than sleeping... and nocturnal activities... we weren't in it a whole lot. The food was better than expected, but not great. We went to some fun ports and went on some excursions.

 

I was hooked. I think ultimately the whole floating hotel concept won me over. Everything you need is right on the ship, but you can go to nice places.

 

I still prefer normal travel over cruising. I would rather immerse myself in a town for several days than spend 10 hours at port. Cruising has its place and I have a love for it now that I never thought I would. I stand corrected.