Thrown back in time.....

[happy cruzin]

This thread has been a lot of fun over on the NCL board - so I thought I'd start it here too!

 

If you were to be thrown back in time to "old time" cruising - the 60's, 70's, 80's, etc. - what is the one thing that strikes you as VERY different than cruising now??

 

For me.....I'd say FLAMING Baked Alaska - that was paraded around the dining room on formal night! :eek:

[Jamman54]

I can remember driving golf balls off the fantail, and shooting skeet!!

[lifeisgoodPat]

I can remember driving golf balls off the fantail, and shooting skeet!! I also remember the Baked Alaska. Thanks people for reminding me. I had almost forgotten them....

[MikeM]

I can remember driving golf balls off the fantail, and shooting skeet!! I also remember the Baked Alaska. Thanks people for reminding me. I had almost forgotten them....

+Beer drinking contests

Pillow fights

Live bands on Lido

Kite Flying contest off fantail

Midnight Buffet

Conga Lines

Costume Contests

Adults Topless Deck

Edited October 27, 2013 by MikeM

[beachbum6264]

Throwing streamers during sail away!

[abitaturbodog]

I remember when guests could come on board and visit before the ship sailed.

[LargeCornGyro]

Great food.

Great service.

Great entertainment.

Ample personal space.

[Jamman54]

Great food.

Great service.

Great entertainment.

Ample personal space.

 

True to a point. Then when I look back, and I paid more for my Holiday cruise in 1986, then I paid for my recent Splendor cruise. I guess something has to suffer!!

[TEXASMUNK]

You could set your shoes outside your cabin door, they were returned in the morning with a shine...today they would be stolen.

You got a little booklet with a list of all your fellow passengers....too many post cruise divorces..so it stopped!

Officers had assigned tables and dined with the guests every evening.

There were no buffets.

Your wore a coat and tie to every meal and formal nights were formal.

There as far less entertainment.

[LargeCornGyro]

True to a point. Then when I look back, and I paid more for my Holiday cruise in 1986, then I paid for my recent Splendor cruise. I guess something has to suffer!!

 

When you cram twice as many passengers onto a ship, you can cut the fares in half.

[Jamman54]

When you cram twice as many passengers onto a ship, you can cut the fares in half.

 

Very valid point, but when you think how the cost of labor, (maybe not so much for the typical crewmember), supplies, and the biggest cost of all, fuel, has risen dramatically, that even with all the cutbacks, it's a wonder cruising is still affordable.

[ChicagoBarb]

No TV!!

[RWolver672]

 

If you were to be thrown back in time to "old time" cruising - the 60's, 70's, 80's, etc. - what is the one thing that strikes you as VERY different than cruising now??

 

 

Back then I was a Marine and it was on a Navy ship. Back then the ships were gray, now they're white. Back then I called them "Sir", now they call me "Sir". I don't miss any of it. :)

Edited October 27, 2013 by RWolver672

[Tommy J]

Our first cruise was with Carnival in 1984. What I remember most is going into the movie theater, seeing a sad movie, and then going to the wheelhouse to wait in ling to call and check on our kids on ship to shore line.

[SkyMaster]

Every cabin a different size, and shape! You NEVER knew exactly what you'd get, until you opened the door! Not "cookie cutter" like they are today, but built around the plumbing, heating/cooling, and electrical needs. ;)

 

"SKY"

[beachbum6264]

This was sailing out of Nassau on the Bahama Star. That's my uncle and his GF waving goodbye. We lived in Nassau and would take the ships to Miami to shop and visit friends - kind of like a ferry. The metal building is close to where you go through to Bay Street now. It's changed a bit!

[michelle1836]

Throwing streamers during sail away!

 

Like the Love Boat! LOL

 

This was sailing out of Nassau on the Bahama Star. That's my uncle and his GF waving goodbye. We lived in Nassau and would take the ships to Miami to shop and visit friends - kind of like a ferry. The metal building is close to where you go through to Bay Street now. It's changed a bit!

 

awesome picture! didn't cruise way back when but it was fun to read the comments

[happy cruzin]

LOTS of good ones....keep 'em coming!! :D

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Philly Steve]

One of the big games by the pool was horse racing. :)

[hattack]

Most ships had an area on the top deck where females could sunbathe with their tops off:)

usually behind the smokestacks (not that I would know the exact spot and the best vantage point:cool:)

 

It was far less in terms of cultural diversity and what part of the Country folks travel from to board the ship

 

It was alot more :)fun:) to go on a cruise...more adventure...fewer guest options so folks did fewer activities in greater numbers...there was no such thing as loyalty level programs...you were either rich or poor...in the lowest price inside cabins on the lower deck, the bathroom and showers were not in your cabin but in a common area (like a college dorm floor)

 

On Cunard, you could board in Miami, get off in St Thomas, stay a week at a resort, reboard your ship exactly one week later and have the same cabin

[SkyMaster]

When docked at Nassau, the little kids would shinny up the bow ropes from ashore, and dive back into the water, from the bow of the ships, to retrieve coins thrown into the water by the cruise passengers! Yep, that's how much smaller the ships were then. (We thought they were HUGE at the time!) :eek:

 

"SKY"

[careycouponer]

My first cruise was in 1993 and I was 20 years old. Cruised with my best friend because we were too young to go to Vegas. We were so shy and totally lost. Did not know WHAT to do when the men working the ship would say...

 

"Where will I meet you?"

 

Never asked if we WANTED to meet them. Just where. I think it might have been the one English phrase they'd been taught. LOL. It was very disconcerting!

 

I ordered escargot on the menu in order to be adventurous but turned chicken by the time they arrived. Didn't want to hurt the waiter's feelings, so I swallowed three of them whole. Ick.

 

I don't remember what cruise line it was. Just that it was a 5-day out of Tampa and it ran aground. Nothing too serious. But on the last night things were a bit rough and they lined the halls with bags in case anybody got sick.

 

Also the midnight buffet, which was AMAZING! Lemons turned into fish, a giant replica of the ship made out of butter. Fantastic stuff.

 

I didn't cruise again after that until 2001 I think.

[cruzeluver]

I was fortunate to go on three cruises growing up with my family (in the early 1980s). You ate all three meals in the dining room at the same table with the same wait staff. It was wonderful!!

[happy cruzin]

My first cruise was in 1993 and I was 20 years old. Cruised with my best friend because we were too young to go to Vegas. We were so shy and totally lost. Did not know WHAT to do when the men working the ship would say...

 

"Where will I meet you?"

 

Never asked if we WANTED to meet them. Just where. I think it might have been the one English phrase they'd been taught. LOL. It was very disconcerting!

 

I ordered escargot on the menu in order to be adventurous but turned chicken by the time they arrived. Didn't want to hurt the waiter's feelings, so I swallowed three of them whole. Ick.

 

I don't remember what cruise line it was. Just that it was a 5-day out of Tampa and it ran aground. Nothing too serious. But on the last night things were a bit rough and they lined the halls with bags in case anybody got sick.

 

Also the midnight buffet, which was AMAZING! Lemons turned into fish, a giant replica of the ship made out of butter. Fantastic stuff.

 

I didn't cruise again after that until 2001 I think.

 

YES...the Gala Midnight Buffets were amazing! Such beautiful and unusual work from the ice carvings to the cakes, pastries, sugar work and vegetable "flower" arrangements.

 

I know why they were discontinued - alot of food was wasted, I'm sure. :o But it was a great thing to see and you could tell that there was competition between the chefs to produce something more beautiful or unique than last week to have the bragging rites until the next week! ;)

 

Here is a link I found through google with awesome photos of one from 2002. http://trips.donretzlaff.com/2002Cruise/GalaBuffet/GalaBuffet01.html

[Fla Mike]

Thanks for the memories everyone!

 

The post prior about the lowest decks sharing bathrooms brought it back home.

Sailing the Amerikanis. We were on the lowest passenger deck, Dixie, I Think, under the waterline. Two big bathrooms, Carol freaked. :eek: