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

[nbsjcruiser]

My wife and I will be going on our second cruise on March 16th (Independence). Our first cruise was seven years ago...a five nighter on Enchantment. I didnt really want to go on a cruise, but my wife convinced me...hooked since.

 

Same deal here. Had no desire to go on a cruise. DW wanted to go so she dragged me. I distinctly remember driving out to the pier in a bus from an Orlando hotel. I was looking out the window thinking "what the hell am I doing here? I should be going to the beach.". Then I realized I had spent my money, I might as well make the most of it. We both had a great time. It was 2001. We couldn't afford to do another until 2004 and then we were hooked. We went twice in 2006 and its been once a year (and sometimes twice) since then.

[ninnau]

My first cruise was in 1976, and what I remember is the service. They made you feel like a king and queen. Napkin in the lap at dinner time---and at the time I smoked and it was aloud in the DR and if I wanted to lite up a waiter was there with a lighter. I am glad there is no smoking now. We quite 28 years ago. However, that first cruise on the RCCL Song of Norway will always be a special memory.

[1cat4jan]

My first impression? The awe of how huge the grand atrium was - how it didn't seem like I was on a ship - and how very cool cruising was.

 

The best part? I like to visit numerous places without lifting a finger to get there. I visit a port, I come home and have a wonderful meal, then while I sleep, the ship moves me to another port. I don't have to pack/unpack, get onto a bus, car, or plane. I get up in the morning and there is something new to see.

 

It's much more fun than an all inclusive resort, where you get the wonderful meals and great attention, but you are stuck in one place for a week. I love the variety a cruise has to offer.

[Eriksgarden]

What hooked me on cruising? The broad smile of our cabin steward welcoming us aboard and sincerely telling us to let them know if we needed anything. Watching the shore move, but not feeling motion (I was afraid I might get sick). The options for activities onboard. Everything!

[Chicky2181]

The FOOD! There was food everywhere....at all hours,of the day and night. I just couldn't get over it. It was only a 3 night cruise, but we ate ourselves silly, just because it was there. I actually remember not feeling well at dinner the last night. I had a tummy ache and it was definitely due to over eating for the past few days.

 

 

I learned my lesson that first cruise.....and now I take it easy. Rccl has made it easier since the food isn't always that good anymore.

[printingchick]

My first impressions:

 

• The ship was ENORMOUS!! (It was a Carnival Fantasy Class, so not really that huge.)
  
• Those drinks of the day are great - but NOT free, despite the fact they just walk up and HAND them to you off a tray. I learned not to get so carried away in my excitement that I over-do it on embarkation day! It's important to PACE one's self!!
  
• Loved going to sleep to the rocking of the ship.
  
• I asked the waiter at the MDR to help me decide between two entrees. He brought BOTH!
  
• It's difficult to get used to NO prices on menus and being able to LEAVE a bar/nightclub with DRINK in HAND! You can just drop off your dirty glass at the NEXT bar!
  
• Towel animals...love 'em!!
  
• Cruising is a very SOCIAL vacation. You get to know the staff and fellow cruisers in a way that just doesn't happen on a land-based vacation, where guests arrive and depart on different schedules.
  
• After months of pre-cruise dieting, I was delighted to learn that - unlike those "Love Boat" episodes I so fondly remember, the women at the pool didn't all look like Victoria Secret's models!
  

[printingchick]

Slightly off topic, but it's encouraging to read so many accounts of husbands being "dragged" onto cruises by their wives, only to discover they LOVE cruising. I'm taking my significant other on his FIRST cruise in 2014. I don't think I'll necessarily be dragging him, but it's not something he'd have planned on his own. I'm really hoping it will the start of a shared addiction. I'd hate to have to vacation without him!!;)

[karlos]

Our first cruise was a 7 nt. Western Caribbean sailing on the Majesty of the Seas back in 1995. We were celebrating our 15th anniversary and we left our three children home with Grandma. It took some convincing to get my husband to agree as he’d been on navy ships and said he had no interest in sailing. (Little did he know, there was a vast difference between the navy ship and the cruise ship!)

 

We had booked airfare and transportation through the cruise line. We flew out of Chicago and were scheduled to arrive in Miami around 2:00. (This is back when the airlines were a bit more reliable.) At this point in time, we did not even have to claim our luggage, the cruise line took care of that. We met the representative and she directed us to the bus. We joined other passengers and were told that we were waiting for one more couple.

 

In the meantime, two women who were already seated on the bus, decided to leave and go back into the airport in search of food!! The driver asked them to wait as it would delay our departure. He also told them that food was waiting for them on the ship. But no, these women were on a mission! The representative came back to the bus with the last couple only to find out we were now missing two hungry women. She returned to the terminal to track them down; a process that took about 30 minutes.

 

By the time we actually got to the ship they had closed down the embarkation station. We were hustled right on board and sent directly to guest services. From there we were informed that muster was already in progress and we hurried to find our muster station.

 

It wasn’t until later that we realized everything we missed by boarding so late. At the time we didn’t know enough to be worried!

 

Due to the age of our children at the time, it was several years before we sailed again. We have since given cruising another chance, although we now make our own travel arrangements, getting in town the day prior to the sailing. We’ve had 25 opportunities to enjoy the buffets, stroll around the ship and relax before muster.

[mation101]

Nordic Prince 1980, 14 day Caribbean cruise Grandparents 50th took family of 10 to celebrate.

 

Being 13 I loved being able to sit by the pool by myself like a grown up.

 

Cocktail hour in the lounge with live music and everyone dancing.

 

Dinner table for 10 in the center of the one story dining room, many people would stop by to talk to my G-parents and tell them what a beautiful family they had, they would just beam. (back then huge families didnt cruise like they do know, so we were a novelty)

 

After dinner shows, they were the highlight of the night and pretty much everyone on the ship went to the same show.

 

My Mom and Dad being relaxed and holding hands a lot.

 

Both G-parents and parents are gone now and everytime I take a cruise I spend some alone time on the balcony thinking of them, grateful that I got the opportunity to cruise with them.

[swsf99a]

Spring break 1999 went on the Nordic Empress (later renamed Empress OTS....gone now and may it rest in peace!!) out of San Juan. Wife and two teenage kids. Flew to San Juan...the airport was older and being revovated....excited to see the RCI agent and to the bus to ship. Remembered the liquor sold in the shops right before going on the ship. Our first and only time we did inside cabins. We loved the cruise, we did everything we could do! Back then you could order a salad, appetizer, soup, entree and desert...5 course meal . They sold shots at the dinner (B-52's and others), there was a designated wine sommelier. Once you ordered wine, he was there every night. The Nordic held about 1000+ passengers and we felt it was a huge ship ( of course the big ships were 2500+ or- at the time. Main dining room food was very good, there were no specialty restaurants. We tried all kinds of food we normally did not eat. Never thought I would like cold soups or Escargot! We hit St Thomas, St. martin and St. Croix, then back to San Juan and home! Seas were calm the whole time until the last night, then a little rough but not much problem since in bed. Even 18 cruises later..the first cruise is remembered the most!

[jewel825]

I was hooked on cruising on our first cruise! We went for our honeymoon 16 years ago on the Carnival Jubilee. When we first boarded that ship, I thought it was HUGE! The size of that ship just amazed me (I think it held maybe 1000 passengers).

 

At dinner, we were seated at a table with another couple who seemed so old and kind of boring. They were probably in their mid 30s. Of course we were young 20s so that did seem old at the time. Looking around we saw a huge circular table with a bunch of young couples at it and I was so bummed we weren't part of that group. They looked like they were having a blast and I had no idea if they all knew each other or just met because they were always together outside of dinner also.

 

One of our ports was Mazatlan where they have a Senor Frogs. We stopped in there for a bucket of beers and saw that same group in there at a table across the bar. I told my hubby that I wanted to be part of that group. He called over the shot guy (the one who was wearing a belt of shot glasses and carrying a bottle of tequila) and ordered a round for that group. They looked over at us laughing but took the shots and then sent the shot guy back our way. After that we had many more shots together and became fast friends. It turned out that all these couples had just gotten married the same night as us and they were randomly put at the same table for dinner and had never met before. We partied hard in that bar for hours and almost missed the ship leaving!

 

After that, we all met up for drinks before dinner each night and saw them everywhere we went. What a great group of people that I wish I had kept in contact with. We did exchange Christmas cards the first year or two after that but that was about it. I always wonder if any of those couples ever cruised again and if they are on cruise critic reading this!

 

I loved being out on the pool deck and seeing people I had seen in the casino the night before and chatting with them making plans for meeting up again the next night. It was such a nice intimate setting where you could really get to know people. I was hooked on cruising with that first cruise!

[Elkpad]

Ahh, how I love to remember my first cruise! I booked the inagural sailing on NCL out of seattle to Alaska for my honeymoon to second husband. Not knowing any better at the time I booked an inside cabin! I remember LOVING the party atmosphere, the HUGE ship, and being completely shocked by the room! the beds were seperated! However, the stateroom attendant was there and asked if we wanted them together. I...thinking this was a honeymoon, said yes. My new spouse promptly said No at the same time! (Unknown to me, he was a horrid traveler. Hated people, hated the ship, hated to get off at ports, etc). Needless to say, I slept alone for the whole 7 days, spent all my time alone in each port on tours I found facinating, went to all the bingo's, lectures, and lessons I wanted to by myself, and fell in love with cruising on my own! While I never went on another vacation wtih that spouse, as he passed away three years later, I still had such fond memories I took my children on thier first cruise shortly after so we could have some family bonding time. They have been in love with it ever since, and insist on longer and longer cruises! There is nothing like the rocking of the ship, the smell of the salt air, and the pampered atmosphere.

[travelplus]

My first cruise was last year with my Father who has never cruised before.

 

I was looking at the travel section in the local newspaper to see what specials they were advertising. What caught my eye was a repositioning cruise from San Juan- Barcelona for last April on the Royal Caribbean Serenade Of The Seas. I showed it to my Father thinking a 14 night cruise would fit the bill.

 

I thought nothing of it until last February when I woke up in the middle of the night just dreaming about going on a cruise. My Father told me he booked the cruise and we had so much fun.

 

When we boarded the ship we were amazed at all it had to offer. Our first buffet in the Windjammer was even more delicious as we were not fed on the airplane. The honey stung chicken was quite good.

 

We enjoyed the ports and the service onboard so much that I made it a mission to research another cruise.

 

Fast forward to this past December. I was flying home from visiting relatives when the Southwest agent asked for volunteers. I said to myself the one word I could think of Cruise. So I was the firs volunteer and got $550 for giving up my seat as well as vouchers for lunch and dinner. I would have arrived my destination 3 hours after.

 

On the flight over they also had some problem and gave me $350 as well.

 

As soon as I got home I told my Father lets not use this ticket for just a domestic vacation to Florida. I'm going to find us a cruise. I also had miles on United that would equal a one way back from Europe. My Father only had to book his ticket home for $560.

 

I was going online to Royal Caribbean's website plugging in itineraries for April. One was Fort Lauderdale- Barcelona for 14 nights and the other was New Orleans to Rome for 15 nights. My first thought was I love Jazz and have never been to New Orleans. While Fort Lauderdale is ok it would have been one long flight on Southwest. Then I looked up the ship the Navigator and was happy that it had a lot of the same features of the Serenade and more.

 

I gave the proposal to my Father and I said what do we have to lose? I'll chip in the tickets to New Orleans and use my miles for the return. He called around various agencies and booked it.

 

When I saw the 7 nights from the Caribbean would cost us more since we would need to fly to Florida and then while the Bahamas and Caribbean are nice Rome is more special.

 

When I saw the cruise stops in Livorno and the Azores I had to do this one because some of our relatives were from Livorno and I wanted to tour the town. In High School I saw a fight to the Azores but it was costly. Here we get to visit Ponto Degaldo which is a rare port.

 

Toloun France should be interesting as well.

 

A cruise to Italy plus a week in Rome now how many people can say they can get two vacations in one? You get your sea days(like relaxing at an all-inclusive resort) your port days and then a week in Rome feeling relaxed as you don't have jetlag.

 

A cruise is unlike any vacation you could possibly want to take.

 

Forget cruises to Mexico they were going for around the same rate we paid for 2 weeks.

 

I found another cruise on Princess from San Francisco-Hawaii in December and hope that we can use our Timeshare weeks for the cruise since its hard to find timeshare weeks in Hawaii. Why not see all the islands, be fed and entertained?

[micro yaya]

my first cruise was on the carnival. my hubby won a 4 day cruise. when he told me he won, i cried, because i get sea sick. our room was in the bowels of the ship with twin bunks, and our knees touched when we sat on the bed. the tables in the diningroom were so close to each other that everyone had to stand if someone wanted to get up.

naturally i got sick the first night out, and sent my dh to go enjoy, and over the past 20 years, and 32 cruises i have gotten sick at different times, but I FELL IN LOVE WITH CRUISING. the sea is calling me and in march we will be on the fos, i moved forward and never looked back

[happygran]

We hated our first cruise and said we'd never go on another.

It was 15 years ago and we went with my elderly parents. It was a cruise to the Canary Islands & February across the Atlantic wasn't fun. We had an inside cabin which I found claustrophobic. The crossing was not smooth and we couldn't get away from the crowds.

 

Two years ago, we felt as though we were depriving my old mum of some pleasure so we booked a cruise round the med. We were upgraded to a balcony and it was fantastic. That's it now.....only balcony.......nothing less.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

I saw a ghost on my first cruise. Seriously, I saw a ghost. I am still annoyed to this day that I saw one, because I am the type of guy who did not believe in them before that moment, and I used to make fun of others who did believe in them. I was on the top deck of the ship with a girl I met that week and we were hanging out sitting against a wall. I looked up and 10 feet away was a guy in front of me dressed like somebody from the 20s or 30s. Long suit coat, top hat, dress shoes etc. I looked at him for a second and he just stared down at me. I glanced toward the girl I was with, then back at him and he was gone. There was absolutely no place a person could have vanished to on that ship in the second I looked away. The ship with called The Norway and was part of the Norwegian Cruise Line. If you google the ship, there are a number of "ghost type events" that other people experienced with that ship at other times. The ship was torn down a decade ago. Anyways, I have cruised another 10 or so times since then and thankfully never seen another ghost on any other ship or anywhere else in my life.

 

As for the cruise itself, I had a blast and was hooked immediately. My daughters are 6 and 10 now and just went on their first cruise a couple years ago with Disney. We are set to go on our second as a family on May 19th on the Freedom. I love everything about cruising.

[Eriksgarden]

The only thing I hated about my first cruise was that it was over so fast!

[jndsilver31]

20 years in the Navy, took our first cruise after I retired. I then found out all the things I could do on a cruise ship and not have to go to Captains mast for them.:D:D Been hooked since.

 

Master Chief,

 

I too am retired Navy. My DW and I have always wanted to go on a cruise but raising a family on 1st Class pay never made it happened, but we finally got our first cruise last Sept. on the Freedom of the Seas. And yes I too discovered all the things to do on the ship that would have gotten me in trouble.

 

We are now booked for our 2nd cruise in Oct, again on the Freedom. We had so much fun. It was worth the wait.

 

Jack

[billyelliot]

Navigator. 2003 Our 25th Wedding Anniversary

 

Crying most of the way on the flight from the UK as it was the 1st time we had left our sons with Grandparents (they were 13 & 16) ha

Stepping on board and again crying with sheer amazement!

Waving at all the cars that were blowing their horns as we cast off in Miami

All the food....

Meeting wonderfully people...

Ending up in the shops hospital for 2 days with a bad throat infection and being treated with a fantastic team of medics

Sitting at the piano listening to a great entertainer

To name but a few.......

[jewel825]

I saw a ghost on my first cruise. Seriously, I saw a ghost. I am still annoyed to this day that I saw one, because I am the type of guy who did not believe in them before that moment, and I used to make fun of others who did believe in them. I was on the top deck of the ship with a girl I met that week and we were hanging out sitting against a wall. I looked up and 10 feet away was a guy in front of me dressed like somebody from the 20s or 30s. Long suit coat, top hat, dress shoes etc. I looked at him for a second and he just stared down at me. I glanced toward the girl I was with, then back at him and he was gone. There was absolutely no place a person could have vanished to on that ship in the second I looked away. The ship with called The Norway and was part of the Norwegian Cruise Line. If you google the ship, there are a number of "ghost type events" that other people experienced with that ship at other times. The ship was torn down a decade ago. Anyways, I have cruised another 10 or so times since then and thankfully never seen another ghost on any other ship or anywhere else in my life.

 

As for the cruise itself, I had a blast and was hooked immediately. My daughters are 6 and 10 now and just went on their first cruise a couple years ago with Disney. We are set to go on our second as a family on May 19th on the Freedom. I love everything about cruising.

A ghost? That would have freaked me out!!!!

[srvdmy4usn]

Thanksgiving 1993 Empress of the Seas 4 night Bahamas, I was 13 years old.

 

So many things stand out from that trip!

 

1. First steps on the ship. I grew up in a "normal" middle class, single car, working family so stepping on the ship was pure class, style, Robin Lyche's life of the rich and famous!

 

2. Dinner, the waiter not only made it fun with tricks, puzzles, & games (some I still use today) but after serving the food he proceeded to cut and feed my grandmother. It was hilarious just the same as it was again pure class!

 

3. CocoaCay....oh sweet sweet CocoaCay. Snorkeling in the sunken ship (is that still there?) finding conch shells, and then watching one of the islanders punch a hole in it for me and said I could keep the shell if I promise he gets to keep the animal inside. HE ATE IT...right there out of the shell, raw!

 

4. The teen club....oh so fun!

 

Damn I need to be on a ship NOW!

[cruiselvr04]

1989 MS Seaward with NCL. Inside cabin on deck 2 by the anchor. Can not remember much about it except dinner in the dining room, to us it was great food, nightly entertainment, snorkeling for the first time, watching skeet shooting off the back of the ship. Tiny cabin. Best part was out on the deck at night walking under the moon with the ocean gleaming. Hooked us both!

We couldn't return to the sea for almost 12 years due to raising 4 kids but now try to go at least twice a year. Number 19 coming up next month and I get just as excited going up the gangway now as I did then. To us it is pure relaxation where we can unplug from the rest of the world, have someone else drive, and be pampered for a few days and get reconnected with each other.

[GRANNYOFSIX]

Our 1st cruise was on the Carnival Celebration in 1993! At the deck party they played CELEBRATE and I KNEW that song was played because we were on the CARNIVAL CELEBRATION - 20 years later, on every single cruise, that song is still played. I smile when I hear that song whether on land or see. I think about our very first cruise - it's a memory I will treasure always!!!:)

[Sumisid]

Our first cruise was on AIDA (the German ships with the funny face at the bow :)) around the Canary Islands and Madeira. After many motorcycle-holidays with packing and unpacking every day in a new place, it made me extremely happy to unpack once and that was it :D.

 

I loved the fact that I was in a different port every day and my hotelroom was following me all the time. What I loved most about the ship (AIDAsol) was the Wellness-Oasis, similar to the Solarium on RCCL-ships, no screaming kids and a sauna that overlooked the ocean.

 

But honestly, my first cruise with RCCL was even better, more international guests and the food was great. The food on AIDA was not bad, but kind of "Windjammer-for-all-meals".

[m_duck]

Below is a post from a previous thread but it seems to fit with this one.

 

We had the reverse experience and it was me that refused to cruise for a number of years. My partner had worked for RCL after leaving

University (she worked on the Majesty and Brilliance) and then visited friends on board so had cruised a lot when we met.

I had always thought cruising was for old people, queuing for everything, being told what to do and when etc ... Being stuck on a

prison ship for a couple of weeks did not sound like fun. All the usual cliché statements ... and from someone who had never cruised.

 

She wanted to visit a friend who was working on the Jewel out of Harwich so we arranged to visit him the next time it was in port. I didn't

realize this was part of her master plan to get me to agree to a cruise. So off we went to meet him and spend a few hours on the ship before it departed. And I have to say it was impressive and a little odd when there are only crew onboard and a few people visiting friends and family.

 

In the end I agreed to a short Med cruise out of Barcelona on the Navigator. After a few lovely days in Barcelona I queued for ages to get onboard, and then we had the muster station wearing life jackets in the sun and getting away from the muster was a pain. Our evening meal was nice and the show was good so I went to bed thinking it was ok but not convinced.

 

I was up early the next morning and went on deck to take some pictures to find us arriving into Nice with the most beautiful red sky and sunrise

with the mountains in the background. There was no one about and I took some lovely pictures. We explored the ship in the morning and then went ashore for a lovely lunch and then back to the ship. The next day we went to Florence and had a lovely lunch. I sat there thinking on Monday I had lunch in Barcelona, Tuesday in Nice and Wednesday in Florence and tomorrow we are in Rome. I think it was at this point I was sold. And we have cruised every year since and hopefully our honeymoon later this year will see us on board having a great time. Although I still haven't admitted to her she might have been right all along about cruising.