Thrown back in time.....

[pe4all]

On our first few CCL cruises they were still doing the horse-racing. They actually held it in the theatre. My then-young daughter was one of the jockeys chosen to move one of the horses around the "track" they laid out around the chairs. It was great fun seeing the names and decorations each horse owner decided on, and seeing the horses carried to the dining room, shows, the pool, etc. :)

[BeagleOne]

Skeet-shooting and driving golf balls off the stern (I felt sorry for the golf balls!), the midnight buffet on the QE2 with a huge bowl full of whipping cream at the dessert table, and being able to tour the bridge! I know you can still tour the bridge on some ships...

[Ocean Dancer]

A piped in Kathy Lee singing at sail a way:o

[Bibble]

That makes me think about the horse races! Had forgotten all about them.....anyone else remember those?? Wooden horse heads decorated by teams with only things they brought with them or were found on board. Pretty funny!

 

On my very first cruise, my best friend and I were 23 years old. A week to Bermuda that I had won. There were, say, 7 of us under 30 on the ship (we ended up partying with the crew! So much fun!! but I digress...)

Anyway, we met up with a group of 3 couples in their mid 40s. They showed us the ropes of cruising, they were awesome!! We called them "The Mamas and the Papas" because they treated us like their own children.

 

Anyway, they all bought one of the horses, and asked us to do the race. Remember that we were some of the only 20somethings on board? Well, a lot of the other horses were kind of tame. Not ours... we named him NumbNuts. Somewhere we got poster board and made a big sign for him. I borrowed a waiter's flowery long sleeve button down for my jockey outfit, worn with bike shorts. We made a cloak of somesort around the horse and had two round and one long balloons hanging out underneath the back.

 

It was so much fun!!!

[happy cruzin]

HA! I'd forgotten about the horse races. "Teams" would buy the horses, and decorate them. They'd carry them all over the ship to get interest in their horse, then they'd race them, with a toss of gigantic dice up on Lido Deck. GREAT FUN indeed!

 

"SKY"

 

Yep!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[happy cruzin]

HA! I'd forgotten about the horse races. "Teams" would buy the horses, and decorate them. They'd carry them all over the ship to get interest in their horse, then they'd race them, with a toss of gigantic dice up on Lido Deck. GREAT FUN indeed!

 

"SKY"

 

YES...they did. I remember one being at the table next to us during dinner for a couple of nights!! :eek:

[happy cruzin]

On my very first cruise, my best friend and I were 23 years old. A week to Bermuda that I had won. There were, say, 7 of us under 30 on the ship (we ended up partying with the crew! So much fun!! but I digress...)

Anyway, we met up with a group of 3 couples in their mid 40s. They showed us the ropes of cruising, they were awesome!! We called them "The Mamas and the Papas" because they treated us like their own children.

 

Anyway, they all bought one of the horses, and asked us to do the race. Remember that we were some of the only 20somethings on board? Well, a lot of the other horses were kind of tame. Not ours... we named him NumbNuts. Somewhere we got poster board and made a big sign for him. I borrowed a waiter's flowery long sleeve button down for my jockey outfit, worn with bike shorts. We made a cloak of somesort around the horse and had two round and one long balloons hanging out underneath the back.

 

It was so much fun!!!

 

Memories!! ;) :D

[maitlandmom]

I can remember on the Carnival in the early 80's having to go to a special room to use a hair dryer. It was so crowded right before dinner and so hot because of all of the dryers.

[Noel182002]

I've only been cruising since 2012 but all these things make me sad that I missed

[mek]

The pursers desk was only open during the day. If you needed money to go to port or for tips, you had to make sure you knew what hours they were open.

[finsgirl]

Horse races were one of the best things ever! My favorite thing that still happens on cruises.....my first Miami Vice of the cruise:) 2 weeks from today I will have one in hand- can't flipping wait! I know I can make them at home but they just don't taste the same.

[GrannyJ]

Cruising has come a long way between my first cruise and my last one.

 

My first cruise was on the Queen Elizabeth in 1967. My sister and I were on the next to last westbound journey returning from three months of backpacking around Europe. The ship was getting very shabby but it had such an air of glamour about it you didn't notice the frayed carpet or the threadbare drapes. The wide staircases, the ballrooms, the dining rooms were regal compared to the grubby youth hostels and ratty pensiones we had been making our homes. There were three "classes" of decks back then: First Class, Cabin Class and Tourist Class (read: steerage.....guess which one WE were in.) Those of us down with the "great unwashed" were not allowed to mix with the higher classes.....

 

We had a cabin that was exactly twice as wide as the bunks (you could just open the door without hitting the bunk. Then there was just enough room for two people to get around at the end of the bunks; I think there was one chair. Everything was metal - walls, bunks, lockers (not a closet, definitely). We were lucky that we had a tiny head with a shower, most everyone else on our corridor had to go down the hall to shower. We usually had the room in a complete mess and our lovely Welsh stewardess, a motherly type, asked us one day, "Dearies, do you have a mother living?" We answered to the affirmative and she said "Please give her my sympathy."

 

Except for a quick and surreptitious tour of "the upper classes" provided by a nice young steward who had an eye for American teenage girls on their own, we had to stay in our class. There wasn't a lot to do during the day except for "horse racing", bridge, etc. so we banded together with a bunch of other young'uns in their late teens and early 20's, hung out in the bars and drank. Mixed drinks were .35, beer was .05. I had the first, second and third cocktails of my life, followed the next morning by the first hangover of my life.

 

Food was "weird", at least to teenagers. Pickled herring on a bed of chopped onions for breakfast? Grilled kippers? Broiled tomatoes? The menu selection was somewhat limited and what you saw was what you got. Maybe first class got to get custom meals but not in "steerage". No buffets. And no room service in our class. Get hungry at 2:00 a.m.? Well, those pickled herrings are going to look pretty good come 7:00 a.m......

 

At night after dinner, there was more drinking, followed by an evening of dancing to a live band on a floor that had the surface of an ice rink. When they would cut back the stabilizers for the evening to make better time, the ship started a gentle rolling which made dancing VERY interesting. They have been talking for years about making ballroom dancing an Olympic sport. I can see why. I had bought a sexy little black dress in London and a pair of very high heels....high heels, slippery floors and rolling ships do not make for comfortable dancing. The band mostly played foxtrots and the like, but we would occasionally bribe them to play something a little more lively for us young whippersnappers.

 

The pool was a cold small tank somewhere in the bowels of the ship..... I took one look and knew I wouldn't be hanging out there. No hairy chest contests, no belly flop contests, no showing off my French bikini. I had entertained visions of draping myself artistically across a deck chair in a flowing dress, reading Sartre in the original French (yeah, right....) and waving languidly at the passers-by. Reality was that you could get wrapped in a blanket by a deck steward while freezing gale-force winds threatened to blow you off the deck and handed a cup of hot consommé that you could either drink or soak your frozen toes in. It wasn't until the last day before hitting New York that it was warm enough to do much strolling.

 

It seemed that the whole ship's crew was English, Irish, Welsh, or Scottish. They were kind and efficient.

 

We had a ball and I'll never forget that experience, but in retrospect I think I definitely enjoy the modern-day cruises more. These old bones love their comfort.

[richstowe]

Wonderful story GrannyJ. My Dad used to travel to Europe in the 50's on the QE and the Queen Mary in 2nd class.

He said it was very British, for better or worse. Once trans-Atlantic planes came into regular service, that was it for Cunard and their ships.

 

He enjoyed the ships but speed wise there was no comparison. Plane travel in those days was quite luxurious.

[Tapi]

I can remember on the Carnival in the early 80's having to go to a special room to use a hair dryer.

 

I just remembered that when we sailed on the very old Carla Costa, use of personal hair dryers in cabins was prohibited. Attempting to use one would trip the electricity for an entire section of a deck. For the first few days of the cruise, countless people tried to use their hair dryer, and within seconds , the power would go out. Everybody would come out of their cabins yelling and cursing at the "perpetrator". Thankfully, power would always be restored within minutes. :o

[Tapi]

My first cruise was on the Queen Elizabeth in 1967.

 

Thanks GrannyJ. I love reading stories like yours. :)

 

I got my "cruise big" from my father, who used to cross the Atlantic quite often during the 50's (he studied in Spain for many years). His stories of "the way things used to be" are mesmerizing.

 

The absolute best piece of memorabilia he possesses is a photo of the sinking of the Andrea Doria back in 1956. He was aboard the Ile de France, which was the ship that rescued the passengers from the doomed ship. The Ile de France's photographer documented the sinking of the Andrea Doria, and copies of some of the photos were sold to the passengers (which is how my dad got his hands on a glossy 8x10 photo of the Andrea Doria on its side).

 

So yes, apparently even back then, the photographers were taking every possible opportunity to make a buck. :o

[Pellaz]

Cruising has come a long way between my first cruise and my last one.

......

We had a cabin that was exactly twice as wide as the bunks (you could just open the door without hitting the bunk. Then there was just enough room for two people to get around at the end of the bunks; I think there was one chair. Everything was metal - walls, bunks, lockers (not a closet, definitely). We were lucky that we had a tiny head with a shower, most everyone else on our corridor had to go down the hall to shower. We usually had the room in a complete mess and our lovely Welsh stewardess, a motherly type, asked us one day, "Dearies, do you have a mother living?" We answered to the affirmative and she said "Please give her my sympathy."

 

:D :D :D

 

Best. Post. Of. The. Week.

[cruisinJenF]

Cruising has come a long way between my first cruise and my last one.

 

My first cruise was on the Queen Elizabeth in 1967. My sister and I were on the next to last westbound journey returning from three months of backpacking around Europe. The ship was getting very shabby but it had such an air of glamour about it you didn't notice the frayed carpet or the threadbare drapes. The wide staircases, the ballrooms, the dining rooms were regal compared to the grubby youth hostels and ratty pensiones we had been making our homes. There were three "classes" of decks back then: First Class, Cabin Class and Tourist Class (read: steerage.....guess which one WE were in.) Those of us down with the "great unwashed" were not allowed to mix with the higher classes.....

 

We had a cabin that was exactly twice as wide as the bunks (you could just open the door without hitting the bunk. Then there was just enough room for two people to get around at the end of the bunks; I think there was one chair. Everything was metal - walls, bunks, lockers (not a closet, definitely). We were lucky that we had a tiny head with a shower, most everyone else on our corridor had to go down the hall to shower. We usually had the room in a complete mess and our lovely Welsh stewardess, a motherly type, asked us one day, "Dearies, do you have a mother living?" We answered to the affirmative and she said "Please give her my sympathy."

 

Except for a quick and surreptitious tour of "the upper classes" provided by a nice young steward who had an eye for American teenage girls on their own, we had to stay in our class. There wasn't a lot to do during the day except for "horse racing", bridge, etc. so we banded together with a bunch of other young'uns in their late teens and early 20's, hung out in the bars and drank. Mixed drinks were .35, beer was .05. I had the first, second and third cocktails of my life, followed the next morning by the first hangover of my life.

 

Food was "weird", at least to teenagers. Pickled herring on a bed of chopped onions for breakfast? Grilled kippers? Broiled tomatoes? The menu selection was somewhat limited and what you saw was what you got. Maybe first class got to get custom meals but not in "steerage". No buffets. And no room service in our class. Get hungry at 2:00 a.m.? Well, those pickled herrings are going to look pretty good come 7:00 a.m......

 

At night after dinner, there was more drinking, followed by an evening of dancing to a live band on a floor that had the surface of an ice rink. When they would cut back the stabilizers for the evening to make better time, the ship started a gentle rolling which made dancing VERY interesting. They have been talking for years about making ballroom dancing an Olympic sport. I can see why. I had bought a sexy little black dress in London and a pair of very high heels....high heels, slippery floors and rolling ships do not make for comfortable dancing. The band mostly played foxtrots and the like, but we would occasionally bribe them to play something a little more lively for us young whippersnappers.

 

The pool was a cold small tank somewhere in the bowels of the ship..... I took one look and knew I wouldn't be hanging out there. No hairy chest contests, no belly flop contests, no showing off my French bikini. I had entertained visions of draping myself artistically across a deck chair in a flowing dress, reading Sartre in the original French (yeah, right....) and waving languidly at the passers-by. Reality was that you could get wrapped in a blanket by a deck steward while freezing gale-force winds threatened to blow you off the deck and handed a cup of hot consommé that you could either drink or soak your frozen toes in. It wasn't until the last day before hitting New York that it was warm enough to do much strolling.

 

It seemed that the whole ship's crew was English, Irish, Welsh, or Scottish. They were kind and efficient.

 

We had a ball and I'll never forget that experience, but in retrospect I think I definitely enjoy the modern-day cruises more. These old bones love their comfort.

 

What a great story!!!!! I want to hear more of your cruising adventures!!!!

 

We stayed a night on the Queen Mary (Hotel now) and I saw the menus, YUK! I wouldn't have eaten that stuff! It had a video playing in a loop showing the cabins in the different classes back then and it was so interesting to see. It sure looked like Tourist Class had more fun ;)

[binkysgodiva]

What a wonderful story! Thank you so much for sharing.

 

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Forums mobile app

[marco]

Much, much more formality. Men were just NOT allowed in any public room after 6PM without a jacket and tie. Drink prices were a fraction of what the comparable beverage would be in any US restaurant or bar. Lots and lots of confetti and streamers at sail-away. Just about all meals always served in the dining room, no buffets except occasionally on port days. Way way over the top midnight buffets.

[Gunner22aa]

They don't build ships without at least 75% balcony cabins anymore. Balconies used to be for the "rich and famous" in the old days if the ship even had any. Entertainment was always live and professional and cards in the smoking lounge was a lively activity. Today it's wave runners, skating rinks, current pools, climbing walls and I'm just waiting for the first roller coaster! Cruise ships todat resemble amusement parks rather than traditional ocean liners of the past for the most part. Cunard gets the exception.

[sparky-elpaso]

The horse races are still alive and well on some sailings. We had them on a sea day on our RCCL Australia/NZ cruise a couple of years ago. The teams "bought" their horses at auction and named and decorated them. Throws of dice determined which horse and how far they moved. You could bet on the races and the proceeds went to charity. I ended up winning about $20. :)

[richstowe]

They don't build ships without at least 75% balcony cabins anymore. Balconies used to be for the "rich and famous" in the old days if the ship even had any. Entertainment was always live and professional and cards in the smoking lounge was a lively activity. Today it's wave runners, skating rinks, current pools, climbing walls and I'm just waiting for the first roller coaster! Cruise ships today resemble amusement parks rather than traditional ocean liners of the past for the most part. Cunard gets the exception.

Here you go.:eek:

 

Next Royal Caribbean ship to feature gee-whiz ride

 

NEW YORK — Royal Caribbean's next ship will feature a giant mechanical arm that transports passengers high above the vessel in a glass capsule.

Dubbed the North Star, the unusual contraption aboard the line's Quantum of the Seas will be designed to give about 14 passengers at a time a

"whole different perspective" of the environment in which they are vacationing,

[JustCruiseMe]

GrannyJ you are a great writer!Loved your story.

Cruising has come a long way between my first cruise and my last one.

 

My first cruise was on the Queen Elizabeth in 1967. My sister and I were on the next to last westbound journey returning from three months of backpacking around Europe. The ship was getting very shabby but it had such an air of glamour about it you didn't notice the frayed carpet or the threadbare drapes. The wide staircases, the ballrooms, the dining rooms were regal compared to the grubby youth hostels and ratty pensiones we had been making our homes. There were three "classes" of decks back then: First Class, Cabin Class and Tourist Class (read: steerage.....guess which one WE were in.) Those of us down with the "great unwashed" were not allowed to mix with the higher classes.....

 

We had a cabin that was exactly twice as wide as the bunks (you could just open the door without hitting the bunk. Then there was just enough room for two people to get around at the end of the bunks; I think there was one chair. Everything was metal - walls, bunks, lockers (not a closet, definitely). We were lucky that we had a tiny head with a shower, most everyone else on our corridor had to go down the hall to shower. We usually had the room in a complete mess and our lovely Welsh stewardess, a motherly type, asked us one day, "Dearies, do you have a mother living?" We answered to the affirmative and she said "Please give her my sympathy."

 

Except for a quick and surreptitious tour of "the upper classes" provided by a nice young steward who had an eye for American teenage girls on their own, we had to stay in our class. There wasn't a lot to do during the day except for "horse racing", bridge, etc. so we banded together with a bunch of other young'uns in their late teens and early 20's, hung out in the bars and drank. Mixed drinks were .35, beer was .05. I had the first, second and third cocktails of my life, followed the next morning by the first hangover of my life.

 

Food was "weird", at least to teenagers. Pickled herring on a bed of chopped onions for breakfast? Grilled kippers? Broiled tomatoes? The menu selection was somewhat limited and what you saw was what you got. Maybe first class got to get custom meals but not in "steerage". No buffets. And no room service in our class. Get hungry at 2:00 a.m.? Well, those pickled herrings are going to look pretty good come 7:00 a.m......

 

At night after dinner, there was more drinking, followed by an evening of dancing to a live band on a floor that had the surface of an ice rink. When they would cut back the stabilizers for the evening to make better time, the ship started a gentle rolling which made dancing VERY interesting. They have been talking for years about making ballroom dancing an Olympic sport. I can see why. I had bought a sexy little black dress in London and a pair of very high heels....high heels, slippery floors and rolling ships do not make for comfortable dancing. The band mostly played foxtrots and the like, but we would occasionally bribe them to play something a little more lively for us young whippersnappers.

 

The pool was a cold small tank somewhere in the bowels of the ship..... I took one look and knew I wouldn't be hanging out there. No hairy chest contests, no belly flop contests, no showing off my French bikini. I had entertained visions of draping myself artistically across a deck chair in a flowing dress, reading Sartre in the original French (yeah, right....) and waving languidly at the passers-by. Reality was that you could get wrapped in a blanket by a deck steward while freezing gale-force winds threatened to blow you off the deck and handed a cup of hot consommé that you could either drink or soak your frozen toes in. It wasn't until the last day before hitting New York that it was warm enough to do much strolling.

 

It seemed that the whole ship's crew was English, Irish, Welsh, or Scottish. They were kind and efficient.

 

We had a ball and I'll never forget that experience, but in retrospect I think I definitely enjoy the modern-day cruises more. These old bones love their comfort.

[enyliram]

I just remembered that when we sailed on the very old Carla Costa, use of personal hair dryers in cabins was prohibited. Attempting to use one would trip the electricity for an entire section of a deck. For the first few days of the cruise, countless people tried to use their hair dryer, and within seconds , the power would go out. Everybody would come out of their cabins yelling and cursing at the "perpetrator". Thankfully, power would always be restored within minutes. :o

 

I remember Maria Pia the cruise director on the Carla C. and don't tell but I did use the hairdryer.

[ocbeachbums]

Our very first cruise in1979 was on the Costa Carla C. Everyone went to a cocktail party where you met the Captain and had a pix taken with him.

And the first thing we did on board was go and pick our lounge chair...yes...the lounges around the pool was yours for the entire week...and they were wood.

The other thing I remember was that the majority of the crew were Italian, and walking by them was kind of intimidating. Just visualize groups of crew members standing around and making comments, and using hand motions, to express their approval of the female body........never happen today.....thank God!!!